Henriette Louise de Bourbon

Henriette Louise de Bourbon was a French princess by birth and a member of the House of Bourbon. She was the abbess of Beaumont-lès-Tours Abbey.

Aprons as Occupational Markers

On working days, both men and women typically wore aprons, which often became stained by their specific occupations, such as printing or butchery.

Origin of the term Grisette

The term grisette described poor working-class women, named after the simple gray woolen cloth used to make their dresses.

Teaching Dance via Written Notation

Dance masters used specialized choreographic notation created by Raoul Auger Feuillet to distribute and teach new dance steps between Paris and the provinces. By 1721, collections contained dozens of dances composed by masters like Pécour and Balon for the French court.

The Pocket-Sized Teacher's Violin

To make professional dance lessons convenient at home, masters used the pochette, a small, boat-shaped violin that could be easily carried in a pocket or sachet.

Parisian carriage hire options

In Paris, travelers could hire a private carriage known as a Remise for about three crowns per day. For budget travelers, the vinegrette was a peculiar two-wheeled vehicle dragged by a man and pushed by a woman or boy.

Common modes of personal travel

While the wealthy used carriages, ordinary people frequently traveled on foot or relied on pack animals like mules for longer journeys between towns.

Intense use of single-room dwellings

Ordinary homes often consisted of a single room used for all daily activities, including cooking, sleeping, and childcare, with furniture rearranged throughout the day. In rural areas, houses were typically made of wattle and daub with thatched roofs, often lacking glass windows and floorboards.

Limited and irregular primary education

Primary schooling was rare, especially for girls, and often conducted irregularly by the local priest or his vicar. Education was limited to the basics of reading, writing, and the catechism.

Famine food made of fern

During the 1709 famine, bread became so expensive that people made desperate loaves out of fern, which turned their skin yellow and left them too weak to stand.

Cost of living for laborers

In the early 18th century, a laborer earned about 112 livres per year and spent over half of his income, 53 percent, on grain and bread.

Worker wages in the early 1700s

In the early 18th century, a rural manual worker earned about 9 sols per day, but could only find work for about 180 days out of the year.

Cost of bread and daily wages

In 1713 and 1714, a pound of bread cost 2 sols and 9 deniers, while a common manual laborer earned between 7 and 14 sols per day depending on the region.

A long sunrise-to-sunset workday

The workday typically lasted eleven to thirteen hours, starting at sunrise and continuing until sunset, with short breaks for meals.

Cleaning up after lavish noble feasts

In large households, kitchen staff had to work for six days straight just to wash all the china and cutlery used after a major dinner feast.