1.1.4

Victorian London

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Victorian London

Sherlock Holmes was introduced in 1887 to a Victorian society experiencing a great deal of change.

Changes in Victorian society

Changes in Victorian society

  • The Victorians saw a rise in industry, exploration, scientific and technological discovery, as well as the beginnings of forensics and detection.
Empire and cultural exploration

Empire and cultural exploration

  • Victorian Britain was also concerned with the growth of the British Empire and making England prosper through trade and colonisation.
  • Conan Doyle used his characters to explore new cultures, many of which his readers would have never previously encountered.
Poverty and poor health

Poverty and poor health

  • Despite all of the growth in society, there was a lot of poverty and poor health.
  • The rise of industry caused a huge amount of smog in the London air, meaning it was dark, dreary, and people developed a number of health issues.
  • Crime, prostitution, murder and drug abuse were all common in Victorian England.
1870 Education Act

1870 Education Act

  • In 1870, the Education Act was introduced in England.
    • This meant that education was made compulsory for all children.
  • This meant that by the time Arthur Conan Doyle wrote The Sign of the Four in the 1880s, there would have been a huge increase in the number of lower-class people who were able to read.

Drug Use in Victorian London

Although Sherlock Holmes takes numerous drugs (‘there still remains the cocaine-bottle’), we cannot judge him by the same rules we live by today.

Buying drugs

Buying drugs

  • In early Victorian Britain, it was possible to buy cocaine, arsenic, and other drugs from the local chemist.
  • They were not illegal and the dangers of them were generally unknown.
  • Opium (a highly-addictive narcotic drug) was sold on market stalls.
No proof of the dangers of drugs

No proof of the dangers of drugs

  • Some medical professions (like our fictional Dr Watson) suspected that some drugs were dangerous, but there was no solid proof in early Victorian Britain.
1868 Pharmacy Act

1868 Pharmacy Act

  • There were no restrictions on the sale of drugs until the Pharmacy Act in 1868.
    • The Pharmacy Act limited the sale of poisons and dangerous drugs to qualified chemists/pharmacists and druggists.
    • But it is important to note that these people could still supply dangerous drugs to people if they felt that they needed them.
    • The Act also meant that all poisonous substances (e.g. those with cyanide in them) had to be regulated carefully – but they could still be sold.
Drug usage

Drug usage

  • Drug use was common, especially amongst working-class people.
  • People used drugs for enjoyment, as well as for home remedies.
Jump to other topics
1

Context

1.1

Victorian England & British Empire

1.1.1Author Background1.1.2Victorian Crime & Police1.1.3Historical Context1.1.4Victorian London1.1.5Women1.1.6The British Empire1.1.7End of Topic Test - Author & Victorian Police1.1.8End of Topic Test - Victorian London & Empire
2

Plot Summary

2.1

Chapter Summaries

2.1.1Chapter 12.1.2Chapter 22.1.3Chapter 32.1.4Chapter 42.1.5Chapter 52.1.6Chapter 62.1.7Chapter 72.1.8Chapter 82.1.9Chapter 92.1.10Chapter 102.1.11Chapter 112.1.12Chapter 122.1.13Chapter 12: Jonathan Small's Stories2.1.14End of Topic Test - Chapters 1-62.1.15End of Topic Test - Chapters 7-12
3

Characters

3.1

Key Characters

3.1.1Sherlock Holmes3.1.2Sherlock Holmes: Quotations3.1.3Dr John Watson3.1.4Mary Morstan3.1.5End of Topic Test - Key Characters3.1.6Exam-Style Questions - Mary & Dr Watson
3.2

Other Characters

3.2.1Thaddeus Sholto3.2.2Jonathan Small3.2.3End of Topic Test - Thaddeus and Jonathan Small
3.3

Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.3.1Grade 9 - Key Characters3.3.2Extract Analysis - Tonga
4

Key Themes

4.1

Key Themes

4.1.1Corruption4.1.2Criminals & Victims4.1.3Victorian Fear4.1.4British Empire & Imperialism4.1.5Duality4.1.6End of Topic Test - Key Themes
5

Writing Techniques

5.1

Writing Techniques

5.1.1Narrative Voice5.1.2Dialogue5.1.3Structure5.1.4Structure & Characters5.1.5Pathetic Fallacy5.1.6End of Topic Test - Writing Techniques
6

Recap: Main Quotes

6.1

Characters Quotes

6.1.1Sherlock Holmes - Quotations6.1.2Dr John Watson - Quotations6.1.3Mary Morstan - Quotations6.1.4Thaddeus Sholto - Quotations6.1.5Jonathan Small - Quotations
6.2

Text Structure - Quotes

6.2.1Chapter 1 - Quotations6.2.2Chapter 2 - Quotations6.2.3Chapter 3 - Quotations6.2.4Chapter 4 - Quotations6.2.5Chapter 5 - Quotations6.2.6Chapter 6 - Quotations6.2.7Chapter 7 - Quotations6.2.8Chapter 8 - Quotations6.2.9Chapter 9 - Quotations6.2.10Chapter 10 - Quotations6.2.11Chapter 11 - Quotations6.2.12Chapter 12 - Quotations

Practice questions on Victorian London

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    Which Act was introduced in England in 1870?Multiple choice
  2. 2
    Social issues in Victorian EnglandFill in the list
  3. 3
    What drug does Sherlock Holmes use?Multiple choice
  4. 4
    Features of the Pharmacy Act:True / false
  5. 5
    What Act was passed in 1868 in England?Multiple choice
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Historical Context

Women