Health & Hygiene

In the Tudor period soap was an expensive luxury that common people could not afford. Even the French king had to use perfume to mask unpleasant smells. As the population grew, so too did the amount of waste and sewage which gathered in the street. This led to regular outbreaks of disease.

Child mortality was high with over half of the babies born dying in their first year. Most people did not expect to live beyond the age of 50.

If you fell ill a visit to the doctor could be both expensive and deadly! Poorer people relied on herbal remedies containing ingredients that could be grown in their own gardens.

Pomander

The word ‘pomander’ comes from the French ‘pomme d’ambre’ (apple of amber). These were perfumed containers which hung from chains, usually araound the wearer’s waist, to mask any unwanted smells. It was also thought that pomanders could protect the wearer from illness and disease.

A pomander could take many forms from a simple orange studded with cloves and rolled in spices to an intricately carved case containing a mixture of petals, herbs and spices.

Chamber Pot

In the Tudor period most people kept a chamber pot under their beds incase they needed to use the toilet during the night. In the morning they would often throw the contents of the pot out of the window into the streets below.

Improvements in agriculture meant that more people were forced to move into the towns in search of work. New buildings were crammed into narrow streets and alleys resulting in more sewage and poor sanitation. This led to a number of health problems and outbreaks of cholera and the plague were frequently reported.