Expert: Joseph Logue - 4/10/2008

Question
Why was drink and the pub so important to the working classes in Victorian and Edwardian England?


Answer
Hello Martin,

Not just in Britain, but in most places around the world "the drink" was important chiefly because it a) hid the taste of the water and b) at least underwent some purification process.  Though we think that polluted rivers are a bane of modern society, fresh water had always been spoiled by laundry, by being treated as a lavatory, and as a garbage dump.  Well water could be sulphurous and unpleasant.  By using water in beer and whiskey (and other spirits) the water would be boiled, ridding it of bacteria.  We must remember that not all intoxicating beverages were drunk to become intoxicated.  A morning beer was not that uncommon all that long ago; it has nutrients and grains as part of its makeup.  100 years ago you might have a bit of beer or wine with breakfast to supplement your diet.

The pub:  well that is a wonderful aspect of life in the British Isles, isn't it?  Mostly, they served as community centers, where working people could catch up on town news, friendly gossip, sports, and the like.  As labor in Victorian England afforded a bit of extra cash (not quite similar to today's "spending money") that was not strictly needed to run the house, people felt they could step out now and then.  You could have a small beer for pennies and spend an evening with it, seeing all your friends.

There are many books about Victorian and Edwardian social life in most libraries, Martin.  I urge you to visit one to get a more complete picture of pub culture.

Sincerely,

Joseph Logue