What was life like in Tudor London?

Tudor London (1485–1603) was the largest city in the country and was growing fast. Its population quadrupled from around 50,000 people in 1500 to 200,000 in 1600. This was due to the huge number of people moving to London from elsewhere in the country and abroad.

London was a popular place to live as it was the hub of trade and industry, the home of government and the royal court, and the centre for literature and the arts. However, the population growth led to over-crowding, poor sanitation, disease, bad housing and crime. Though London was the home of the wealthiest people, it also had many of the poorest.

  1. Introduction (this page)
  2. How big was Tudor London?
  3. Children in Tudor London
  4. How healthy were Tudor Londoners?
  5. Theatres and taverns
  6. Rich and poor
  7. Further information

Download 'What was life like in Tudor London?' (PDF, 371KB)

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