In 1889, Tit-Bits magazine offered prizes to single, female readers who sent in the best answers to the question: ‘Why Am I A Spinster?’ Here are some highlights...

The inclusion of readers' addresses makes it possible to find them in the census. Florence Watts, for example, worked as an 'artist / painter' in 1881. However, one year after entering Tit-Bits' competition, she abandoned spinsterhood and married a writer named Herbert Flowerdew!

Here's the census record for Florence Flowerdew (née Watts) from 1911. No occupation listed for her, but women's work was often under-reported. Sadly, her husband died 6 years later after reportedly struggling with depression and (possibly) a suicide attempt.

I ended up recording a short version of this story for @BBCRadio3's 'Time Traveller' segment. You can catch up here, if you like! https://twitter.com/BBCRadio3/status/1002608768151162881

One of the reasons I enjoyed the witty, self-confident responses to Tit-Bits’ competition is that Victorian depictions of spinsters were usually the exact opposite. Take this joke from Answers magazine (1891), for instance...

A small addition to one of my favourite threads — 'An Old Maid's Diary', which concludes with her reaching the ripe old age of... THIRTY-SIX?!
- Answers (1906)