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A London Family, 1870-1900: A Trilogy
Molly Hughes's account of her life in Victorian London has become a classic of autobiographical writing. Now A London Child of the 1870s, A London Girl of the 1880s, and A London Home of the 1890s are available for the first time in a single paperback volume. As witty and charming as on publication, this perceptive trilogy traces her early life from schooldays to motherhood, and shows that `Victorian children did not have such a dull time as is usually supposed',
600 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
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137 people want to read
About the author
Molly Hughes
8 books8 followersMary Vivian Hughes, usually known as Molly Hughes and also published under M.V. Hughes, was a British educator and author.
The daughter of a London stockbroker, she was born Mary Thomas and passed most of her childhood in Canonbury, under the watchful eyes of four older brothers. Her father, a modestly successful stockbroker, became caught up in a financial scandal and committed suicide in 1879.
She attended the North London Collegiate School and a Cambridge teachers' training college, and was later awarded her BA in London.
As head of the training department at Bedford College from 1892 until 1897, she played an important role in expanding and rationalizing the teacher training curriculum. Molly Thomas married barrister-at-law Arthur Hughes (1857–1918) from Garneddwen in 1897, after an engagement of nearly ten years; they had one daughter and three sons. After her husband's death, she returned to work as an educational inspector. Her first book, About England, was published in 1927. She died in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1956.
Hughes is best known for a series of four lively memoirs, A London Child of the 1870s, A London Girl of the 1880s, A London Home in the 1890s, and A London Family Between the Wars. Hughes's stated purpose in these books is "to show that Victorian children did not have such a dull time as is usually supposed." Her books are a valuable source on women's education and women's work in the late Victorian period; in particular, A London Girl of the 1880s provides an unparalleled portrait of life in a Victorian women's college. Some of Hughes's books are illustrated by her own drawings and her brother Charles's paintings.
The daughter of a London stockbroker, she was born Mary Thomas and passed most of her childhood in Canonbury, under the watchful eyes of four older brothers. Her father, a modestly successful stockbroker, became caught up in a financial scandal and committed suicide in 1879.
She attended the North London Collegiate School and a Cambridge teachers' training college, and was later awarded her BA in London.
As head of the training department at Bedford College from 1892 until 1897, she played an important role in expanding and rationalizing the teacher training curriculum. Molly Thomas married barrister-at-law Arthur Hughes (1857–1918) from Garneddwen in 1897, after an engagement of nearly ten years; they had one daughter and three sons. After her husband's death, she returned to work as an educational inspector. Her first book, About England, was published in 1927. She died in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1956.
Hughes is best known for a series of four lively memoirs, A London Child of the 1870s, A London Girl of the 1880s, A London Home in the 1890s, and A London Family Between the Wars. Hughes's stated purpose in these books is "to show that Victorian children did not have such a dull time as is usually supposed." Her books are a valuable source on women's education and women's work in the late Victorian period; in particular, A London Girl of the 1880s provides an unparalleled portrait of life in a Victorian women's college. Some of Hughes's books are illustrated by her own drawings and her brother Charles's paintings.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 10, 2009
The author of this lovely memoir states at the outset that nothing really noteworthy happens to her, and in a lot of ways that is true. However, her thoughts and impressions of life from 1870 to 1900 are a riveting window into Victorian England. She journeys to America and Canada as a young adult, and her impressions of the colonies gave me a perspective that I hadn't ever seen. She trains as a teacher, and her insights into both teaching and kids are timeless. She's learned enough to send me to Google to translate some Ovid which she assumed any reader would know and sent me to the dictionary more than once with words like ataraxy but at the same time she's handy enough in the kitchen to aver that all bread needs is time and warmth.
Here's a bit on bread:
"People dislike the idea of trying this for themselves because of the 'time it takes'. The bread certainly wants time, I assure them, but not their time; it doesn't ask to be watched, and can be trusted alone in the house; the actual labour in making a batch takes about six minutes from start to finish. But they shake their heads in a melancholy way as they ask for another slice.
Recommended to anyone with a shred of curiosity.
Here's a bit on bread:
"People dislike the idea of trying this for themselves because of the 'time it takes'. The bread certainly wants time, I assure them, but not their time; it doesn't ask to be watched, and can be trusted alone in the house; the actual labour in making a batch takes about six minutes from start to finish. But they shake their heads in a melancholy way as they ask for another slice.
Recommended to anyone with a shred of curiosity.
January 26, 2021
A wonderful insight into everyday family life in 19th Century London. I really recommend this myth-busting book which reveals a loving happy-go-lucky Victorian father and the perils of horse-drawn vehicles.
November 16, 2024
Do not miss this collection, including "Vivians" about her grandmother's story (talk about relatable!). If you want realism and a "real diary", then this is for you. I'm ready to read them all again. I think I bought a paperback boxed set just because it looked interesting and I have put this on my Love Shelf.
She is so relatable and very "modern" - really, she could be writing right now. One description I especially love, is when she says how her 1870's memories in her house was how silent it was. No clop of horses, no chatter outside. And how she remembered that as a wonder to her own self as she was writing it. Just like I remember some little details of my own childhood that might be a wonder to my young friends now.
She cut her hair short. She was a teacher. She married her late brother's best friend. Her mother was 10 years older than her father...so much more, but not in a drama kind of way. Except that her father commited suicide because of money things, but was just touched on as in "he didn't come back". Also mentioned was her baby daughter.
I wish I had known her. I can't wait until somebody can make these come back into print.
Also see "Family Between the Wars". I wanted our bookclub to read this, but nobody could find it.
Publishers should not be allowed to decide what is worth publishing.
She is so relatable and very "modern" - really, she could be writing right now. One description I especially love, is when she says how her 1870's memories in her house was how silent it was. No clop of horses, no chatter outside. And how she remembered that as a wonder to her own self as she was writing it. Just like I remember some little details of my own childhood that might be a wonder to my young friends now.
She cut her hair short. She was a teacher. She married her late brother's best friend. Her mother was 10 years older than her father...so much more, but not in a drama kind of way. Except that her father commited suicide because of money things, but was just touched on as in "he didn't come back". Also mentioned was her baby daughter.
I wish I had known her. I can't wait until somebody can make these come back into print.
Also see "Family Between the Wars". I wanted our bookclub to read this, but nobody could find it.
Publishers should not be allowed to decide what is worth publishing.
August 25, 2012
3.5* - having trouble rating this as I've read so many of this type of memoir in the last bit. By some weird chance, this one also describes Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee (as "Drawn From Memory" by Alan Shepard did). Will have to find another British memoir covering 1897 just to keep up this streak.
Lovely memoir. My favorite parts were Molly's descriptions of their family holidays in Cornwall at her Grandfather's farm Reskadinnick (anyplace with a name like that is bound to be memorable). The memoir is full of charm - every single member of her family is interesting, and she includes stories of each, including how she met her husband (the moment they realized how they felt about each other is quite unique and almost breathtaking - and I am not a sop for saying so). The author's close relationship with her Mother and her Aunt is the backbone of her life and beautiful to read about. Neither Molly or any of her family seemed to be typical Victorians - the women were very independent and free-thinking. Enjoyed the artwork in the book as well.
Am quite upset to discover that Molly's book "Vivians" is not in any of the local libraries - it looks like her best one.
Lovely memoir. My favorite parts were Molly's descriptions of their family holidays in Cornwall at her Grandfather's farm Reskadinnick (anyplace with a name like that is bound to be memorable). The memoir is full of charm - every single member of her family is interesting, and she includes stories of each, including how she met her husband (the moment they realized how they felt about each other is quite unique and almost breathtaking - and I am not a sop for saying so). The author's close relationship with her Mother and her Aunt is the backbone of her life and beautiful to read about. Neither Molly or any of her family seemed to be typical Victorians - the women were very independent and free-thinking. Enjoyed the artwork in the book as well.
Am quite upset to discover that Molly's book "Vivians" is not in any of the local libraries - it looks like her best one.
December 10, 2012
This little gem just arrived.....a birthday gift by dear friend Bettie. Thank you so much dear friend.
Opening lines:
A girl with four brothers older than herself is born under a lucky star. To be brought up in London, in the eighteen-seventies, by parents who knew how to laugh at both jokes and disasters, was to be under the influence of Jupiter himself.
This is a trilogy comprising 3 books, namely A London Child of Seventies, A London Girl of the Eighties and A London Home in the Nineties.
This is the autobiographical story of Mary Hughes during the Victorian period in London.
3,5 stars.
Opening lines:
A girl with four brothers older than herself is born under a lucky star. To be brought up in London, in the eighteen-seventies, by parents who knew how to laugh at both jokes and disasters, was to be under the influence of Jupiter himself.
This is a trilogy comprising 3 books, namely A London Child of Seventies, A London Girl of the Eighties and A London Home in the Nineties.
This is the autobiographical story of Mary Hughes during the Victorian period in London.
3,5 stars.
July 6, 2015
I have read this book several times and it is one of my favourites. A gentle memoir of a woman's life in London in the later 1800s, it is the story of a young woman whom I would very much like to have known. She was an early pioneer of women's education, and her description of life as one of the first pupils of a teacher training college in Cambridge is fascinating (as is her life at North London Collegiate in the 1880s). She tells her story with a sense of humour, even through the many tragedies of her life. Highly recommended.
March 18, 2025
This must be at least my 5th time reading A London Family. It's one of my favorite rereads since I was 22. Molly Hughes (Mary Vivian Hughes) was a well known educator and inspector of schools in her day, unusual for a woman. All her books are so well written, and fascinating if you like to know what daily life was like in the Victorian era. But there is something extra engaging about her, and all her fun loving, high spirited family. If you enjoyed books like Lark Rise to Candleford or Little House on the Prairie, then this one will be for you.
abandoned
January 27, 2016This was interesting, but about 1/3 of the way in, I started to lose interest. I may return to it when I'm feeling the need to understand Victorian girlhood again. Right now, it's too depressing.
February 1, 2015
This is a great book to help with some basic information for my own story that I am attempting to right
June 14, 2015
Interesting portrayal of family life in the late 1800s...albeit a rather unusual and resillient family.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews