William Henry Courtnay

What people wore

Everyday attire of working men

Working men typically wore a shirt, waistcoat, heavy wool coat, handkerchief, stockings, and a hat, with breeches being common until trousers gained popularity after 1800.

Getting around

Comparing stage-wagon and stagecoach speeds

Stage-wagons, which were the slow trucks of the era, charged about one penny per mile and could take nearly three days to cover 101 miles. In contrast, by 1800, a fast stagecoach could cover 168 miles in 32 hours.

At the table

Government Banned Sale of Fresh Bread

Following a bread shortage, the government passed the 1801 Stale Bread Act, which banned the sale of fresh bread to ensure people ate it only after it was 24 hours old, as stale bread was more filling.

Music

Singing in daily life

Ordinary people sang while working, such as at the plough tail or loom, and often had a small range of songs with one or two party pieces for special occasions.

Daily life

Cooking and Baking Habits

In some households, families without a private oven sent their bread and cake mixes to a local bakery, marking them with their initials to identify them. Cooking ranges heated by coal were used, with water heated in kettles hung over the fire or in boilers behind the coal fire.

What it cost

Cost of a loaf of bread

A four-pound loaf of wheaten bread typically cost between six and ten pence during this period.