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provided data about the reality of working life. Some historians considered the census and different records on women’s work not reliable, but for Wilkinson the records provided information enough to make her own estimates.
“Angel of the house” is a middle-class ideal and not a working-class one affirmed the author, for most women staying at home, taking care of the children, and waiting for their husbands was a luxury. The reality is that not only both parents, but children needed to work too.
In some articles women’s work is described as seasonal and even casual, while men’s is described as solid and stable, but Wilkinson argues that a day of rain could deprive 200 000 men from work in London,and no job meant no pay. So, this proves that the weather, the fashion and the seasons created a situation were job was available just in some months of the year and gone in others.
It was absolutely essential for wives of working-class to work, and to work very hard, about and average of 12-15 hours per day in different jobs rather than the “normal”