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British Social Classes

The following timeline shows the evolution of social classes in Great Britain from the 17th century to the 21st century.

17th century

Nobility: was a rich and powerful class and therefore during the reign of Elizabeth as well as the reigns of her father and grandfather Henry VIII and Henry VII.

Gentry: were knights, squires, gentlemen and gentlewomen whose fortunes were great enough that they did not have to work with their hands for a living.

Yeomanry: were the ‘middleclass'. They could live comfortably with the little savings they built up

Poor: they do not have money, food, or shelter. Because their numbers were increasing, the Poor Laws were passed to assist them. [1]

Portrait of a british 'middleclass' family in the late 17th.

18th century

A working class family

Social Class Structure

Wealthy Landowners

This was the most powerful group, which made up the smallest amount of the population. It included the most important of the aristocracy and squires.

Gentry

This included those who received a high standard of upbringing but were not as important as the upper echelon of wealth. This included: gentlemen, merchants, wealthy tradesmen, and well-off manufacturers.

Yeoman

Yeoman were those who owned and worked their own land. They are also better known as “freeholders.”

Middle Class

A newer rung on the social ladder came to be known as the blooming middle class comprised about 15% of the population. The upper middle class included certain professionals and merchants. The lower middle class included artisans, shopkeepers, and tradesmen.

Laboring Poor

This comprised almost 25% percent of the population and it included all who worked in rural areas, did menial jobs, and the “urban laboring poor,” who worked in the country side.

Black Britons

Though they made up a small portion of the population, black slaves existed and were a hot issue during the early half of the century. Their labor made commodities available and cheap, but the idea of slavery as wrong was extremely prevalent. No matter the protest, though, the labor and trade continued until its abolition in 1833. [2]

18th century women's clothing (Wealthy landowners and Gentry)

19th century

Check to video to discover how social classes were divided during the Victorian era.

' [The expansion of the Middle class during this time was due to the rapid growth of cities and the economy. It was also referred to as the Bourgeoisie, and consisted of those who had skilled jobs to support themselves and their families.The white collar professions had the ability to move up in the corporate rankings and earn a higher salary.' [3]

'The Working class consisted of unskilled laborers who worked in brutal and unsanitary conditions. They did not have access to clean water and food, education for their children, or proper clothing.' [3]

'The Under class were those who were helpless and depended on the support of others. The poor and young orphans relied on donations to survive. Some women who were unskilled and could not get any jobs became prostitutes in order to make a living.' [3]

20th century

Did you know?

50 years ago the National Readership Survey developed a social grade classification.

21st century

Elite - the most privileged group in the UK, distinct from the other six classes through its wealth. This group has the highest levels of all three capitals

Established middle class - the second wealthiest, scoring highly on all three capitals. The largest and most gregarious group, scoring second highest for cultural capital

Technical middle class - a small, distinctive new class group which is prosperous but scores low for social and cultural capital. Distinguished by its social isolation and cultural apathy

New affluent workers - a young class group which is socially and culturally active, with middling levels of economic capital

Traditional working class - scores low on all forms of capital, but is not completely deprived. Its members have reasonably high house values, explained by this group having the oldest average age at 66

Emergent service workers - a new, young, urban group which is relatively poor but has high social and cultural capital

Precariat, or precarious proletariat - the poorest, most deprived class, scoring low for social and cultural capital [4]

Have a look at social classes division nowadays!

Vida e Instituciones de la Cultura Inglesa

Practical Work No. 10: Social Classes in the UK

Student's name: Gisella Natalia Ciorciari

ID: 35.863.738

Date: 28/01/2020