I thought this would be interesting for all ancestor hunters- >> >> >>> >> >>> Life in the 1500's >> >>> This is really interesting (and TRUE!!) >> >>> Most people got married in June because they took their >> >>> yearly bath in May and were still smelling pretty good by June. >> >>> However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried >> >>> a bouquet of flowers to hide the b.o. >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> ~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~> >> >>> >> >>> Baths equalled a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the >> >>> house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the >> >>> other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. b >> >>> Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could >> >>> actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the >> >>> baby out with the bath water". >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> $<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~ >> >>> >> >>> Houses had thatched roofs. Thick straw, piled high, with no >> >>> wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get >> >>> warm, so all the pets...dogs, cats and other small animals, mice, >> >>> rats, bugs lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery >> >>> and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. >> >>> Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs." >> >>> >> >>> $<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~ >> >>> >> >>> There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. >> >>> This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and >> >>> other droppings could really mess up your nice clean bed. So, >> >>> they found if they made beds with big posts and hung a sheet >> >>> over the top, it addressed that problem. Hence those >> >>> beautiful big 4 poster beds with canopies.<<< I wonder if this >> >>> is where we get the saying >> >>> Good night and don't let the bed >> >>> bugs bite........LOL >> >>> >> >>> <~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~ >> >>> >> >>> The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than >> >>> dirt, hence the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors >> >>> which would get slippery in the winter when wet. So they >> >>> spread thresh on the floor to help keep their footing. As the >> >>> winter wore on they kept adding more thresh until when you >> >>> opened the door it would all start slipping outside. A piece of >> >>wood >> >>> was placed at the entry way, hence a "thresh hold". >> >>> >> >>> <~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~ >> >>> >> >>> They cooked in the kithen in a big kettle that always hung over >> >>> the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the >> >>pot. >> >>> They mostly ate vegetables and didn't get much meat. They >> >>> would eat the stew for dinner leaving leftovers in the pot to get >> >>> cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes the >> >>> stew had food in it that had been in there for a month. Hence >> >>> the rhyme: peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge >> >>> in the pot nine days old." >> >>> >> >>> $<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~ >> >>> >> >>> Sometimes they could obtain pork and would feel really special >> >>> when that happened. When company came over, they would >> >>> bring out some bacon and hang it to show it off. It was a sign of >> >>> wealth and that a man "could really bring home the bacon." >> >>> They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit >> >>> around and "chew the fat." >> >>> >> >>> <~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~ >> >>> >> >>> Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with a high >> >>> acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food. This >> >>> happened most often with tomatoes, so they stopped eating >> >>> tomatoes... for 400 years. >> >>> >> >>> <~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~ >> >>> >> >>> Most people didn't have pewter plates, but had trenchers - >> >>> a piece of wood with the middle scooped out like a bowl. >> >>> Trenchers were never washed and a lot of times worms got into >> >>> the wood. After eating off wormy trenchers, they would get >> >>> "trench mouth." >> >>> >> >>> $<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~ >> >>> >> >>> Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt >> >>> bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the >> >>> top, or the "upper crust". >> >>> >> >>> <~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~ >> >>> >> >>> Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination >> >>> would sometimes knock them out for a couple of days. Someone >> >>> walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare >> >>> them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a >> >>> couple of days and the family would gather around >> >>> and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence >> >>> the custom of holding a "wake". >> >>> >> >>> <~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~**~>$<~**~ >> >>> >> >>> England is old and small, and they started running out of places >> >>> to bury people. So, they would dig up coffins and would take >> >>> their bones to a house and re-use the grave. In reopening these >> >>> coffins, one out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks >> >>> on the inside and they realized they had been burying people >> >>> alive. So they thought they would tie a string on their wrist and >> >> >> >>> lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to >> >>a >> >>> bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night >> >>> to listen for the bell. Hence on the "graveyard shift" they would >> >> >> >>> know that someone was "saved by the bell" or he was a "dead >> >>> ringer". >> >> >