HTST 336 Study Guide - Final Guide: Ship Money, Veto, Ancient Constitution Of England
Document Summary
The sumptuary laws were first introduced by king henry viii. Sumptuary laws kind of clothing certain ranks in society were allowed to wear. The punishment for disobedience was imprisonment in the stocks for three days. The sumptuary laws were incredibly important for social order and maintaining the patriarchal- deferential relationship. In a society without police, the sumptuary laws helped define who held what rank, who was in charge and who wasn"t and everyone could see who that was with by looking at how someone else was dressed. The sumptuary laws also helped strengthen the monarchy"s control over the people. They also prevented the common people from wasting their money on luxury items they couldn"t afford. The elite orders of society had a lot of forms of entertainment. During the day they would partake in activities such as lawn bowling, shuttlecock and tennis. They would also play chivalric games, such as jousting, swordplay, and archery.