Life in 1660s England
Shortly before the events of Stage Beauty, England underwent a great deal of turmoil. Charles II's father, King Charles I, was an unpopular monarch—not only did he rule (often tyrannically) according to his conscience rather than in conjunction with Parliament, but he married a Catholic, Princess Henrietta Maria of France. He tried to force his religious views on the Church of Scotland, which started the English Civil Wars in about 1642. Due to the rising influence of the Puritans, it was at the beginning of the wars that the theatres of London were shut.
Due to his unpopularity and poorly-trained army, Charles I lost the Civil War and was executed in 1649, which Charles II had to witness. His family escaped to France (Charles II's escape was especially dramatic, involving several disguises and one memorable day spent hiding in a tree from soldiers searching for him). His time at the French court greatly influenced Charles II, and when he returned to England, he brought much of French culture and fashion with him. This included the notion of women on stage, which had been commonplace on the Continent for some time.
The absence of the rule of the monarchy between Charles I's execution and Charles II's return to England in 1660 was called the Interregnum. For the majority of this period, England was ruled by Oliver Cromwell and a Parliament with a Puritan majority which deplored such excesses as celebrating Christmas or attending the theatre, and advocated instead for an austere lifestyle. When Oliver Cromwell died, his son Richard proved incompetent to lead and Charles II was able to broker his return to power.
The London of Charles II was one of the largest cities in the West, with a population of about 300,000 people. A few streets were paved, but most were cobbled. Many of the streets were covered in filth,
due to the practice of throwing rubbish out of windows and onto the street. There were few sidewalks,
Oliver Cromwell so pedestrians had to jostle with the traffic of horses and carts as they went about their business.
The absence of the rule of the monarchy between Charles I's execution and Charles II's return to England in 1660 was called the Interregnum. For the majority of this period, England was ruled by Oliver Cromwell and a Parliament with a Puritan majority which deplored such excesses as celebrating Christmas or attending the theatre, and advocated instead for an austere lifestyle. When Oliver Cromwell died, his son Richard proved incompetent to lead and Charles II was able to broker his return to power.
The London of Charles II was one of the largest cities in the West, with a population of about 300,000 people. A few streets were paved, but most were cobbled. Many of the streets were covered in filth,
due to the practice of throwing rubbish out of windows and onto the street. There were few sidewalks,
Oliver Cromwell so pedestrians had to jostle with the traffic of horses and carts as they went about their business.
Houses were built with each story jutting out a few more inches into the street than the last, so as to maximize space (called jettying). If you were on the top floor, you would be only a few feet from your neighbor (especially considering that many streets were only 11 feet wide to begin with). Rooms were usually lit at night by fireplaces and candles, though lanterns also were available. Furniture before the return of Charles II was uncomfortable and immovable, made of great solid slabs of wood, but the French-influenced Court introduced lighter, more comfortable furniture.
The average life expectancy for a baby born in England in 1660 was 35 years. However, this figure is skewed by the quarter of all children born who would not live to see their tenth birthday. Those who made it as far as 30 would typically live to see 60.
Medicine was primitive; many people had faith in spells or amulets, and one of the civic duties of Charles II was the “King's Touch”, wherein he would touch people and it was believed he could cure them of “evil” through divine healing abilities.
The 1660s in general were marked by a sense of merriment and relief. After the strict Puritan rule of the Interregnum, the people of Britain were more than happy to embrace Charles II and his love of all things pleasurable.
An example of jettied construction
[Sources: Merry Monarch by Hesketh Pearson, Cromwell, Our Chief of Men by Lady Antonia Fraser, & Restoration London: Everyday Life in the 1660s by Liza Picard]
The average life expectancy for a baby born in England in 1660 was 35 years. However, this figure is skewed by the quarter of all children born who would not live to see their tenth birthday. Those who made it as far as 30 would typically live to see 60.
Medicine was primitive; many people had faith in spells or amulets, and one of the civic duties of Charles II was the “King's Touch”, wherein he would touch people and it was believed he could cure them of “evil” through divine healing abilities.
The 1660s in general were marked by a sense of merriment and relief. After the strict Puritan rule of the Interregnum, the people of Britain were more than happy to embrace Charles II and his love of all things pleasurable.
An example of jettied construction
[Sources: Merry Monarch by Hesketh Pearson, Cromwell, Our Chief of Men by Lady Antonia Fraser, & Restoration London: Everyday Life in the 1660s by Liza Picard]