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Social Classes and Occupations of Elizabethan England

Nobility

  • These people were rich, powerful, and owned large houses.
  • Split into two different families
  • Old families were catholic and new families were protestant
  • Many worked in court or parliament

Citizens

Gentry

  • This class was made up of merchants, tradesmen, shopkeepers, innkeepers, and people who made products for public consumption
  • These people were the equivalent to the urban middle class we have today

Monarch

  • This is the highest position in the hierarchy.
  • Queen was considered to be a representative of God on Earth.
  • Queen Elizabeth was the monarch at this time and her rule was considered to be the golden age of British history.
  • These people were aristocrats who owned small parts of land and households.
  • They were still considerably wealthy
  • People who happened to own large properties were referred to as "gentlemen"

Overview

In the Elizabethan era, people did whatever was necessary to survive. Many jobs were available in a wide variety of purposes. There were very clear and rigid ranks in the social hierarchy.

Traders and Craftsmen

Townsfolk - Those who lived in towns; were mainly merchants and craftsmen

Merchants - Those who owned their own trade or craft and took in apprentices

Apprentice - Teenagers who worked with a Merchant to learn a trade or craft; after seven years they became Journeyman

Clergy - People who work in the Church

Yeomen

Land-Holding Commoners

Royal

Freeholders - Those whose land was passed down, but still had to pay rent. Freeholders couldn't be evicted.

Leaseholders - Those who owned land and rented it out to other people.

Copy holders - Those who paid rent to live on land; their rent could be changed and they could be evicted at any time

Some of the royal occupations include:

  • Cook - Works in the kitchen and makes food
  • Harker - Declares announcements made by the Queen
  • Jester - Also known as the fool, entertains the Queen
  • Knight - Fights to keep the Queen safe
  • Squire - A junior to the knight
  • Watchman - Castle security
  • These people were the largest class, and were more rural than citizens
  • Had three sub-categories: land-holding commoners, traders and craftsmen, and hired help
  • The hired help were considered part of the family they were working for

Medical

Occupations

Some medical jobs included:

  • Apothecary - Gave out herbal medicines
  • Barber - Cut hair, performed surgery, also did dental work and blood letters
  • Herbalist - Plants and takes care of medicinal plants
  • Physician - Took care of patients and cured people from sickness or injury
  • There were a wide variety of occupations at this time
  • They could be categorized in many ways but personally they are classified as, medical, royal, and craftsmen

Craftsmen

There were many jobs in this category like:

  • Blacksmith - Forges weapons, sharpens weapons, and repairs armor
  • Bower - Makes bows
  • Carpenter - Built houses, furniture, and had knowledge about everything about wood
  • Cordwainer - Makes shoes
  • Painter - Paints artwork and decorates castle
  • Potter - Makes pots and other ceramic goods
  • Candle maker - Makes candles

The Poor

Bibliography

  • The poor class was made up of beggars, the elderly, sick and other people who were unable to work
  • The Poor Laws were created to place unable bodies in a hospital or orphanage, give able bodied people jobs, and to discourage rogues and beggars.
  • "Elizabethan England Occupations." Elizabethan Era England Life. 2017. Web. 6 March 2017. http://www.elizabethanenglandlife.com/elizabethan-england-occupations.html.
  • "Elizabethan Era Hierarchy Classes Ranks in Society." Elizabethan Era England Life. 2017. Web. 6 March 2017. http://www.elizabethanenglandlife.com/elizabethan-era-hierarchy-classes-ranks-in-society.html.
  • "Social Classes in Elizabethan Era Nobility and Gentry." Elizabethan Era England Life. 2017. Web. 6 March 2017. http://www.elizabethanenglandlife.com/social-classes-in-elizabethan-era-nobility-and-gentry.html.
  • "Social Classes in Elizabethan Era The Yeoman and the Poor." Elizabethan Era England Life. 2017. Web. 6 March 2017. http://www.elizabethanenglandlife.com/social-classes-in-elizabethan-era-the-yeomen-and-the-poor.html.

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