George Nord

What people wore

Essential wardrobe of working women

Working-class women commonly wore a shift, a petticoat, and a versatile bedgown, often accessorized with a neck handkerchief, an apron, and a cap for indoor wear.

Getting around

Comparing stage-wagon and stagecoach speeds

Stage-wagons, which were the slow trucks of the era, charged about one penny per mile and could take nearly three days to cover 101 miles. In contrast, by 1800, a fast stagecoach could cover 168 miles in 32 hours.

At the table

Government Banned Sale of Fresh Bread

Following a bread shortage, the government passed the 1801 Stale Bread Act, which banned the sale of fresh bread to ensure people ate it only after it was 24 hours old, as stale bread was more filling.

Music

Popular dance instrument

The tabor and pipe, featuring a small drum and a single-handed three-holed pipe, remained a popular and enduring instrument for dance bands well into the 1820s.

Daily life

School Discipline and Enrollment Statistics

Discipline in early schools included harsh punishments such as putting a sluggard in a basket and hoisting it up to the ceiling by a rope. In 1818, about 605,704 children out of two million were enrolled in schools across the country.

What it cost

Shoemaking and prices of boots

A pair of boots could be made in a single day, with Blucher boots costing one shilling and threepence.