Adam Stewart

What people wore

Clothing as a Major Expense

Clothing was often a household's second largest expense after food, leading many ordinary people to skillfully repair, alter, or make their own garments.

Daily life

Fetching water from public conduits

Domestic water was not piped to most homes; families typically had to fetch it from public conduits that opened at ornamental spouts.

Work

Common jobs and varied work tasks

Common jobs included agricultural work, such as milking, reaping, and tending to livestock, as well as domestic tasks and commercial activities like running errands or selling goods. Work was highly varied, requiring individuals to balance farm labor with household duties and market trips.

Music

Popular Music and Widespread Ballad Singing

Ordinary people in the late sixteenth century were so fond of music that agricultural workers would often sing or whistle to ease their labor, and ballad singing was a widespread pastime, with an estimated four million ballads produced in that century.

At the table

Daily Ale and Beer Consumption

Ordinary people drank about one gallon of ale or beer per person daily because it was safer than potentially contaminated water. This low-alcohol drink was consumed by everyone, including children, throughout the day.

Getting around

A record-breaking long-distance ride

In an extraordinary feat of endurance, Sir Robert Carey rode 397 miles from London to Edinburgh in just three days following the Queen's death in 1603. Such journeys were physically demanding and could involve dangerous road conditions, including mud and flood-prone paths.

What it cost

Daily food costs for a soldier

A typical daily food allowance for a Tudor soldier cost 7 pence, which included 24 ounces of wheat bread for 1 penny and 2 pounds of beef or mutton for 2 pence.