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What people wore

Everyday attire of working men

Working men typically wore a shirt, waistcoat, heavy wool coat, handkerchief, stockings, and a hat, with breeches being common until trousers gained popularity after 1800.

Daily life

Cooking and Baking Habits

In some households, families without a private oven sent their bread and cake mixes to a local bakery, marking them with their initials to identify them. Cooking ranges heated by coal were used, with water heated in kettles hung over the fire or in boilers behind the coal fire.

Work

The typical long working day

Factory workers often endured twelve to fourteen-hour shifts, while agricultural labourers worked from dawn until dusk, with hours varying by season.

Music

Singing in daily life

Ordinary people sang while working, such as at the plough tail or loom, and often had a small range of songs with one or two party pieces for special occasions.

At the table

Tea Becomes a Staple Drink

By the early 19th century, tea had moved down the social scale and became a staple drink, often served with bread, which was frequently the only meal for the poor.

Getting around

Comparing stage-wagon and stagecoach speeds

Stage-wagons, which were the slow trucks of the era, charged about one penny per mile and could take nearly three days to cover 101 miles. In contrast, by 1800, a fast stagecoach could cover 168 miles in 32 hours.

What it cost

Shoemaking and prices of boots

A pair of boots could be made in a single day, with Blucher boots costing one shilling and threepence.