Catherine Howard

At the table

Ale quality was strictly regulated

In cities, burgh officials known as ale-tasters were appointed to inspect ale quality and enforce prices to ensure fair trade. These officials took an oath to appraise batches without showing favor or fear to any brewer.

What people wore

Limited wardrobes for the commoners

Many ordinary people owned only one set of clothes for daytime wear and lacked dedicated sleepwear, opting to sleep in their smocks and nightcaps.

Getting around

Travelers relied on guides and land routes

Travelers often required local guides because defined roads were scarce, and they frequently crossed open, unfenced land to reach their destinations. journeys for royal justice circuits typically progressed at a rate of about 20 miles per day.

What it cost

High Cost of Subsistence Goods

Rising costs of basic goods hit the poor harder than the rich because subsistence households relied heavily on expensive domestic agricultural products like grain and ale.

Music

Church music and the Reformation impact

In the early 16th century, Scottish churches commonly used organs, while high-status occasions featured trumpets, shalms, and clarions. By the mid-16th century, the Reformation led to the removal of organs and the disbanding of choirs in many churches.

Daily life

Open fire cooking and cookshops

Cooking usually took place over an open fire, often involving stews in a cauldron or roasting meat on a spit. Many poorer people lacked cooking facilities at home and relied on cookshops for takeaway food.