Johannes van Rossum

What people wore

Wearing six skirts with hidden pockets

Women often layered up to six skirts, which they could lift and tuck into slits to work. They stored small items like money or handkerchiefs in a linen bag worn at the waist under these skirts.

Getting around

The cost of daily travel

A skilled craftsman earning one gulden per day could travel at most 20 kilometers by trekschuit with his wife. Choosing the higher-class roef cabin was more comfortable but cost about three times as much as road travel by post-wagon.

At the table

Potatoes as the main staple food

Potatoes became the staple food for ordinary families, often eaten at least twice a day with salt and sometimes mustard.

Music

Dancing and Festivals in Social Life

Festivals and dances were vital for social connection, with public celebrations frequently including collective singing and dancing. For example, the Carmagnole was a popular dance performed during the revolutionary freedom tree celebrations in 1795.

Daily life

Schooling was irregular and fee-based

Elementary education was voluntary and irregular; children often stayed home to work on farms or in factories during busy seasons like harvesting. Families paid school fees, such as 4 to 10 stuivers per quarter, for their children to learn basic reading, writing, and arithmetic.

What it cost

Annual earnings of an ordinary worker

In the early 19th century, an ordinary worker could earn between 250 and 300 guilders per year, provided they were not frequently struck by illness or unemployment.