For now, you can use this Glossary of terms used in the game:
Apothecary – A person who prepares and sells drugs for medicinal purposes. Also the shop where such activities take place
Artisans – A person employed in a skilled trade such as grocers, tailors, cordwainers, butchers, joiners, weavers, carpenters, bakers, goldsmiths, apothecaries, chandlers, and more. They were usually members of a guild and their business often involved the entire household, including spouses, children, and any apprentices and journeymen in residence. In 1688, statistician Gregory King estimated there were about 100,000 shopkeeper, tradesmen, and artisan households in England, which makes up ~7% of the English population.
Audley End in Essex – A 17th century country house in the county of Essex owned by the Earl of Suffolk. Charles II bought it in 1668 and used it as a home occasionally. The Suffolks regained possession of it in 1701.
Beggars – There are two types of beggars: itinerant beggars who roam the country illegally and members of the “deserving poor” who are embedded in their local communities and licensed to beg in their home parish. The latter usually still have a permanent place of residence, often provided by the parish, but their income depends on the charity of their neighbors. It is not legal to beg outside of your parish and itinerant beggars are both feared and often harshly punished. In 1688, statistician Gregory King estimated there were about 400,000 paupers households and 30,000 wandering beggars, which makes up ~22% of the English population.
Betrothed – Engaged to be married
Bills of mortality – Weekly publications which recorded the number of burials and christenings in each of London’s parishes, as well as the causes of death citywide and the current government-set price of bread.
Blasphemous – A person or act which shows contempt for God or other sacred/holy things and people
Blistering Plaster – A hot, wet paste spread on leather which is then applied to infected areas of the skin such as buboes. The paste hardens and should rupture the buboes to enable them to drain. This plaster was usually made of either Mithridatium or Galene and was applied three times daily.
Buboes – Painful pus-filled swellings in the thighs, neck, groin, and armpits. They may turn black and rot away or rupture, spreading the infection around the body.
Call to service (by bells) – Parish churches typically had bells, which they used to ring the hours throughout the day. These bells were also rung to indicate the time of church services and to alert people to fires or other emergencies.
Charity – Refers both to a gift or benevolent act given towards neighbors, particularly the poor, and to a general feeling of Christian love and kindness towards fellow Christians. In the sense used here, it means alms-giving, or the giving of small amounts of money or food to the local “deserving poor.”
Civil War (specific to England) – A series of armed civil conflicts in the 1640s and early 1650s that culminated in the execution of King Charles I, the flight of his son King Charles II, and the installation of Oliver Cromwell as the Lord Protector of England. The period was one of significant economic, political, and religious turmoil in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Eventually Cromwell died and Charles II was reinstated as the English monarch in 1660, an act called the Restoration.
Cordial Tincture – Literally, a beneficial medicine. In this specific case, a reference to a proprietary medicinal blend advertised by John Belson, Esquire, in 1665 during the London plague outbreak.
Covent Garden – A large open square in London. In 1630, the Earl of Bedford commissioned the architect Inigo Jones to build a church and several nice houses around a large square. This construction attracted wealthy buyers, who quickly moved out when a market, taverns, and sex workers moved into the south side of the square. The large open space could be used for outdoor meetings.
Day Labourer – A person who is hired and paid on a daily basis, usually for unskilled or semi-skilled labor. Their tasks might include agricultural work like plowing, sowing, harvesting; construction work; and lifting and hauling, such as collection of the dead. Their pay is dependent on winning work each day and thus might be very irregular and low. In 1688, statistician Gregory King estimated there were about 364,000 households led by laboring people and servants in England, which makes up ~20% of the English population.
Deanery at Christ Church College – Christ Church is one of the many colleges at the University of Oxford. Each of the university’s colleges has its own dean, and the position often came with a residence, called a deanery. King Charles I made this deanery his palace during the English Civil War.
Delirious – Irrational, incoherent, absurd, frenzied, not making sense
Dissident – Differing from the ecclesiastical majority. In this case it refers to Protestant Christians who are not members of the Church of England, for example Presbyterians.
Duke of York, James Stuart – The younger brother of King Charles II and heir to the English throne, who eventually reigned as King James II from 1685-88. Charles and his wife Catherine of Braganza had no children of their own, although Charles had many illegitimate children by several mistresses. James II was the last Catholic monarch of England and was deposed by his Protestant daughter, Mary, and her husband, William of Orange.
Esteem – To regard highly, or have a good opinion of, particularly in regard to a person
Experimental government (specific to England) – Refers to the government of Oliver Cromwell, who served as the Lord Protector of England from 1653-1658. This government was referred to as the Commonwealth (1649-1660) and was held together by Cromwell’s strong personality and military control.
Fasts – Fasting is the practice of restricting food and/or drink. During this period, Christians observed holy days such as Lent by refraining from eating red meat.
Fleet – The English Royal Navy, which was primarily composed of heavily armed warships.
General bill of this year’s death – A summary of all the weekly bills of mortality from the previous year, published annually in the week before Christmas. These bills published the numbers of burials by parish and included data on how people died, whether of plague or some other cause.
Hampton Court – A palace south of London famed for its gardens. Cardinal Wolsey began construction on the palace in the early 16th century and King Henry VIII adopted it as his primary residence. King James I, King Charles I, Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell, King Charles II, and King James II also lived in the palace. After the Glorious Revolution in 1688 the co-monarchs William and Mary commissioned the architect Christopher Wren to build a new baroque-style palace on the site. Later monarchs continued to reside there until the mid-18th century. Queen Victoria opened the palace to the public in 1838 and it remains a popular tourist destination.
Henrietta Maria – The mother of King Charles II. Born a French princess, she became the wife of King Charles I of England until his execution in 1649. She then served as an advisor to her son, but her Catholicism and repeated attempts to convert people at court made her unpopular among the Protestant people of England. Charles I ordered that she be referred to in public as Queen Mary, but she disliked this title and signed her name as Henriette.
Horse Guards – A large barracks and stables for the Royal Cavalry which served as the entrance to the Palace of Whitehall. The building is defended by the King’s Life Guard, a mounted ceremonial guard.
Household – All the people living in a home. If there is an adult male living in the home, he is generally considered the head of the household. Widowed women with young children and single women may also be heads of the household. Members of the household then include the head of household, their spouse, and their children, as well as members of the extended family such as grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Households may additionally include apprentices, journeymen, and servants.
Impressed (into service) – The seventeenth-century English Navy (and other militaries) often had labor shortages and had to force men to serve in its ranks. This mostly meant kidnapping, either by force, trickery, or coercion. After being impressed, sailors who were not British could petition to be let back out, but British subjects had to serve their term. Though the Navy typically impressed merchant seamen or fishermen, they sometimes abducted non-sailors. The practice was very unpopular and provoked much protest.
Indentured – A person who has signed a labor contract, such as that of an apprentice or servant, to work for a set number of years in exchange for housing, food, clothing, training in a trade, and/or some other material benefit.
Interregnum – The period 1649-1660 between the reigns of King Charles I and King Charles II. During this period, England was governed by the Commonwealth government, led by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell.
Lamentable – Very bad or unsatisfactory, deplorable, causing sorrow
Lent – A Christian holiday beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending just before Easter, meant to commemorate the time which Jesus spent in the wilderness. This period was supposed to be observed by fasting or abstinence.
London Bridge – In this period, the only bridge across the Thames connecting the two halves of London. It was preceded by several Roman and medieval bridges which were destroyed and rebuilt many times. The bridge in this period was built in 1209. The bridge had 19 piers with thick protective pilings around them. These restricted water flow so much that the water level could be up to 6 feet higher on one side of the bridge than the other. Many houses and shops stood on the bridge until they were removed in the 19th century.
Lord Mayor – The head of the city government of London
Lucidity – Clearness of thought or expression, making sense
Malignity – A substance that is evil in nature and effects; baleful, harmful, gravely injurious
Merchants – A person involved in wholesale trade, particularly between cities or countries. In 1688, statistician Gregory King estimated there were about 10,000 merchant households in England, which makes up ~1% of the English population.
New Chapel churchyard – A city burial ground, not associated with any church or parish, that was located in northeastern London and used from 1569 to 1739. In that period, it received an estimated 25,000 burials. Over time it became commonly known as Bedlam or Bethlem burial ground because it was located in the precinct of the Priory of St. Mary of Bethlehem, later Bethlem Hospital.
Noble – A member of the hereditary class of landowners with high social and political status. They have noble titles either given to them by a monarch or inherited from their ancestors, such as duke/duchess, marquis/marchioness, earl/countess, or baron/baroness. In 1688, statistician Gregory King estimated there were about 160 noble households in England, which makes up less than 1/10 of 1% of the English population.
Overseers of the Poor – Two parish officials elected to administer to the needs of the poor in their parish. These positions were created by the Poor Relief Act of 1597.
Oxford – An English city about 60 miles north-west of London. It is home to the University of Oxford, the oldest university in England.
Papists – A derogatory term for Catholics
Parish – The smallest administrative unit of the English church. An official known as the parish clerk kept local records of christenings, burials, and marriages of everyone who lived within the parish. In this period, parish officials were responsible for maintaining the local social safety net, which included supporting and licensing beggars.
Pesthouse – A hospital used for the treatment and isolation of people infected with Bubonic plague or other infectious diseases
Plague – A deadly infection usually spread to humans by fleas infected with the bacterium yersinia pestis. It manifests in several different ways, including bubonic (lymph node), pneumonic (lungs), and septicemic (bloodstream) plague. Bubonic plague was the least deadly form, at only ~50% fatal, while pneumonic plague was 99% fatal and can be spread directly to other people by coughing and septicemic plague was 100% fatal. Plague killed hundreds of millions of people before the development of antibiotic treatments and still kills some people today. Symptoms include fever, headaches, vomiting, weakness, coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, abdominal pain, swollen lymph nodes, gangrene, meningitis, and most famously, the appearance of large buboes, or painful pus-filled swellings in the thighs, neck, groin, and armpits. They may turn black and rot away or rupture, spreading the infection around the body.
Posset of London Treacle – A hot drink made of milk curdled with wine or ale, often including spices, which was often used as a remedy. After the 16th century, the milk was usually curdled using lemon juice rather than wine, and might be thickened with bread crumbs. During the plague outbreak, medical quacks sold London treacle, which could be added to the posset drink to further thicken it. London treacle was a compound of walnut, rue, salt, and fig.
Porters – A person employed to carry things in the service of others. They are usually employed in moving furniture, luggage, and other loads, especially when their employers are moving or traveling.
Portsmouth – An English port city about 75 miles south of London
Presbyterians – Protestants who wanted their church to be ruled by presbyteries, or a collection of elders and ministers, rather than a hierarchical system of bishops. This system was popular in Scotland and an attempt to overturn it in favor of bishops sparked a series of uprisings in the British Isles that eventually turned into the Civil War.
Press gangs – An organized group of naval sailors who forcibly conscripted men of fighting age (18-55) to serve in the Royal Navy during times of war. They usually impressed merchant seamen and fishermen but sometimes abducted non-sailors from town.
Protestants – Dissidents from the Catholic faith. In England these were most commonly Anglicans (Church of England) or Presbyterians, but there were other smaller groups such as Quakers and Baptists.
Purgative – A medicine which causes emptying of the bowels, a laxative.
Remedy – A medicine or treatment meant to promote healing or alleviate symptoms for a disease, disorder, or injury.
Restoration – The returning of King Charles II to the throne of England. After the death of the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell, his son was not strong enough to hold together the Commonwealth government. The exiled Charles II issued the Declaration of Breda, in which he promised to pardon and uphold the property rights of everyone except the people who signed his father’s execution warrant, in exchange for the throne.
River traffic – Because there was only one bridge over the River Thames, London Bridge, Londoners often found it faster to cross the river or travel the length of the city by boat. As a result, the Thames was a busy river highway and was full of small transport boats as well as larger shipping barges.
Salisbury – An English city about 80 miles outside of London
Scrivener – A person employed to copy or transcribe documents or to write documents for someone else, especially legal documents
Servant – A person who is hired long-term to work on domestic duties or as a personal attendant. Their tasks might include cooking, cleaning, dressing, sewing, running errands, driving carts and carriages, taking care of household animals, etc. On many occasions, servants lived in the homes of their employers, meaning their lodgings were part of their wages. Their pay could vary significantly based on the wealth and social status of their employer. Many people were not servants for long periods of time, but rather were employed as servants while young until they had built up enough resources to form their own household.
Smolder – To burn slowly but without flame, produces smoke and heat
Somerset House – The traditional London residence of the Queen of England during the seventeenth century, also known as Denmark House. It was originally constructed by the Duke of Somerset in 1547 in the Tudor style and Queen Elizabeth I lived there as a young woman. Upon the ascension of King James I, he gave it to his wife, Queen Anne of Denmark, as her primary residence and renamed Denmark House in her honor. It was subsequently the primary residence of King Charles I’s wife Queen Henrietta Maria. However, King Charles II’s wife Catherine of Braganza only took up residence there after his death in 1685 and lived there until 1693. Since the 18th century, it has been rebuilt and enlarged in the Renaissance style.
Suppository – A type of medical application which involves inserting a small bundle of medicine into any bodily orifice other than the mouth. The medicine was intended to soften or turn liquid at body temperature, which would help with spreading it throughout the body.
Tally sticks – A stick used to mark debts and payments, usually with notches on one side. Usually a debtor and lender would split the stick in half and each keep half the stick as a record of their agreement.
Tower of London – A historic castle on the north bank of the Thames that was built in 1066. It has been used by many English monarchs as both a residence and a prison.
Tuttle-fields – Also known as Tothill Fields, it was a marshy area of Westminster on the north bank of the river Thames. The area was home to the prison known as Tothill Fields Bridewell, which operated between 1618 and 1884.
Quarantine – A method of containing disease which involves keeping potentially infected people, animals, or goods contained and away from others for a sufficient period of time for the disease to manifest. The word comes from the Italian “quaranta” meaning 40 as the quarantine period for plague was 40 days.
Queen Catherine – Queen Catherine of Braganza was a Portuguese princess who married King Charles II in 1662, becoming the Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland. After the death of her husband, she returned to her homeland and served as the regent of Portugal until her death. She was unpopular in England due to her strong Catholic faith. Catherine had no children, so Charles was succeeded by his brother, King James II.
Queen Mother – The mother of the current monarch. In 1665-7, this was Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of the executed King Charles I.
Whitehall – A large palace which served as the official London residence of English monarchs from 1530 to 1698, when nearly the entire complex was destroyed by fire. The area where the palace sat is still called Whitehall and has remained a center for the British government.