James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth

General James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, Duke of Buccleuch was an English Army officer and courtier. Originally called James Crofts or James Fitzroy, he was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II of England with his mistress Lucy Walter.

Layering wool for winter warmth

During winter, Dutch people of all classes wore extra layers of wool under their indoor clothes to keep warm while skating.

Festive winter skating layers

During winter, people of all classes went ice skating and wore extra layers of wool under their everyday clothes. These layers were intentionally visible to add a touch of festivity to the otherwise drab winter landscape.

Church music and folk dance customs

Organists played for up to an hour after Sunday and Wednesday church services, sometimes using the organ to help the congregation practice the melody and tone for the psalms. During festive seasons, commoners participated in the traditional egg dance, which required dancers to maneuver around eggs on the ground without breaking them.

Music in daily Dutch life

The Dutch enjoyed music at home in small amateur groups called Collegia Musica or during family gatherings, while common folk played instruments like fiddles, bagpipes, and hurdy-gurdies at taverns, weddings, and seasonal festivals. Songs were integral to daily life, with maids singing during housework and lullabies used to put children to sleep.

Travel times and costs between towns

A journey from Delft to Rotterdam took one hour and forty-five minutes and cost five stuivers in the hold or ten stuivers in the cabin. Children under two traveled for free, while those up to twelve paid half price.

The reliable horse-drawn towboat system

The trekschuit, a horse-drawn passenger boat, was a reliable and popular way to travel between towns on a vast network of tow-canals. Passengers could choose between sitting in the hold or the more comfortable cabin for a higher fee.

Drinking Beer Instead of Water

Because water could be contaminated, children and adults alike drank weak beer with meals, as the brewing process killed dangerous bacteria through extreme heat.

Split Doors Kept Children Safe

Families often used split doors, which allowed the top half to be opened for fresh air while keeping the bottom half closed to keep animals out and small children safely inside.

Beer as a safer everyday drink

Because water was frequently contaminated, ordinary families drank beer with every meal, including breakfast. This beer was typically a low-alcohol variety, often called small beer, which was safer to consume than water.

Bread as the staple food

The daily diet was centered on bread, often supplemented with porridges or stews like hutspot, which were cooked in a single pot over an open fire. Poor families relied on dark, nutritious rye or coarse-grain bread, sometimes consuming up to five pounds daily for a family of four.

Bread as a primary expense

Bread was the cornerstone of the diet for the poor, who often spent 50 percent or more of their income on it.

Weekly wages for workers and craftsmen

An outdoor laborer in the 17th century typically earned 6.50 guilders per week, while a master carpenter earned 9 guilders per week.

Apprentice bonuses and daily wages

Employers sometimes provided bonuses such as a new pair of shoes or a hat at the end of an apprenticeship. A standard daily wage for a skilled worker around 1650 was approximately 20 stuivers.

Common roles and seasonal labor

Common jobs included printers, bookbinders, carpenters, bricklayers, and textile workers, with many families running small businesses together. Seasonal labor was also vital, with workers migrating to dig peat, harvest grain, or work on dikes and canals.

Newspapers as shared social objects

Newspapers were widely shared and read aloud among neighbors and families, regardless of social class, serving as a vital source of news and a center for social interaction. People often doubted the truthfulness of newspaper reports, sometimes verifying them by purchasing official letters or checking with trusted friends.

The uncertainty of seventeenth-century letter delivery

Letters were sent by ferrymen or messengers who moved at the speed of the horse or boat, and senders often marked them with 'Loont' (payment due) or 'in eygen handen' (in own hands) to ensure delivery. Delivery times were unpredictable; a letter from Amsterdam to Brussels could arrive in three days, while others took much longer depending on the route and the diligence of the carrier.