Richard Edwardes

At the table

The poor used acorns to make bread

When flour was scarce, the very poor would grind acorns to make bread as a desperate substitute.

What people wore

Workday and Holiday Clothing Restrictions

Sixteenth-century sumptuary laws restricted labourers and husbandmen to wearing only grey and white clothing on workdays, while allowing them light blue, green, or red on holidays.

Getting around

Walking was the primary way to travel

Most ordinary people traveled on foot, as walking was the standard mode of transport and carriages were exclusive to the elite. A trip to the local market town often required an entire day to walk there and back.

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

Street Dancing in London

In London, apprentices and girls frequently danced in the streets after shops closed to the music of the pipe and tabor.

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.