Daily Life in 18th-century England

Kirstin Olsen

Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999 - History - 395 pages

The eighteenth century was dirtier, more dangerous and more intimate with the physical functions of life than our own. This excellent study of England during this era provides a wealth of information for students and interested readers who want to discover the everyday details of living. What does it really mean to read the riot act? Why does Yankee Doodle call his hat macaroni? What's the scoop on pig's face, boiled puddings, powdered wigs, farthings, face patches, and footmen? Find out in this introduction to the work of gouty squires, scurvy sailors, hanged apprentices, and underpaid maids-of-all work.

Illuminating the food, habits, language, behavior, sex lives, childhoods, health care, housing, and attitudes of 18th-century English people, this exploration of the time and place also provides the reader with such detailed information as how people fought, courted, drank, married, traveled, worshipped, shopped, and dressed. Twenty chapters describe and illustrate the century's politics, class structure, family structure, urban and rural environments, architecture and much more. Also offered are recipes, so the reader can recreate an eighteenth-century meal, song lyrics, children's rhymes, rules for eighteenth-century games, an extensive list of salaries for different occupations, the text of the original Riot Act, reproduced cosmetics recipes, and other concrete examples of daily life and language that make the century tangible.

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - KirkLowery - LibraryThing

While the author is addicted to lists (and therefore wins the prize for the most commas in a single book!), this volume is a treasure trove of information illuminating 18th century England. I'll leave ...

User Review -

I have only read a few chapters of this book, but it is the perfect book for studying any aspect of the 18th Century. Other readers may just be reading for enjoyment or pleasure, but even then it is a fantastic book. For me, I am using it as a book to help me with a project for school. This is a perfect book as it includes:
Quotes
Pictures
Detail - (not all books have this!)
Valid Information
Trust Worthy
I don't rate all books that I read 5 stars, but this truly deserves 5 stars! Congratulations Kirstin Olsen on a superb book! 

Contents

• Introduction: xi
• A Nation of Prime Ministers Politics: 1
• Not Created Equal Class and Race: 13
• Twenty Pounds Will Marry Me The Family: 31
• The Supreme City London: 57
• They Were Once a Kind of Barbarians The Provinces: 71
• Up to My Knees in Brick and Mortar Housing: 81
• Cork Rumps and Cocked Hats Clothing: 95
• Days Weeks Months and Years The Passage of Time: 111
• Do What Youre Bidden Work and Wages: 121
• What Joy Was Mine Entertainment: 147
• The Turnpike Roads of the Kingdom Transportation and Communication: 171
• The Main Business of the Life of Man The Economy: 187
• Robbers Burglars etc Law and Order: 205
• A Progeny of Learning Education: 221
• The Roast Beef of Old England Food and Drink: 231
• I Love a Mob Behavior: 249
• One Foot Within the Grave Health Care and Hygiene: 261
• Religion: 279
• Orreries Dephlogisticated Air and Spinning Jennies Science and Technology: 293
• Notes: 307
• Glossary: 349
• Bibliography: 353
• Index: 357

Popular passages

Page 4 - That the Duchess of Queensberry is surprised and well pleased that the King hath given her so agreeable a command as to stay from Court, where she never came for diversion, but to bestow a great civility on the King and Queen...

About the author

KIRSTIN OLSEN is the author of several books including Chronology of Women's History (Greenwood, 1994).

Bibliographic information

• Title: Daily Life in 18th-century England; Daily Life Series; Daily Life Through History Series; Greenwood Press "Daily life through history" series, ISSN 1080-4749
• Author: Kirstin Olsen
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999
• ISBN: 0313299331, 9780313299339
• Length: 395 pages
• Subjects: History / Europe / Great Britain / General