John William Friso, Prince of Orange

At the table

Porridge was the primary warm meal

Porridge made from oats or millet was the most important warm meal, often prepared in large batches and reheated, which gave it a tough, semi-solid consistency. People typically ate directly from a common bowl at the center of the table using their hands or a wooden spoon.

What people wore

Women's mourning caps in Scheeßel

A woman in the Scheeßel parish typically owned about 11 different caps, five of which were used exclusively for mourning periods.

Getting around

Comfort and schedule discipline

Travelers could pay extra for a seat in the more comfortable cabin (roef) of a barge, and if the cheaper hold was full, they might be upgraded for the same price. Sandglasses were sometimes used in boats and at stops to ensure skippers kept to their schedules and did not pause too long.

What it cost

Bread as a primary expense

Bread was the cornerstone of the diet for the poor, who often spent 50 percent or more of their income on it.

Music

Popular wedding dance needed the fiddle

In Weseke, a record from 1662 calls a local musician “Fidicen” (violinist) whose fiddle provided the energy for festivities, and wedding celebrations were incomplete without dancing.

Daily life

Poor lighting in winter homes

During the winter, homes were lit by poor-quality light from resin torches, tallow candles, or oil lamps with open flames.