Living Conditions

• The wealthy could afford more meat and fish in their diet.
• wine, beer and ale were drank more often instead of water
• in expanding towns some rich people had the luxury of a well in their garden but ordinary people did not
• Hot chocolate, tea and coffee became more popular. Sugar was especially popular
• Flushing Toilet invented in 1596
• Scavengers would empty cesspits every year or two
• Wealthy people could afford for water to be piped into houses
• Conduits in towns and water sellers continued
• People would heat their house with coal
• still mainly agricultural
• population doubled from 3 to 6 million
• steam engine invented in 1712
• increasing number of people living in towns such as bath
• power of catholic church declined during Henry VIII
• 1683 leeuwenhoek saw tiny organisms through a microscope
• Growing power of parliament
• In towns wealthy merchants controlled public health as aldermen
• The number of alehouses in towns and villages
• printing press developed
• 1729, 1736, 1743: the early gin acts tried to control gin drinking through taxes and licences but were ineffective
• Only 3% could vote
• Printing press invented in the late 15th century. this allowed books to be mass produced and spread ideas quickly.
• Microscope invented
• Local government continued to play a role in improving public health:

  • In york, city aldermen introduced the following rules:
  • Pigs were not allowed to wander the streets
  • Fines for throwing human waster into the street
  • No one could build a privy over the main city stream