8-4Occupations

=HOW DID PEOPLE MAKE A LIVING IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND? WHAT WERE COMMON OCCUPATIONS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND? = //Answer prepared by: Bradley S. Jobs of Elizabethan England In Elizabethan England, there were a few ways to make some cash, but some jobs were paid better than others. For example, a cottar was an ill or mentally disabled person who was given meaningless tasks like, “swine-herd, prison guard and menial tasks,” according to Elizabethan-era.org. It would be safe to assume that this occupation doesn’t net a fortune. A gong farmer was, according to Elizabethan-era.org, “Gong was another name for dung!” One can imagine that a gong farmer wasn’t the wealthiest man on the block. On the other hand, a chancellor (a personal secretary to a nobleman) or a physician (a skilled, respected doctor) may make quite a lot of pounds. While these are the extremes of the occupations, it shows a huge gap between the “wealthy” jobs and the “poor” jobs. A more “middle class” job, like bakers and potters, probably were the most common jobs in Elizabethan England. They weren’t dirt poor, but they weren’t filthy rich. There were many ways to make a living in Elizabethan England, and these listed are just a few of the many jobs. Works Cited "Elizabethan Occupations, Jobs and Professions." Elizabethan Life. 12 Mar 2009 http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-occupations-and-jobs.htm.

"Paying the Servants." Life in Elizabethan England. 27 Mar 2008. elizabethan.org. 12 Mar 2009 http://www.elizabethan.org/compendium/51.html.

Claybourne, Anna, and Rebecca Treays. The Usborne World of Shakespeare. London: Usborne Publishing Ltd, 2001. //