Georg Friedrich zu Salm-Kyrburg

What people wore

Clothing debt settled for 6 livres, 8 sols

In 1626, a servant named Jean Trottier received a new doublet made of coarse linen, a white frieze waistcoat, and white serge hose, which settled a debt of 6 livres and 8 sols.

Daily life

Water fetching and limited lighting

Water had to be fetched from pumps or rivers through daily manual labor, as there was no modern infrastructure. Lighting was limited and costly, often forcing families to shape their evening routines around the availability of candles or natural light.

Work

Cobbler gossip and regulated daily wages

Parisian cobblers were known as the neighborhood gazetteers who gossiped and shared news from their small, crowded street-corner shops. Regulations from 1567 set daily wages at ten sous tournois for laborers and five sous for unskilled manual workers.

Music

Peasants danced to pipe and tabor

French peasants frequently danced on Sundays to the sound of the pipe and tabor as a form of relaxation after working all week.

At the table

Drinking wine instead of dangerous water

Drinking water was often considered unhealthy, so ordinary people preferred to drink diluted wine or piquette, a low-quality drink made from grape pomace.

Getting around

River travel was economical but slow

Traveling by river was a common and economical method, though it could be slow; a journey from Paris to Rouen by water could take three or four days downstream, but returning upstream took about four days.

What it cost

Medical treatment cost versus cutlery price

A medical enema in the 17th century cost 15 sous, which was the same price as a gross of small whistle knives.