Victorian prosperity was built on the development of new machinery, new work methods and an underpaid workforce consisting of adults and children living in poverty. Many people previously rural became urbanised by the new rail transport. country families often drifted into towns to stay with other relatives whilst seeking work.

The poor people lived in slums or in vacated old decaying upper class houses. The occupants of slums had no sanitation, no water supply, no paved streets, no schools, no law or order, no decent food or new clothing. Many now had to walk miles to mill or factory work, where as before they had frequently lived in the house or near land where they did their work.Their hours of work began at 5.30 a.m were never less than then. The brutal degrading conditions were so awful that drunkennes and opium taking was usual as their homelife had so little to offer.