Life in Elizabethan London

Children's Literature

In the "Lucent Library of Historical Eras" are five engrossing books on Elizabethan England. This one examines every day life in Elizabethan London. It begins with a description of the Elizabethan view of the hierarchy of the world. Animals ranked below humans and angels ranked above. In between, people were divided into classes that individuals usually were born into and occasionally could rise (or fall) from. At the top was the monarchy followed by gentlemen, citizens, yeomen, and then the lower end of society. Women gained their status, high or low, from their marriage. Traditions of marriage, raising children, and school life are discussed in a chapter on marriage and the family. A chapter featuring a London home describes living conditions in detail, ranging from floor coverings to light and heat and furnishings as well as bathing, privies, laundry and marketing. A sidebar describes a disagreeable two-day process for cleaning a soiled tablecloth. 'Elizabethan Fashion' describes the style trends begun by royalty that filtered down to the middle class. The queen was the only one allowed to wear purple. Some popular Elizabethan colors included goose-turd green, pease porridge or puke brown. Other chapters that contain fascinating details are At the Table, Lord Have Mercy on London about living conditions, Crime in Elizabethan London, and Pleasure and Sport. The well-researched book includes source notes, bibliography with book descriptions, and an index. 2003, Lucent Books,
— Janet Crane Barley

School Library Journal

Gr 6-10-While Lace describes ornate formal gardens, costly wardrobes, and other obsessions of the wealthy, Stewart focuses on the often gritty details of daily life in London. In Sources, selected excerpts from Elizabethan documents and first-person accounts capture the tone of the times. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.