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John Seymour

1474 – 31 Dec 1536

8 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born1474not verified1 source
  • TitleMember of Parliament in the Parliament of Englandor Member of the 1529-36 Parliamentnot verified1 source
  • TitleMember of the 1529-36 Parliamentor Member of Parliament in the Parliament of Englandnot verified1 source
  • Died31 Dec 1536not verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 1474

    Born

  2. 1509

    A daughter is born

  3. 31 Dec 1536

    Dies

Family

See the tree

Partner

Children · 1

During his lifetime

He lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1470s · John is born

What people wore

Around 1500–1524

Limited wardrobes for the commoners

Many ordinary people owned only one set of clothes for daytime wear and lacked dedicated sleepwear, opting to sleep in their smocks and nightcaps.

Daily life

Around 1500–1524

Inexpensive rushlights versus luxury beeswax

Rushlights, made from dried plant pith dipped in tallow, were a common and inexpensive light source for the poor. In contrast, beeswax candles were luxury items, costing up to six times more than tallow.

Work

Around 1500–1524

Farming was the most common job

Farming was the primary occupation, with nine out of ten people living in rural villages or small towns.

Music

Around 1500–1524

Paying Minstrels for Parish Festivals

Parish records show that minstrel hire for Whitsuntide festivities was common, with payments reaching up to 8s 4d for a single minstrel in 1533.

At the table

Around 1500–1524

The poor used acorns to make bread

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

Getting around

Around 1500–1524

Horses were the fastest travel option

Riding a horse was the fastest and most reliable way to travel for those who could afford one. A basic riding horse cost about £4 to £5, a sum many skilled tradesmen struggled to earn in an entire year.

What it cost

Around 1500–1524

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.