8-1Occupations

Jobs in Elizabethan England

Everyone in our society knows our common day jobs. But do you ever wonder what occupations the people living in the 1500’s (or otherwise known as Elizabethan England) had? Well for starters, most Elizabethans were farmers. According to Miriam Greenblatt, author of the book Elizabeth 1 and Tudor England, “farmer’s plows were pulled by oxen rather than horses and they were owned by landlords or the community as a whole. Farmers in this time period were definitely becoming more productive. One reason was because of a system called enclosure. Farmers would own strips of cropland and graze their animals along with the animals of other farmers. The farmers would consolidate fields with thick hedges, and this would make it easier for farmers since fewer hands were needed. Another assistance to farm production was specialization. This allowed farmers to increase production on products that were best suited for their soil and climate” (26). Farming was definitely a popular career of the time period, but it was also very hard!

Elizabethan England held the spots for many other jobs, including a large number of craftspeople. According to Maggi Ros’ website, the section entitled “Life in Elizabethan England: a compendium of common knowledge” explains that there were tanners, glovers, shoemakers, tailors, butchers, bakers, carpenters, and blacksmiths. A landlord was one who would run the tavern, an acater was someone you would hire to buy food or goods you don’t already supply from your own home, and there was also a farrier who would make horseshoes. Between the ages of fourteen and twenty-four, a majority of Elizabethans were employed in domestic service as butlers, cooks, and maids. Often, many people would move on to better positions. Men would often become soldiers. Women would sometimes become seamstresses, laundresses, and street vendors. A large amount of Elizabethans became merchants. These were just some of the common occupations you would find in the 1500’s.

Along with the many jobs there were to offer in the town, there were also some at-home occupations as well. According to Maggi Ros’ website, the section entitled “Life in Elizabethan England: a compendium of common knowledge,” explains you could have become a nurse who cared for infants and young children when they got sick or you could have been a tutor who came to homes and educated children. There was also an occupation called a man of business. If you had this job, you would be the house accountant. You would look after all of the investments. There was definitely a wide variety of occupations in the Elizabethan times. People could go all the way from being farmers to blacksmiths or go from a maid to a tutor! There were lots jobs in the 1500’s and some are even similar to what people do today!

-Emily Bach