Gender, Sexuality and Victorian Texts Timeline

Whitechapel Hospital

The Whitechapel Hospital was founded on September 23, 1740. This hospital is the setting of chapter eighteen in The Story of a Modern Woman, where Mary and Alison meet with Dr. Dunlop Strange to become students at the hospital. It is currently located on Whitechapel Road in London. In 1990, the Queen visited for its 250th anniversary and added "royal" to the title of the hospital name as it is now known as the Royal London Hospital. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_London_Hospital#History

1768-Women join in the Foundation of The Royal Academy of Arts

Among the members that were found to have petitioned to King George III for the establishment of a royal academy, were Angelica Kauffman and Mary Moser. Although both women can tie back their artistic origins to their father, they equally struggled in getting formal training and ultimately gain respect in the field.

Article:

https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/mary-moser-and-angelica-kauffman

Vindication of the Rights of Woman

In January 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft published A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which laid out the tenets of what today we call ‘equality’ or ‘liberal’ feminist theory. She further promoted a new model of the nation grounded on a family politics produced by egalitarian marriages. Image: A Vindication of the Rights of Woman title page from the first American edition, 1792 (Library of Congress).  This image is in the public domain in the United States because its copyright has expired.

Articles

Anne K. Mellor, "On the Publication of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman"

Related Articles

Ghislaine McDayter, "On the Publication of William Godwin’s Memoirs of the Author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, 1798"

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (poem publication)

Mary emphasiezes her favorite poem is titled The Rime of the Ancient Mariner in chapter 2. This poem was first published in the year 1798 and was written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It is a part of a series of lyrical ballads (collection of poems).

The Stranger's Guide or Frauds of London

From the little information we have, we know that most women who earned their living from selling sex were working class, the majority taking up with men from their own socio-economic background before going out on the streets. The more fortunate, usually in the West End and the prosperous suburbs, worked as prostitutes for a few years, while saving up to get married. One woman said as much: ‘she had got tired of service, wanted to see life and be independent; & so she had become a prostitute

Publication of Persuasion

Persuasion was written by Jane Austen in 1816. This publication discussed the complexities of love, wealth, and freedom during that time period that women faced. It discussed the social restrictions placed on women, a topic that was not commonly talked about. The story is spread out through many books but follows a character named Anne Elliot who is forced to break of an engagement that her family disapproved of. 

Birth of Christina Georgina Rossetti

Christina Rossetti was born on 5 December 1830 at 38 Charlotte Street (now 105 Hallam Street) in Marylbone, London to Gabriele Rossetti and Frances Polidori.

Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott"

"The Lady of Shalott" highlights what happens when women step outside of their "zone." The Lady of Shalott is a weaver who weaves infront of a mirror and notices an image of Sir Lancelot in the mirror. She turns around, which leads to her death. This can be interpreted as temptation of sexuality and women's desire, which are characteristics not associated with women in the Victorian era.

British abolish slavery

The British empire abolishes slavery, and more than 800,000 slaves in the British Caribbean are freed. The government provides damages to slave owners, but nothing to formerly enslaved people.

Accession of Queen Victoria

Victoria became Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on June, 20 1837.

Act on Custody of Infants

On 17 August 1839, passage of an Act to Amend the Law Relating to the Custody of Infants. The Act allowed a separated wife to petition the court for custody of her children under the age of seven. Image: The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Related Articles

Rachel Ablow, “‘One Flesh,’ One Person, and the 1870 Married Women’s Property Act”

Kelly Hager, “Chipping Away at Coverture: The Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857″

Jill Rappoport, “Wives and Sons: Coverture, Primogeniture, and Married Women’s Property”

Queen Victoria marries Prince Albert

Queen Victoria married her cousin, Prince Albert. They had nine children throughout their marriage, but he died of typhoid in 1861. Although Prince Albert was unpopular amongst the British people, the love between the couple was well-known. 

Ashely's Mines Act book

Ashely's Mines Act (women and children excluded from the mines).
Louis Aime-Martin: The Education of Mothers of Families; or, The Civilisation of the Human Race by Women.

Publication of A Christmas Carol

Written by Charles Dickens in 1843, about a miserable man who hates Christmas. The story shows a real concern of the difference between the rich and the poor that is still relevant to this day. It was reflecting the social issues during that time, and how loneliness can affect a person, which is something that was not really discussed back then. 

Publication of Jane Eyre

In 1847, Charlotte Bronte published the novel, Jane Eyre. This novel focuses on Jane's journey to find her own identity from her childhood years to her adult life. It emphasizes the social standings and expectations for women during the Victorian Era. Through Jane's character development, Bronte illuminates the power of women despite the patriarchal times. This novel was one of many at the time to illustrate the need for social change and advocate for women's rights.

the Great Exhibition opens in London’s Crystal Palace

: The brainchild of Prince Albert, the  the great exibitionopens in London’s Crystal Palace, with 10,000-plus exhibitors displaying the world’s technological wonders—from false teeth to farm machinery to telescopes..

Publication of The English Women's Domestic Magazine

Written by Isabella Beeton for her husband's magazine, The English Women's Domestic Magazine was a huge hit in its time. This magazine contained recipes, notes on fashion, and social tips. This magazine was widely popular among women looking to fit in and keep up with societies changing times. It also contained medical tips, gardening tips, and even some sketches. There was even a portion of the magazine dedicated for women to write in and share their thoughts. 

Passing of the Act for the Better Prevention and Punishment of Aggravated Assaults upon Women and Children

The Act for the Better Prevention and Punishment of Aggravated Assaults upon Women and Children was passed in order to protect women and children from domestic violence. However, this did not completely eliminate domestic violence against women; it only put limits on the severity of the assult by men. 

Petition for Reform of Married Women’s Property Law

On 14 March 1856, presentation of the Petition for Reform of the Married Women’s Property Law, 1856. The petition began the joint effort by lawmakers and public women to grant married women control of their own wealth.

Articles

Jill Rappoport, “Wives and Sons: Coverture, Primogeniture, and Married Women’s Property”

Related Articles

Rachel Ablow, “‘One Flesh,’ One Person, and the 1870 Married Women’s Property Act”

Anne D. Wallace, “On the Deceased Wife’s Sister Controversy, 1835-1907″

Mary Seacole's Autobiography

Published in 1857 her biography was about the struggle of becoming a war nurse during the Crimean War and how she was unable to get the job because of her race. She was the daughter of a  Scottish officer in the British army and a Jamaican woman. Her autobiography shows her struggles that she went through and her story. 

‘the majority of women (happily for them) are not very much troubled by sexual feelings of any kind’: from William Acton’s medical text, The Functions and Disorders of the Reproductive Organs, 1857

Women had no stance in a marriage and in this book it explains how women were not able to speak to their husbands or men if not spoken to first. The figure of the governess was unsettling, especially in books because it gave attention to the fact that not all women in the victorian age were sexless like Dr Acton had suggested.

Birth of Ella Hepworth Dixon

Ella Hepworth Dixon was born on March 27, 1857 at Essex Villa, Queens Road, Marylebone, London. She was seventh child of William Hepworth Dixon and Mary Ann MacMahon.

Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857

On 28 August 1857, passage of the Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857. The Act legalized divorce and protected a divorced woman’s property and future earnings. The grounds for divorce for men was adultery (in legal terms, criminal conversation), for women adultery combined with bigamy, incest, bestiality, sodomy, desertion, cruelty, or rape. Image: The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Articles

Kelly Hager, “Chipping Away at Coverture: The Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857″

Related Articles

Rachel Ablow, “‘One Flesh,’ One Person, and the 1870 Married Women’s Property Act”

Lorraine Janzen Kooistra, “The Moxon Tennyson as Textual Event: 1857, Wood Engraving, and Visual Culture”

Jill Rappoport, “Wives and Sons: Coverture, Primogeniture, and Married Women’s Property”

English Woman’s Journal first published

March 1858 saw the first issue of England’s first feminist monthly magazine, the English Woman's Journal. Aimed primarily at a middle-class audience, the magazine promoted new employment and educational opportunities for women, and featured a mix of political and social commentary, reportage of current events, poetry, book reviews, and a correspondence column. Image: Photograph of Bessie Rayner Parkes Belloc (date unknown). This image is in the public domain in the United States because its copyright has expired.

Articles

Janice Schroeder, “On the English Woman’s Journal, 1858-62″

Publication of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management

Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management was published in 1861 by Isabella Beeton. This book not only contained over 200 recipes but contained instructions and advice for various topics like" how to choose friends and acquaintances; how to dress; how to receive morning calls or to seat guests at the dinner table..." At the time no book like this existed, and that could be why the book did so well. It was made clear in the book that most of the tasks were to be done by servants or maids. This book was known to teach the mistress of the house how to run her house by delegating other tasks. By 1868 the book sold over two million copies. 

Death of Prince Albert

After the passing of Prince Albert due to typhoid fever, Queen Victoria was devastated. For 15 years, she was rarely seen in public and because of this, her popularity among the British began to diminish. Queen Victoria's grief after his death drastically changed the rest of her reign and ultimately shaped British monarchy to this day. The whole country was significantly affected by his death. 

Goblin Market

Christina Rosetti wrote Goblin Market in April of 1859 and it was published in 1862. This poem focuses on women's role in society at the time. Two girls, Laura and Lizzie, are tempted by the goblins to eat their fruit. This story illuminates the oppression of female sexuality and women's lack of education during the Victorian era.

Alice in Wonderland

During 1863-1865 the popular children's story Alice in Wonderland was written. The author Lewis Carroll, first got the idea for the story by telling it to three young girls on a boat trip in 1862. Alice, one of the girls, adored the story and that inspired Lewis Carroll to write the story down the next year so that Alice could read it. He ended up publishing the book in 1865.

"Criminals, Idiots, Women, and Minors"

In her 1868 essay, "Criminals, Idiots, Women, and Minors," Frances Power Cobbe challenges the role of women in society and the idea that husband and wife are "one before the law." This essay sparked great controversy and debate, bringing attention to women's rights issues.

Source: http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/vwwp/view?docId=VAB7044&doc.view=print

First Women's College at Cambridge Founded (Girton College)

Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon founded this college and it was the first Cambridge college for women students because women could not get full degrees at Cambridge until 1948. This was a major movement for women's rights allowing them to go to school and receive degrees.

1870 Married Women's Property Act

On 9 August 1870, the Married Women’s Property Act was passed. Image: The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

This Act established limited protections for some separate property for married women, including the right to retain up to £200 of any earning or inheritance. Before this all of a woman's property owned before her marriage, as well as all acquired after the marriage, automatically became her husband's alone. Only women whose families negotiated different terms in a marriage contract were able to retain control of some portion of their property.

Articles

Rachel Ablow, "On the Married Woman's Property Act, 1870"

Related Articles

Kelly Hager, “Chipping Away at Coverture: The Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857″

Jill Rappoport, “Wives and Sons: Coverture, Primogeniture, and Married Women’s Property”

Anne Wallace, “On the Deceased Wife’s Sister Controversy, 1835-1907″

Women and education rights UK has the first university for women to get a degree

Women in the 1860s and 1870s were not allowed at Oxford and Cambridge to get degrees or at any university. Women were not allowed to get any type of degree and finally in 1878, In London the first university in the UK to allowed women to atttain a degree.

Death of William Hepworth Dixon

Mary Hepworth Dixon's father, William Hepworth Dixon, passed away on December 27, 1879. This was a very significant event in Mary's life that shook her world for years to come. She even wrote about her father's death in some of her works, including The Story of a Modern Woman.

1882 Married Women's Property Act

1882 Married Women's Property Act passed on 1 Jan 1883. Referred to as the 1882 MWPA, the Act came into effect at the beginning of 1883. Although still identifying some married women's property as "separate," this Act significantly increased the scope and protections for married women's acquisition and retention of property separate from their husbands. Image: The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Articles

Jill Rappoport, “Wives and Sons: Coverture, Primogeniture, and Married Women’s Property”

Anne Wallace, “On the Deceased Wife’s Sister Controversy, 1835-1907″

Related Articles

Rachel Ablow, “‘One Flesh,’ One Person, and the 1870 Married Women’s Property Act”

Primrose League

In the "Story of a Modern Woman" , Lady Jane mentions having been a member of this league whilst also introducing Mary to a journalist who was also a member. The Primrose league was founded by Benjamin Disraeli during the era of Queen Victoria. It was created to:

" 1. To Uphold and support God, Queen, and Country, and the Conservative cause;

2.To provide an effective voice to represent the interests of our members and to bring the experience of the Leaders to bear on the conduct of public affairs for the common good;

3.To encourage and help our members to improve their professional competence as leaders

 4.To fight for free enterprise" (Primrose League).

It was essentially made to uphold conservative values, and became widely popular once women were allowed into the realm. Winston Churchill would later be a part of this organization and detail it in one of his books.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primrose_League

Passing of Married Women's Property Act

The Married Women's Property Act was passed in 1884. This allowed women to own her own separate property regardless of her marital status. This act also permitted women to sue and be sued in their own name. This was a key factor in changing the role of women in society. 

Ella Hepworth Dixon Starts here career

   In 1888 a young Ella Dixon accepted an offer from Oscar Wilde to the editor of "The Women's World". This was a magazine for women that was very popular at the time. 

Jack the Ripper murders

From August 1888 to September 1889, the serial killer known as the Whitechapel Murderer or Jack the Ripper stalked women living in the East End of London.

Related Articles

Heidi Kaufman, “1800-1900: Inside and Outside the Nineteenth-Century East End”

Marlene Tromp, “A Priori: Harriet Buswell and Unsolved Murder Before Jack the Ripper, 24-25 December 1872″

"New Aspect of the Woman Question"

In March 1894, Sarah Grand's “The New Aspect of the Woman Question” was published. The essay in North American Review, vol.158, no.448, March 1894, pp.270–6 has been credited with identifying the "New Woman."

Articles

Meaghan Clarke, “1894: The Year of the New Woman Art Critic”

Story of a Modern Woman

In May 1894, Ella Hepworth Dixon's The Story of a Modern Woman was published. It is the best-known New Woman novel and draws on Dixon's own experiences supporting herself as a journalist.

Articles

Meaghan Clarke, “1894: The Year of the New Woman Art Critic”

Death of Christina Rossetti

Christina Rossetti died on 29 December 1894 and was buried in the Rossetti family plot, alongside her parents and Elizabeth Siddal. 

Trials of Oscar Wilde

The trials of Oscar Wilde, which occurred in April and May of 1895, have become legendary as a turning-point in the history of public awareness of homosexuality. By their close, Wilde had gone from being a triumphantly successful playwright to a ruined man, condemned to two years of hard labor for gross indecency. They garnered extensive coverage first in the London press and then in newspapers around the world; the story of the trials continues to be retold in ways that have persistent relevance for contemporary queer culture. Image: Photograph of Oscar Wilde, by Napoleon Sarony. This image is in the public domain in the United States because its copyright has expired.

Articles

Andrew Elfenbein, “On the Trials of Oscar Wilde: Myths and Realities”

Foundation of Central London School of Art and Design

The Central London School of Art and Design was founded in 1898. It later merged with the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 1989. They believe in the "fundamental importance of learning through making and were known for their radical approach to art and design" (https://www.arts.ac.uk/colleges/central-saint-martins/about-csm).

Queen Victoria Dies

Queen Victoria dies at age 81 on the Isle of Wight. Her death signified the end of the Victorian Era. Her oldest son, Edward VII, succeeded her.

Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage Act

Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage Act passed on 28 Aug 1907. Although there are minor clauses and clarifications, the Act's opening and primary clause is simply this: "[n]o marriage heretofore or hereafter contracted between a man and his deceased wife’s sister, within the realm or without, shall be deemed to have been or shall be void or voidable, as a civil contract, by reason only of such affinity." Image: The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Articles

Anne Wallace, “On the Deceased Wife’s Sister Controversy, 1835-1907″

Eric Wood - "The Boy's Book of Battles"

In 1913, Eric Wood published the text, "The Boys Book of Battles", which focused on different important military battles throughout the early century history. In "The story of a Modern Woman", young Mary mentions her male childhood friends and their obsessions with the story of Blake, Von Thompson, and Monk. This story is found in the chapter, " When Blake whipped the seas", and is essentially on the success of an Englishman in battle compared to a Dutch. It is important to note the patriotism at the time and how Mary herself although wanted to be the victor, did not care so much for the idea of patriotism itself.

https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=read&author=wood&book=batt…

Equal Franchise Act of 1928

The Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act of 1928 was passed by Parliament of the United Kingdom. It gave men and women equal voting rights. It gave all women over 21 the ability to vote regardless of property ownership.

Death of Ella Nora Hepworth Dixon

Ella Hepworth Dixon, the author of The Story of a Modern Women, died on January 12, 1932. Dixon died of a respiratory disease at the Savoy Court Hotel in London, but her impact on uncovering the different perspectives and complexities of femininity is still remembered today.