The Rich During The Elizabethan Era

"A description of England"
1. William Harrison
  1. Published in 1577
2. Houses made of brick and stone
3. Windows made of glass
4. Feathered pillows
Servants
1. Male help costs £2
2. Female help costs £1
3. Average wealthy home can afford around 6 domestic staff
4. Exceptionally rich homes can afford up to 20 domestic staff
5. Man of the house would often beat servants
  1. Is allowed to punish servants as long as he does not kill them
    1. Even so, there will likely be no punishment
6. Most likely live with their masters
7. Cook
  1. Clean
    1. Look after children
Fashion
1. Wealthy women would decorate hair in jewels
2. Hair was taken care of because they could afford linen and water
3. Coloured dye was expensive
  1. Needs to be imported from other countries
4. Women must not show arms or legs, but breast is acceptable
5. Increasing popularity of neck collars called ruffs
Social Events
1. Entitled to better seats at the Globe Theatre
2. Many banquets and gatherings
3. Queen may pay an overnight visit
  1. Expense of food, help, renovation, decoration and entertainment
Food
1. Entitled to the luxury of meat
  1. Venison
  2. Lamb
  3. Eel
  4. Beef
  5. Salmon
  6. Fowl
  7. Shellfish
2. The rich did not eat many fruit or vegetables
  1. 'Simple food'
  2. More prone to bladder infections, scurvy and kidney stones
How did people become better off in the 16th century?
1. Getting important jobs in Parliament
2. Marrying into wealthy families
3. Investing in overseas voyages
4. Bringing back goods from overseas voyages
5. Using land
  1. Gaining profit on:
    1. Rearing sheep
    2. Mining
    3. Making iron
6. Rising food prices
  1. Farmers making bigger profits
7. Buying monastery
  1. Buying land off Henry VIII and renting to farmers

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The Rich During The Elizabethan Era

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