Life In The 16th CenturyBy Keira, Danielle, Lewis Sharp And Lewis F

Clothing Clothing in the 16th century not only

served the purpose of keeping people dry and warm ,it also reflected social status. Every class, rank and profession had its own distinctive dress. Laws called the ‘Sumptuary laws’ were passed in the early 15th century to stop people dressing ‘above their station ‘ in a manner which is not suited to their position in society ).

Poor people lived in homes that were not much better than sheds . Often there was only one room downstairs with a bare earth floor . Sometimes there was a loft above for sleeping in and storing hay, herbs and food . The thatched roof was a fire hazard and mice , rats and insects also lived in the roof . Windows did not have glass , but only wooden shutters.

Housing for the (poor)

Housing for the (rich) Richer people lived in stone-built houses

with glass in the windows . Rooms were panelled in wood with painted patterned ceilings . Furniture was sparse but was solid and well built . Large tapestries were hung on bedroom walls to keep in the warmth and to look nice , and curtains around the bed also helped to keep people warm.

Sleeping Important members of the royal court

would have bedchambers to sleep in. these rooms would have contained a bed and a small amount of furniture including chests for clothing. There would also be a fireplace in the room to provide heating, and candles would have provided lighting. Tapestries would have been hung on some walls to provide decoration.

Toilets Toilets were simply holes in the ground ,

which took waste in to a cesspit or a ditch at the foot of a wall . Today , this toilet has a decorative cover over the hole for safety.

Sanitation Sanitation was non-existent for the

peasant population, and very basic for the wealthier classes. Even in Falkland Palace, where the Kings and Queens stayed , the toilet was nothing more than a a hole in the ground. All waste and rubbish was thrown into the streets and animals roamed the streets of the towns quite freely.

Cooking The kitchen from Falkland Palace was

under the great hall so that food did not have to be carried far before it was served . The kitchen contained a large fireplace where all of the cooking was done, as well as a water trough and a large table to prepare food. Falkland palace also had a bakehouse where bread was made.

Food (Food for the poor) Poor soil ,bad weather and inefficient

farming methods , combined with lack of money restricted the food types available to the poor . The basic food of a peasant family consisted of barley bannocks , oat cakes , sour-milk cheese , butter , soup , salted mutton sheep’s-head broth and fish. In coastal areas seaweed was also eating.

Food (for the rich)

The rich could afford to import food so they had a much more varied diet . Their diet included fresh fruits , dried fruits and nut and a wide range of fresh meat and fish. Vegetables were only eaten in soups .As hunting was a popular pastime for the royal court , they would have eaten boar, venison, hare, rabbit and game birds caught during the hunt.

Local trade Trading was very restricted at this time . goods could only be traded at burgh markets, so for a town to be made into a royal burgh was a great honour. Goods brought into the burgh were weighed and valued at the Tron (a weighing machine ),then taking to the mercat cross(market),where each trader was allocated a booth or a stall.

TransportIn the 16th century there were few roads . Most of these were formed from tramped-down soil and provided a network of tracks between castles and burghs . Travel by road was dirty ,tiring , slow and dangerous as there was always a risk of ambush.Travel by road was best on horseback as carts and wagons made slow progress on the rough ground.

Entertainment and Business The great hall was the largest room at

Falkland Palce , it is not complete today because of damge caused by Cromwell’s troops .The great hall was used for entertaining ,eating , and for discussing business or conducting trials . The large fireplace provided heat for the room . Tapestries may have been hung on the walls, and rushes would have covered the floor.

Here are some pictures

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