In the news1503
Royal marriage of 1503
King James IV and Margaret Tudor were married in 1503, an event known as the marriage of the Thistle and the Rose.
Tower of London, 2 Feb 1503 – Tower of London, 20 Feb 1503
10 facts2 sources
2 Feb 1503
Born in Tower of London
20 Feb 1503
Dies in Tower of London, aged 0
General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.
In the news1503
King James IV and Margaret Tudor were married in 1503, an event known as the marriage of the Thistle and the Rose.
At the table
Workers drank over 4 liters of beer
Manual workers were expected to consume a massive daily allowance of 4 quarts, or over 4 liters, of beer.
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
Horses were the fastest travel option
Riding a horse was the fastest and most reliable way to travel for those who could afford one. A basic riding horse cost about £4 to £5, a sum many skilled tradesmen struggled to earn in an entire year.
What it cost
Earnings of Workers and Servants
Unskilled laborers earned between £5 and £10 per year, while skilled workmen typically earned about 6d per day. Farm workers often earned no more than half a shilling (6d) per day, and many servants were paid as little as six shillings annually plus board.
Music
Nightly Patrols by Civic Musicians
Civic musicians called waits often patrolled town streets at night on winter nights, providing entertainment and calling out the time or weather.
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.