Category: Daily Life in the Past

By Tim Lambert The Beginning of Banks The idea of banks began as long ago as 1,800 BC in Babylon. In those days moneylenders made loans to people. In Greece and Rome, banks made loans and accepted deposits. They also changed money. (In the Bible Jesus famously drove the money changers out of the temple… Continue reading A History of Banks

By Tim Lambert Early Biscuits The word biscuit is derived from the Latin words bis cotus, meaning twice baked. The idea of making biscuits goes back to the Romans. However, biscuits, as we know them, were developed in the Middle Ages. The Tudors were also fond of sweet foods (if they could afford them). The… Continue reading A History of Biscuits

By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Lee and Sarah Spragg People have been playing board games since civilization began. A board, dice, and counters were found in Ur in Iraq dating from 3,000 BC. Egyptians also played a board game called Senet. The board was divided into squares with counters. You threw sticks rather than dice.… Continue reading A History of Board Games

By Tim Lambert Ancient Greek women wore a form of bra called an apodesme. Roman women also wore a band of cloth or leather around their chest called a strophium or mamilare. However, for hundreds of years after the fall of Rome, women usually did not wear anything for support. From the 16th century to… Continue reading A History of Bras

By Tim Lambert The first bricks were made about 7,000 BC when people in the Middle East mixed clay and straw. They used wooden moulds to mould the bricks. Simple, sun-dried bricks were not very durable, but in about 4,000 BC, people began drying bricks in kilns. The Romans made vast numbers of bricks for… Continue reading A History of Bricks

By Tim Lambert Early Cakes The earliest recipe for pancakes in England dates from the 15th century. People were supposed to fast from certain foods during Lent, the 40 days before Easter. They also confessed their sins before Lent. The old English word for confessing was shrive, so the day when confessions were made was… Continue reading A History of Cakes

By Tim Lambert Early Cats Cats were first domesticated about 8,000 BC, when humans in the Middle East started farming. They stored grain, which naturally attracted rodents. Cats began hanging around the grain stores to hunt. Humans appreciated cats hunting rodents and gave them food and shelter. Cats were useful animals. Cats were highly esteemed… Continue reading A History of Cats

By Tim Lambert Life for children in the past was hard and dangerous. In the past, many of the children born died before they could grow up. As many as 25% of children died before their fifth birthday. As many as 40% of the people born died before they were 16. Even if they survived,… Continue reading A History of Children

By Tim Lambert Christianity in Roman Britain The first evidence of Christianity in what is now England is from the late 2nd century AD. (There may have been Christians in Britain before then; we cannot be sure). Roman Britain was a cosmopolitan place. Merchants from all over the empire settled there, and soldiers from many… Continue reading A History of Christianity in England

By Tim Lambert Early Clocks Today we take knowing the time and the day of the year for granted but for our ancestors, it was far more difficult. Until mechanical clocks were invented in the 13th century there were various ways of telling the time. The earliest method of telling the time of day was… Continue reading A History of Clocks