Presentations
A presentation is a talk by one of our presenters about a particular aspect of ordinary people in Tudor Times.
A number of Tudor-style artefacts are brought along for the presenter to demonstrate with the assistance of some of the children.
We suggest you choose two presentations in a day long event.
If you are paying for only one presenter you may not choose those items
marked with an asterisk thus, *.
In addition the Tudor market is included in all events.
Here are the details of each presentation:
P1 A Town Tradesman : The Barber-Surgeon
A presentation by a senior citizen of a city. The talk covers the trade in question, his shop, his apprentises, his home, his costume, the guild hall, the administration of the city, the cathedral, the city walls.
The Barber Surgeon tells of toothdrawing, healing wounds, amputation, blood letting and hair styling. He tells of the other attractions of his shop, music, gambling and tippling.
The Surgeons were at the forfront of the development of the scientific method. They were often insulted by the medical establishment by being described as "empiricists". It was Paracelcus, asurgeon, who was at the forfront of the introduction of chemical medicines. They were prolific writers and translators of up to date foreign texts.
P2 A Senior Household Servant : The Reeve of the Manor
The Reeve is a senior servant of a member of the gentry. He is the farm manager of the estate belonging to this gemtleman. He talks of: his work supervising the outdoor workers; his dealings with his master, the bailiff and steward of the manor and the manor court; the nearby town, the church, the clergy and churchwardens.
In Chaucer's Canterbury tales he talks of the Reeve never been caught out by the auditor.
"Wel coude he kepe a gerner and a binne;
Ther was noon auditour coude on him winne."
Obviously a man keen on accuate calculations. Never did a Reeve starve to death!
P3 A member of the Gentry : Thomas Cromwell's man
He gossips about my master and his association with the Court of Henry VIII and of the City of London in this period. He talks of the dissolution of the monasteries, guilds and shrines and obtaining pensions from them for my master, myself and family. I am a puritan and a member of the emerging middle class out to make my fortune. Iam a man of the world, having worked for a Hanse merchant in Europe.
Grammar school educated, he is literate and numerate.
Skills required in the observance of his dutues.
P4 The Huswif : Alys, a Tudor Grandma *
This covers aspects of a typical poor, but fairly secure family. Alys is the head of a family whose members have various jobs - gardiner, cook, ostler at the manor and wainwright and carter in the village. They also work on their own small piece of land and trade at the market. Alys worked for a time in the kitchen of the "big house" - the manor house of the local gentry family.
Topics included are:- the cot (cottage), chidlren, the family, housework, food, clothes and laundry, the gentry's food and the kitchen at the big house.
All these topics come within the subject area of technology.
P5 A lowly household servant: a Kitchen Hand *
Not yet available
P6 A Tudor Craftsman : the Pewterer
Not yet available
P7 The Husbandman : a guide to Tudor seasons
s the lowest of the farming classes, below yeoman but above the day paid worker who might be his servant. He lived with the land and the seasons. If he worked hard his family were comfortable and secure. He had his land on tenure from the local manor owner and could be thrown off to make way for the landowner's sheep at the end of the year.
He would certainly be numerate to the extent that he would be able to count his flocks and calculate volumes of seeds needed for sowing. He would sell his excess produce at market and be able to check the work of his servants in the field and home.
PM A Tudor Market Trader
This is included in all presentations. Combined with W11, the Weights and Measures Workshop it is armed at giving the children an experience of using Tudor currency in a buying transaction.
We display our range of Tudor style artefacts that are on sale from as little as 50p. All staff, parents children in the school are invited to participate in this presentation.
In this way the children have to use their spoken English and mental arithmetic skills.
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