Elizabeth Killigrew, Viscountess Shannon

What people wore

Practical stays for working women

Working-class women wore stays for warmth and practicality, and unlike elite versions, these were often made of leather or canvas and did not restrict movement or breathing.

Daily life

Education and early childhood labor

Boys might attend petty school from age five to learn English, while poor children often started working full-time at age seven.

Work

Wages and Employment Facts

Workers could be fined 40 shillings for illegal dismissal, while London laborers had their pay fixed by justices of the peace at ninepence a day. Agricultural deals were often sealed with a small payment known as a fastening penny.

Music

The Popularity of the Viol

The viola da gamba, a fretted instrument with six strings played with a bow, became very popular for domestic music-making because of its shimmering sound and relative ease of learning.

At the table

Beer and ale safer than water

Most people avoided water because it was rarely clean and could spread disease, so they drank beer or ale made from malted barley and water. Beer was the cheapest drink because its higher alcohol helped it last; some beers were aged for up to two years.

Getting around

Slow Pace of Early Coaches

Early coaches were slow and uncomfortable, often moving at a walking pace of about 2 to 3 miles per hour because of poor road conditions.

What it cost

Supplementary income for rural families

During the Elizabethan and early Stuart period, many rural families supplemented their income by growing fruit and vegetables in cottage gardens or keeping pigs and cows.