LIFE OF ELIZABETHAN PEASANTS Food and Clothing By: Presley Davis
Dec 06, 2014
LIFE OF ELIZABETHAN
PEASANTS
Food and Clothing
By: Presley Davis
The clothing of peasants was dramatically different
than those of the upper class, not only in style and material, but also in colors. The base for the cloth was usually a rusty brown so
most clothing was a combination of different
browns, reds, and grays. Peasants probably had only one set of clothing, maybe
two at the most.
Peasant men wore rough tunics, and stockings or leggings, or they wore woolen jackets with woolen pants and knickers. Sometimes their outfits were
completed with a cotton shirt. Many Peasants could not afford hats and shoes but they some wore shoes
and hats made of cloth.From left to right:
Beggar,Low
Peasant,Mild
Peasant,High
Peasant.
Peasant women wore a scarf or veil around
their head to keep them warm along with other accessories such as a bodice and stockings. They wore an apron to cover their dress for style and also to keep
their underclothes clean while they were working. The clothing
material that they used for the dress was often
rough and itchy, and caused irritations and
rashes.
Peasants had a fairly simple diet mainly
consisting of bread, porridge, stew,
vegetables, and some meats. If a peasant lived near a body of water of some sort, he may have caught fish to supplement
his diet. Peasants ate mostly what they
could grow.
Peasants mainly grew barley, beans, rye, and wheat. Each peasant family also had a vegetable garden
near their home that consisted of onions, peas, beans, radishes, carrots, and other vegetables. Peasants harvested acorns and other nuts and
berries from nearby forests. Peasant women made butter and cheese from the milk of cows and in the fall, they slaughtered most of the animals for their
meat. If a famine occurred or a flood, the family could have a good chance of starving to death.
THEEND