Social Status Late Regency/Early Victorian

[saw119]

I go round and round on this subject always trying to find new information to illuminate and understand the life of a clerk and his family in the above time period. He was a clerk/book keeper for the canals and then the railways living on the border between St Pancras and Camden Town (modern day Plender street), just east of Regents park. I find myself endlessly fascinated by this period, this place and their lives. I'm just open to thoughts, musings, speculation and book recommendations. Although I have a vague idea what clerks did and that they were reasonably well paid I always crave more.

[ThrelfallYorky]

"Well paid"? I wouldn't have thought they were well paid.... or of any real social status.... They probably felt that they were a little above the people who worked with their hands, but may not have had better earnings, and almost certainly would have felt that they had to try and keep up a "genteel" social front....

[Viktoria]

They would be in a rather difficult situation,although of low social standing they would be expected to be a little more “genteel” than  blue collar workers.

Keeping up appearances ,well they would try but were poorly paid and as they needed to be reasonably well dressed , well the men in the offices would be, they had an extra expense  above a manual worker.
But for the women,not having to wash filthy overalls etc would be a little advantage.
Try reading “The History of Mr. Polly”. I seem to remember H. G . Wells.
Also George and Weedon Grossmith’s. “History of a Nobody”.
I stand to be corrected on a couple of things there.
Viktoria.

[Maiden Stone]

Try reading “The History of Mr. Polly”. I seem to remember H. G . Wells.
Also George and Weedon Grossmith’s. “History of a Nobody”.
I stand to be corrected on a couple of things there.
Viktoria.

Take into account that these novels were set & published late 19th-early 20thC.
There are clerks in Dickens' novels (mid 19thC), e.g. Bob Cratchit, Uriah Heap. There may be some clerk characters in novels set earlier in 19thC but none spring to mind.

Some members of one of my families were clerks and book keepers in Manchester and Preston, Lancashire, mid 19thC. They were 4 brothers, (born 1793-1803), who had previously had their own businesses, then for various reasons needed to earn wages. Their father was "gentleman" in 1830's poll books, having retired from his successful business. His widow and 2 unmarried daughters were of independent means on 1841 census. Another daughter married a doctor. One son was a clerk at the coal wharf, one book keeper at a brewery and one a solicitor's clerk. 

[Viktoria]

Yes Maiidenston as usual I rushed in,without taking in the dates.
Dickens by far the best source for the period.
Thank you.
Viktoria,

[Maiden Stone]

Put bookkeeper in search box at top of page to find more threads about the occupation.

[saw119]

Thanks everybody. My presumptions had always been that clerk was a reasonably well paid position as a clerk had to be literate and numerate. I'd never really considered the aspirational nature of being upper working class/lower middle class and the pressures attendant on that. I find it interesting that Dickens has Bob Cratchitt live in Camden Town which is the same area of London as my clerk, perhaps it was well known for clerks?

[Maiden Stone]

Some information on these websites.

The Victorian Web - Literature, history and culture in the age of Victoria:
Wages and cost of living in Victorian era
Includes cost of living for a senior clerk 1844.
www.victorianweb.org/economics/wages2.html

The Victorian History Blog

The Victorian Middle Classes
https://www.bl.uk/victorian-britain/articles/the-victorian-middle-classes

The Victorian Era
www.victorian-era.org/the-victorian-era-wages-salary-earnings.html

A few points I gleaned from a cursory reading. It's difficult to calculate the worth of wages. Servants were low paid but many had free accomodation, meals and working clothes. Clerks were expected to be neatly dressed at their own expense. Labourers' clothing costs weren't high - their weekday attire was hard-wearing but could be shabby - they didn't need to keep up appearances.

[pharmaT]

Thanks everybody. My presumptions had always been that clerk was a reasonably well paid position as a clerk had to be literate and numerate. I'd never really considered the aspirational nature of being upper working class/lower middle class and the pressures attendant on that. I find it interesting that Dickens has Bob Cratchitt live in Camden Town which is the same area of London as my clerk, perhaps it was well known for clerks?

Clerks, in my understanding had a slightly higher social standing than say a labourer because of being educated.  However they were not well paid and had greater expenses.  I also get the impression they were often not particularly well treated (obviously employer dependent), no employment rights in those days.