Victorian Society

Victorian Aristocracy
Most of England's aristocracy lived on their rural estates unlike those of other countries who lived off the revenues of their estates but didn't actually live on them. On a country estate and Englishman could enjoy rural sports such as hunting, fishing and shooting while being able to display his considerable wealth. The estates of these landowners ranged from 1.4 million acres, as with the Duke of Bedford, to a meagre one thousand acres of the modest squire. Seven thousand families owned estates in England and because of primogeniture, a rule from the feudal system of government by which lands passed to the eldest son of each generation, the estates in England remained in the hands of these families. Most of these landowners did not involved in the farming of the land but had a passive interest in agriculture. The farming was left to tenant farmers who were often very successful themselves.

The brief description of Victorian Society above only raises certain aspects but gives an idea of a divided and troubled society. Perhaps that is why the Victorians placed codes of conduct upon themselves and their lives in an attempt to bring about good in a world gone bad. Codes of behaviour, such as gentlemanly conduct or the etiquette of a lady ultimately have their roots in the chivalry of the middle Ages. Many Victorians were fascinated with the middle Ages and created romanticism around them. Writers had a great deal to do with this, such as Sir Walter Scott who captured the Nation's imagination with the medieval poems and novels of which 'Ivanhoe' was the most successful. The tournament in 'Ivanhoe' most likely inspired the Eglington Tournament of 1838 in which various well known aristocrats of the time attempted to recreate a medieval tournament at great expense, which unfortunately was washed out by rain.

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