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