Cotswolds - The Way We Were | Part 5: Poverty and Hunger

The 5th film in our Cotswolds series explores the desperate conditions faced by the poorer inhabitants of the Victorian Cotswolds in the 1840s.
Back then the area famed today for its beauty was an isolated part of the country and when hardtimes hit those at the bottom of the pile suffered the most.
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In the late 19th - early 20th century, Joseph Arthur Gibbs, Alfred Williams & others documented everyday life in the villages of the Cotswolds. Within a few generations the way of life they described was consigned to history, but thanks to their efforts it has not been forgotten.
It often conjures up an idyllic image of country life; but it also reveals that hardship, poverty and hunger were never far from the door.
This film uses evocative descriptions from Rev J Fraser combined with a wonderful collection of old photographs and archive film to bring to life the hardships of Cotswolds life in a bygone age.
If you share our love for the Cotswolds please let us know in the comments and be sure to like this film and subscribe to our channel to see more

[@Jay-Leigh]

New subscriber and looking forward to watching more. Love the narrator voice.

[@borderlord]

My Great grandfather ,a farm labourer in Cricklade,Wiltshire in the 1800's would have suffered this I'm sure!

[@ronaldworth4146]

My father was born in 1901 in London Islington told me as a child he was starving no money around and little food

[@johnbalmforth8467]

Very true. My mum was born in Islington in 1916,and told me about the poverty.

[@sutapasbhattacharya9471]

In 1901 [when 25% of UK's wheat was taken by the Brits from India] The Lancet estimated from the Census that at least 19 million d i e d of starvation in Western India in the 1890s due to the British Social Darwinist policies [which created c. 3 dozen famines by exporting India's grains for UK Food Security and Profit. ]

[@ronaldworth4146]

@@sutapasbhattacharya9471 I’m very sorry to hear that a disgrace by Britain again the empire king / queen has a lot to answer for but the working classes in England were always looked down upon and were cannon fodder for the ruling classes Napoleon was going to invade India as well and Russia were always a threat .!

[@iseegoodandbad6758]

Yet for some reason the women back then grew to 5'8 on average and the men well over 6 foot despite the "lack of food" 🤔. What gave?

[@ronaldworth4146]

@@iseegoodandbad6758 My father wasn’t that tall 5’5 about

[@martinwarner1178]

Lovely video. Thank you. Innovation and better production reduced poverty. My ancestors, one and all, my family have been here longer than the oaks. Peace and goodwill.

[@user-dr9qu7qt9o]

That's the whole point of what Hardy spoke of..you weren't here long...that's the point...an oak has a finite existence much like you - the landscape endures but we do not..how long has your family been here? Mine back to 1365...you? It doesn't matter....the landscape endures and we do not - your family are dead and gone much like mine and few left to care...grow up..

[@user-dr9qu7qt9o]

Try to study existentialism too....and your actual family history..post it..

[@stephfoxwell4620]

Cider With Rosie set in the Slad valley in the early 1920s gives a good idea of Cotswold poverty.

[@vladislavovich100]

Hunger is a very good tool to control people, especially people without strong will.

[@sutapasbhattacharya9471]

The British created 3 dozen manmade famines in Occupied India by taking India's foodgrains for British Food Security and Profit 'ending the l!ves' of tens of millions. Look up Jason Hickel India, Gideon Polya, Mike Davis' Late Victorian Holocausts etc.

[@sutapasbhattacharya9471]

George Orwell wrote in RTWP (1936) that 100 million Indians must be forced to the edge of starvation in order for the British to live in comfort.

[@sutapasbhattacharya9471]

In 1901 [when one quarter of Britain's wheat was taken from India], The Lancet estimated from the Census that at least 19 million d i e d of starvation in Western India in the 1890s due to the British Social Darwinist policies - which created c. 3 dozen famines by exporting India's grains for UK Food Security and Profit and in 1877 they even set up 'Relief Camps' in S. India which gave less starvation rations that Buchenwald for hard labour (those too weak to work left to die outside) which only 6% of inmates survived!

[@estebancorral5151]

@@sutapasbhattacharya9471it is time for the Indians to passing off fake degrees and stopp polluting the holy ganga so there might be wholesome agricultural products.

[@harrydebastardeharris987]

Yes modern Tory’s would do this again…..

[@eddieharris6004]

Of course the likes of Blair, Mandelson et al are true socialists?

[@noelfleming3567]

D plan

[@xr6lad]

And of course Labour wasn’t born on the philosophy of no matter how hard you work, we’ll take it away and give it to someone that doesn’t want to work.

[@shaunjones6049]

Don’t make the mistake of picking politicians like people pick football teams, I’m with the reds or I’m with the blues. Or listen to the spin politicians spill out, this country has been sold off by a succession of politicians from both parties 😔 we’re all at the mercy of shareholders who s only goal is to milk as much cash from the British people as possible 💵💵 all with the blessing’s of our politicians 🙄🙄 Conservatives think all Brits 🇬🇧are lazy, there’s loads of jobs out there and no one wants to work 🙄. It’s all agency staff on temporary contracts now , where I work a guy has been on a temporary contract for 4yrs he can’t get a mortgage on a temporary contract ☹️ anyone complain and your gone. My mother’s careers work 70 hrs a week and are issued 2 pair of trousers and 2 company tops any more than that they have to pay for out of their wages. They regularly get sick and worse ☹️on their clothes while going from client to client with no change of clothes 😡😡. There boss drives a Bentley convertible yet can’t afford to pay for workers clothing 😡. The government wants the boats coming to bring more cheap labour, big business lobby politicians and give party donations 😉 😉to make sure they get cheap labour and that’s why they aren’t trying to hard to stop the boats. Truth is you can’t sit on the dole you are offered 3 jobs and if you don’t take them your benefit is stopped.

[@jakestilson1947]

@@xr6lad The Labour Party always had to face the few who clambered over their peers with. "The working class can kiss my ass, I`ve got the foreman`s job at last" and the rising middle classes derided the "feckless" poor as they profited of their meagre wages. If it wasn`t for self educated union men and the non conformist churches there would be no Labour Party, no NHS, no wage protection and a whole lot more. About ten years ago a survey confirmed that the Attlee government was the best government of the twentieth century. Before you knock the Labour Party consider who is in government now. 2024.

[@StillAliveAndKicking_]

The narration sounds just like my impression of an upper class toff. I wonder why I can’t take it seriously? Beats me squire.

[@outoftownr3906]

They didn’t know any better!

[@michaelstevens3479]

Which part of the 40s is this? wages in Kent in 1947 would have been £1 to their shilling.

[@richardcummins5465]

Actually looking more like late 20s or 30s. Wasn't 1840s. ?

[@patrickwalsh6873]

Video description above says 1840's.

[@stephfoxwell4620]

1840s

[@56NeilWatson]

The Tory vision for the UK

[@williamorchard16]

And they have damn near succeded

[@johnbruce2868]

The socialist vision, Animal Farm, is so much better.

[@muttley5958]

​@@johnbruce2868 Touche 🎯😂😂

[@xr6lad]

Ahh yes. Labour whose philosophy is no matter how hard you work, we’ll take it to give to people that don’t want to work.

[@muttley5958]

@@xr6lad Take it off the workers and give it to the shirkers. 😂😂

[@kevinkenny6975]

Where's the white privilege?

[@juliebrady8583]

Yes. Exactly.

[@misst.e.a.187]

Where're the halcyon days of Britain that so many today want transported to in their time machines?

[@michaelstevens3479]

Moving pictures came in 1895 very odd.

[@henry9406]

Was that a black gentleman at 2.40 ? Maybe a ex navy

[@mriggst]

This was and should still be normal life. Not the selfish - gimme - gimme - gimme of today.

[@noelfleming3567]

So very true its only when u look at these od films although it was tough they were nicer times

[@TheA8lee]

Starvation Poverty? You can't mean that.

[@xr6lad]

5 people that up voted your silly comment obviously agree we should return to starvation and poverty?

[@pigeonsareugly]

How the hell can you come to the conclusion that people living in disgusting misery and poverty should be normal life????

[@misst.e.a.187]

@@noelfleming3567 Not if you were dirt poor, starving and sick