Thomas Stukley

At the table

Workers drank over 4 liters of beer

Manual workers were expected to consume a massive daily allowance of 4 quarts, or over 4 liters, of beer.

What people wore

Footwear and Headgear in the Highlands

Highlanders often went barefoot and barelegged, though some wore simple single-soled shoes and flat, generally blue, soft caps.

Getting around

Walking and horses were primary transport

Ordinary people primarily traveled on foot, while horses were used by the wealthy; wheeled vehicles were rare and not used for general passenger travel. For river crossings, people relied on ferries or stepping stones rather than bridges.

What it cost

High Cost of Subsistence Goods

Rising costs of basic goods hit the poor harder than the rich because subsistence households relied heavily on expensive domestic agricultural products like grain and ale.

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.