Contrasting Lives in Elizabethan England (OCR GCSE History B (Schools History Project)): Revision Note

Summary

Where Elizabethan people lived, what they ate and how they spent their spare time depended on their social standing. The wealthy lived in grand houses, with plentiful and varied food and spent many hours at leisure - often hunting animals for fun.

The 'middling-sort' lived in good homes and ate well if not extravagantly. They enjoyed a variety of leisure activities both inside and outside the home.

The Elizabethan poor had a limited diet, often went hungry and were at risk of starvation. Their leisure time was limited and their homes were too uncomfortable to spend an enjoyable time in them. Watching and betting on animals fighting and joining in large football matches were the most popular pastimes for the poor.

Lives of the wealthy Elizabethans

• The wealthy came from the nobility and the gentry

  • They were less than two per cent of the population

    • They owned over half of the land

  • The rents they received from the lands they owned meant they did not have to do any physical work

  • It also meant they had more money to spend on their homes and their diet and more time to spend enjoying themselves

Houses of the Wealthy

• Many members of the nobility and gentry used their enormous wealth to build magnificent homes

• These homes symbolised their power and status

  • The biggest had over 50 rooms and would often have enormous windows

    • Glass was a very expensive luxury in 16th-century England

Food of the Wealthy

• The large homes of the wealthy were surrounded by farms, gardens and orchards that provided the owners with food

  • They could also afford meat and would frequently eat beef, lamb, pork and venison

  • Feasts and banquets were often held

  • These allowed the gentry to display their wealth

    • Food imported from abroad was commonly eaten at these banquets

Leisure Activities of the Wealthy

• The nobility were rich in both time and money and took part in a variety of leisure pursuits

• These included:

  • Hunting animals with hounds whilst following on horseback

  • Hunting animals with trained hawks

  • Fishing

  • Fencing - fighting with blunt swords to score points

  • Playing a form of indoor tennis known as Real Tennis

• Visiting the theatre became increasingly popular during Elizabeth's reign

  • There were no theatres in England in 1555 but some wealthy Elizabethans invested in theatres and paid for the actors to perform the plays

  • Although the theatres were funded by the wealthy, people from all parts of society attended them

Lives of the 'middling-sort' Elizabethans

• The middle class of Elizabethan society were often referred to as the 'middling-sort'

  • They were considerably wealthier than the poor but nowhere near as wealthy as the gentry and nobility

  • In towns, the 'middling-sort' were small business owners and craftsmen

  • In the countryside, they owned and farmed their own land and often employed labourers

  • They did not have the status to become Justices of the Peace or Members of Parliament (MP)

Houses of the 'middling-sort'

• The homes of the 'middling-sort' or Elizabethan England were a vast improvement on those of small farmers of the Medieval era

  • They often featured enclosed chimneys, which allowed for upstairs to be built

    • Medieval homes would have a simple hole in the ceiling to allow smoke to escape, which meant having upper floors was impossible

  • Yeoman's homes, such as the one pictured below, also featured glass windows

Food of the 'middling-sort'

• Most members of the 'middling-sort' were farmers

  • They had access to plentiful supplies of food

• Those who ran businesses in towns could also afford to eat well

  • Meat and vegetables were commonly eaten

• The bread they ate was known as 'yeoman bread' and was made with wheat flour

• Ale or mead were drunk but not the expensive imported wines enjoyed by the wealthy

Leisure Activities of the 'middling-sort'

• Those people who lived in towns would attend the theatre and watch spectator sports such as baiting and cock-fighting

• Baiting required a bear or a bull

  • The owner would file the bear's teeth and then tie the animal to a post

  • The organisers would release dogs to attack the bear or the bull

  • Spectators would bet a large amount of money on whether the dogs would kill the bear or the bull

    • Owners wanted the bear to win as they were expensive animals in Elizabethan times

    • Bulls were less expensive to purchase. Owners allowed bulls to fight to the death with the dogs

• Cock-fighting required two cockerels

  • These animals are aggressive when they are close to another male cockerel

  • The owners placed metal spurs on the cockerel's head

  • The organisers would place the two cockerels together to fight to the death using their spurs or their beaks

  • Spectators would bet a large amount of money on which cockerel would win

  • Many towns had specialised arenas for bear-baiting and cock-fighting

• At home, 'middling-sort' families enjoyed making music and playing games with cards and dice

• Paying social visits to extended family was also a key social activity

Lives of the poor Elizabethans

• Around half of all people in Elizabethan England belonged to the poor, labouring classes

• Their lives were hard and featured hard physical work from sunrise to sunset

  • Work was usually temporary

  • They often experienced hunger or starvation

• Poor Elizabethans had far less time or money to enjoy themselves

Houses of the Poor

• The houses of the poor were simple, poorly built cottages of one or two rooms

  • There were no upper floors

  • Smoke from the fires escaped through a simple hole in the roof

  • The floor was made of bare earth, covered in straw

  • Furniture might include a simple table and benches

Food of the Poor

• Much like the poor of the medieval period, the diet of the Elizabethan poor was mainly bread and pottage

  • The bread was made from rye or barley, as they were cheaper than wheat

  • Pottage was a thick soup made from whatever vegetables were available but often included onions, turnips and beans

• Hunger was common

  • When harvests failed, as they did in 1595 and 1596, members of the labouring poor starved to death

Leisure Activities of the Poor

• Hunting rabbits and fishing were enjoyed as pastimes, as well as providing food

  • Poor people went to the theatre and watched baiting and cock-fights

• The main sport that the working classes played was football

  • The aim of Elizabethan football is the same as the modern-day version - to place the ball in the opponent's goal

• There are key differences between the rules of Elizabethan football and football today:

  • The pitch in Elizabethan football was much larger

    • People played the game between villages

    • This meant the pitch could be miles in length

• There was no punishment for:

  • Picking up the football

  • Attacking another player. It was not uncommon for people to die during football matches

  • Having a larger number of players on your team than your opponents