Roland de Velville

What people wore

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

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

Workdays started before daybreak

The working day typically began before daybreak, often around 4 or 5 a.m., and lasted until sunset.

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.

At the table

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

Carts were for cargo, not people

Carts and wagons were used to transport cargo, not people, and passengers who rode in them sat on the floor among straw or baggage. These vehicles were extremely slow and were widely considered an uncomfortable or shameful way for a person to travel.

What it cost

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.