OHHURON-L Archives

From: "Ron Hatton" <>
Subject: [OHHURON-L] The way thing used to be...500 years ago.
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 22:21:56 -0400

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 equaled 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. 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.
> > > >
> > > > ~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~
> > > >
> > > > 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 "threshold."
> > > >
> > > > ~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~**~$<~**~
> > > >
> > > > They cooked in the kitchen 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 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 reuse 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."
>
>

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• [OHHURON-L] The way thing used to be...500 years ago. by "Ron Hatton" <>