Lifestyles Of The Rich And Poor Flashcards
How did many of the land owning classes during the long room of Elizabeth increase the wealth?
- Some has bought land in the 1530s following Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries.
- Some switched from agricultural farming to sheep farming which was more profitable.
- Some exploited natural resources in England such as coal and iron ore.
- Others grew rich through commerce.
- Some married a wealthy woman and therefore became the owner of her father’s land.
How were the houses of the rich decorated?
- Age of ‘Great Rebuilding’
- Old medieval dwellings replaced with Elizabethan mansions
- Large glass windows, brick or stone walls, large fireplaces, tapestries
- Had long gallery used for recreation and to display family portraits.
- Separate family and servant wings
What were some examples of Elizabethan mansions?
- Burghley House (William Cecil)
- Longleat House (built for Sir John Thyme)
- Hardwick Hall, built for Elizabeth Talbot, countess of Shrewsbury and was completed in 1597- was described as having ‘more glass than wall’.
What would rich men wear?
The latest fashion made out of the finest materials: • Stiffened ruff • Jerkin • Leather shoes • Stockings • Trunk hose • Doublet
What would noblemen wear when outdoors?
A cloak made from satin, velvet and cloth and a hat together with a sword and dagger.
What would an Elizabethan lady of fashion wear?
A long shift and knitted stockings over which would be placed a farthingale or a petticoat, sewn into which were wooden hoops to kept the undergown splayed out. Strings of pearls and jewellery was worn to advertise wealth.
What were some specific parts of a rich women’s outfit?
- Farthingale
- Jewellery
- Ruffs
- Stockings
- Leather shoes
- Gown
What sort of education did the rich have?
- Sons is wealthy nobles and lords were tutored at home, learning classics- Latin, Greek and French.
- Teaching social etiquette was important as was a grounding in fashionable pursuits of hunting, hawking and dancing
- Daughters would be tutored by a governess and taught about the practicalities of running a large house hold and its staff.
How would a rich household function?
The wife of a nobleman was expected to supervise the day-to-day running of the household, which included the production of everyday items e.g. bread, ale, making preserves and soaps and candles.
What were the homes of the gentry like?
- They owned more land than they could farm do rented out a large part of their estate to tenant farmers.
- Copied trend among rich nobles to refashion modernise their accommodation, houses were built of stone, brick and a half timbered. They had at least eight rooms and servants quarters decorated with tapestries rather than family members, former great Hall was converted into a private dining room for the Master and his family, large fireplaces, walls plastered, oak staircases
What was the fashion of the gentry like?
They followed the style adopted by their social superiors, they lacked an expensive fine thread and the jewellery embroidered into tablets and gowns
What was the education of the gentry like?
They concentrated upon teaching of Greek and Latin grammar, school day was very long 6/7am-5pm and at 15/16 boys would either go to Cambridge/Oxford, where degrees would include compulsory lectures of subjects like maths and music.
Taught etiquette, how to be gentlemanly
Commenced careers as lawyers, clerics or royal employment.
What were the homes of the lower class like?
- Smaller homes, only one room shared with animals, Earth floor and walls made of a timber frame with wattle and daub infill and a thatched roof.
- Few prices of furniture/ possessions.
- Some who acquired a little money e.g. craftsmen were able to build houses with things like glazed windows and separate bedrooms.
What was lower class fashion like?
Pair of leather shoes, wooden stockings, leather breeches,
Women - petticoat, mantel
What was lower class education like?
Not afford to educate but went to local parish, basic reading and English. Fishing, archery, visits to inns and taverns, playing cards and betting.
What were attitudes to the poor like before the Tudor period?
Before the Tudor period there had been help and support for the poor e.g. during the medieval period, the church provided shelter and relief in alms-houses/ monasteries.
What were attitudes to the poor like during the Tudor period?
They hardened partly resulting from changes within society, together with a sharply rising population, and the effects of increasing economic hardship.
What were the poor classified into?
Two groups:
- impotent poor
- Able- bodied poor
What were the impotent poor?
Genuinely unable to work due to age or infirmity these people needed poor relief.
What were the able-bodied poor like?
Those considered capable of work but who were unwilling to find employment, these people were to be encouraged/forced to work.
