Shakespeare 's Home

As has been true throughout history, it paid to be a boy because you got the bedroom with a fireplace.
This was the bedroom of William and his brothers.

Shakespeare 's father was a glove maker, one of three in Stratford-Upon-Avon. His workroom and store occupied one entire side of the house.

In those days, gloves were one of the ways people showed their status. The more elaborate finishings on the gloves, the more wealth one had. That is why the gloves were worn on the belt, highly visible to all.

Shakespeare's father also made small bags which served as pockets for men. These cod pieces were also worn around the waist to favourably accentuate a particular part of a man's anatomy.

Since urine was the liquid used to soften the leather, it was collected from the honey pots that people used at night or  from the people who carried piss buckets. This is where we get the expression "piss poor" as a person who carried the piss bucket for people to use for one-eighth of a penny was unable to find a better job.

The docent said that the buckets were carried along the streets and people would simply use the bucket as needed. Evidently modesty had not caught on yet.