In the news1642
English Civil Wars begin
Beginning in 1642, the English Civil Wars caused approximately 200,000 deaths and led to heavy weekly taxes to fund the fighting.
Jersey, 1646 – 1669
9 facts2 sources
1646
Born in Jersey
1669
Dies
He lived through 3 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Jersey.
General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.
In the news1642
Beginning in 1642, the English Civil Wars caused approximately 200,000 deaths and led to heavy weekly taxes to fund the fighting.
Getting around
Carriages stuck in the mud
Carriages sometimes required a team of sturdy laborers on both sides to prop them up so they would not overturn in deep mud.
In the news1649
King Charles I was publicly executed for treason, marking the first time a monarch was beheaded by his own people.
Daily life
Few children could afford school
Many children in the 1640s did not go to school, and families often could not afford it; many adults also could not read or write. Where schooling happened, girls often attended only until about age 10, while boys might continue to grammar school if their parents could pay.
What people wore
Ordinary women's linen smocks
Ordinary women wore smocks as an undergarment, which were loose, all-enveloping linen dresses. These could be made of holland linen for best or coarser fabrics for daily work.
Music
Psalm Books as Treasured Possessions
Commoners and nobility alike cherished psalm books, which were sometimes bound with bibles and could be easily carried in a purse due to their small size.
At the table
Ordinary diets centered on pottage
For poorer people, pottage (a thick vegetable stew) was a main food, alongside bread and vegetables. This diet left many lacking vitamins and iron, and hard times meant hunger when prices rose.