Henry Mayhew
Henry Mayhew was an influential London-born journalist and writer, known for his in-depth social investigations during the Victorian era. Born in 1812, he initially pursued a legal career but shifted to journalism in 1831 after a strained relationship with his father. In 1841, he co-founded Punch Magazine, where he played a pivotal role in editorial leadership and recruitment of prominent writers. However, financial difficulties led to the sale of the magazine in 1842, prompting Mayhew to explore other ventures, including the ill-fated Iron Times.
Mayhew's most significant contributions came through his investigative journalism, particularly in response to the cholera outbreak in London in 1849. He advocated for an examination of the working-class conditions, leading to a series of articles published in the Morning Chronicle that highlighted the struggles of beggars, laborers, and other marginalized groups. These articles were later compiled into the seminal work *London Labour and the London Poor*, which profoundly affected public awareness of social issues. Additionally, Mayhew explored topics such as crime and punishment in his writings and produced several novels and historical nonfiction works. His legacy endures through his commitment to shedding light on the lives of the working class until his death in 1887.
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Henry Mayhew
Social Researcher
- Born: November 25, 1812
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: July 25, 1887
Biography
Henry Mayhew, the son of a lawyer, was born in London in 1812. He attended Westminster School but ran away to sail to India. Afterwards, he returned home to work with his father for three years. However, he had a bad relationship with his father, and he abandoned the law for journalism in 1831.
Mayhew and Mark Lemon started a new journal called Punch Magazine in 1841. He and Lemon edited the magazine and recruited other talented writers such as Douglas Jerrold, Angus Reach, and Richard Doyle. The magazine, however, did not sell enough copies to cover its cost, so Mayhew and Lemon sold it to Bradbury & Evans publishing company in 1842. After the sale, Lemon retained his position of editor and Mayhew became “suggester-in-chief.” After writing his final article for Punch Magazine, Mayhew started another magazine called Iron Times in 1845. However, the following year Mayhew was forced to declare bankruptcy because the magazine had caused him to lose all of his money.
In the summer of 1849, there was a serious outbreak of cholera in London. Mayhew wrote an article about the impact of this disease on the working-class residents of Bermondsey, a London neighborhood. This inspired him to suggest to John Douglas Cook, the editor of the Morning Chronicle, that an investigation be conducted on the working conditions of the laboring classes. Cook agreed and asked Mayhew, Reach, Charles Mackay, and Shirley Brooks to investigate the situation. The team gathered enough information for the newspaper to publish an article about these conditions every day from October 18, 1849, through the beginning of 1850.
Mayhew was exhaustive in his work. He interviewed everyone he could find, including beggars, street entertainers, market traders, laborers, prostitutes, sweatshop workers, and others. He described their living conditions, clothes, customs, and forms of entertainment. Mayhew even estimated the numbers and average income of people practicing each trade. Mayhew’s articles were collected and published from 1851 to 1862 in the four-volume London Labour and the London Poor. His investigation revealed the impact of these conditions to the rest of the country.
Mayhew wrote antoher series of articles that appeared in the Morning Chronicle under the title The Great World of London (1856). These articles were about crime and punishment in the London area. They were eventually collected and published as The Criminal Prisons of London in 1862. Mayhew also wrote novels, including The Good Genius That Turned Everything into Gold (1847) and Whom to Marry and How to Get Married (1848). In addition, he wrote nonfiction books about history such as German Life and Manners as Seen in Saxony in the Present Day (1864) and The Boyhood of Martin Luther (1863). Mayhew died in1887.