Life and Living Conditions

Living conditions in the eighteenth century were varied and diverse. Wealthy individuals would own multiple properties: large country houses and inner-city townhouses. The middle classes may own larger houses in villages or flats in a multi-story building. Some workplaces and homes were mixed, such as servants' quarters within the homes of the upper class, or offices and shops with adjacent sleeping areas. The lower classes may have small cottages or shacks in the countryside, or in urban settings, could rent a room or a bed in a larger communal building.