“L'Homme Moyen”: Estimating the quality of life for British adults, 1815–1914, an index

The potential value of a numerical, summating index to estimate the quality of Victorian people's lives is described. Variables in three domains, Health, Economic and Social, are drawn on to describe the circumstances of life for Britons in the era 1815–1914. A range of variables is indexed to their 1914 value for each of the years between 1815 and 1914. The potential value of the index for the assessment of events, trends and policy initiatives is described.