Charles I of England

At the table

Ale and beer replaced water daily

Ordinary people avoided water because it was considered unhealthy, instead consuming about one gallon of ale or beer per day.

What people wore

Simple attire for common men

Common men's wardrobes were functional and simple, typically consisting of a shirt, breeches often made of leather, a waistcoat, and a heavy wool coat.

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

Daily wages for English laborers

In the early seventeenth century, unskilled labourers typically earned fourpence to fivepence per day, while skilled labourers earned sixpence to eightpence.

Music

Music in daily trade and life

Music was ubiquitous, with tinkers singing catches, milkmaids singing ballads, and barbers keeping instruments like lutes and citterns in their shops for customers to play.

Daily life

Lighting homes with animal fat rushlights

Ordinary people relied on rushlights made of rushes dipped in animal fat for light, as beeswax candles were too expensive.