Hand-stitching and embroidery are as old as man. Fossilized evidence remains from 30,000 years ago of hand-stitched and decorated clothing.

90% of people in Tudor England lived and worked in villages or on farms. In the English countryside, the open field system was employed.

Renaissance chefs enjoyed delighting guests with amusing culinary tricks.

When all of the chores were finished, the people at Agecroft could prepare to turn in for the night. The Dauntesey family would retire to their bedchambers.

Servants who worked in the kitchen would put in very long days. This was especially true of the scullery maids (girls) and scullions (boys), whose job was to clean the kitchen.

The majority of the servants who worked at Agecroft Hall would have been out in the fields. They would have tended to the animals and raised the crops.

After having the large midday meal, the Dauntesey family would often want something light before heading to bed. This meal would often be referred to as super.

During the hours of daylight, Agecroft Hall would be accessible to family, servants and visitors – personal and business.

From the mid 16th century on, breakfast was promoted as an important way to start the day. Breakfast was often a simple affair for the servants.

The name “Agecroft” can be found in records dating to the 1370s. It was originally owned by the Langley family, who had lived in Lancashire for several generations.

The family bound Elizabethan society together. Marriage alliances were formed to provide continuity of family name and land-holding.

As part of the landed gentry, Master Dauntesey of Agecroft Hall had heavy responsibility.

Are you good with numbers? Here is a counting activity to help you understand the job of the house steward a bit better.

The Dauntesey family had the monetary means to afford a diet that regularly included meat dishes and sugar confections. In contrast, the meals of ordinary Elizabethans were primarily centered around bread and pottage.

As a large manor, many goods were produced at Agecroft. The main product was wool from their sheep, but the workers at the manor also produced milk products and other crops.

As you can imagine, most of the tasks that the servants did on the manor were physically demanding. Although there were tool to help with the chores, many of the machines that we would see on a farm today had not been invented.