Mary Tudor, Countess of Derwentwater

What people wore

Rural women's colors and aprons

Women in rural areas typically wore clothing in shades of black, gray, and red, often completing their attire with a protective apron known as a devantier.

Daily life

Children were sent to school

Household rules expected servants to wake and feed children and ensure they went off to school.

Work

Common Jobs in the 17th Century

Workers in cities were often artisans like bakers, masons, and tailors, while domestic servants, porters, and boatmen were also common, often relying on household ties and daily labor. In the countryside, most people were peasants who worked in fields or as day laborers performing heavy tasks like harvesting and woodcutting.

Music

Everyday musical tools and maintenance

Portable violins called pochettes were used by dance masters to teach dance lessons in homes. Harpsichords in palaces required regular maintenance, where staff spent one-third of their time just removing wax drippings from candles.

At the table

Meat and Drink Habits of Families

Ordinary families rarely ate fresh meat and instead relied on salted pork to flavor their vegetable soups. Drinking water was often considered unsafe, so people frequently consumed piquette, a thin beverage made from the remnants of grapes or fruit, or local cider.

Getting around

Traveling on foot was common for many

Ordinary people, such as peddlers and pilgrims, typically traveled on foot, covering 20 to 30 kilometers a day and wearing out a pair of shoes every 15 days.

What it cost

Servant earnings and clothing costs

In 1692, a young servant earned 75 livres per year, but spent over 35 livres on a single wardrobe update that included a secondhand wig.