They walked with
tall, elegant canes, and women also carried parasols. Hats were
made of wool and hair of beaver, rabbit, or camel. Straw hats were
worn in the summer. There were ready-made clothes and shoes,
especially for children. Night gowns and night caps were worn to
bed. About 1714, umbrellas for rain were introduced. They were
made of waxed silk or taffeta. All but the poorest wore silk and
lace. A prosperous countryman wore riding clothes consisting of
breeches and boots, cut-away coat, and low top hat.
The highest class were the peers and peeresses of the House of
Lords and their spouses and families. They were the nobility and
held the high political offices, the high ranks in the army and
navy, and owned large estates, usually scattered over the country.
Some were lawyers or merchants. There was much intermarriage among
these families. Indeed, many a noble family had salvaged its
fortunes by marriage to a London merchant. The richest people in
London were international merchants. These high class families
lived in mansions with four or five living rooms, two to five acre
gardens, and stables.
The next class were the gentry. Their family heads had land and
were often Justices of the Peace. They were sometimes members of
the House of Commons. The oldest son took over from his father,
while the other had to find a living such as in the church, law,
medicine, or trade.
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