Elizabethan dating customs

The men made the decisions and the women were expected to obey them.

The men were expected to support the family from a whole variety of occupations.

Smuggling has a long and controversial history, probably dating back to the first time at which duties were imposed in any form, or any attempt was made to prohibit a form of traffic.

Smuggling is often associated with efforts by authorities to prevent the importation of certain contraband items or non-taxed goods; however, there has also been smuggling based on illegally exporting goods.

Grain, for instance, was usually prohibited from export, unless prices were low, because of fears that grain exports would raise the price of food in England and thus cause food shortages and / or civil unrest.

Following the loss of Gascony to the French in 1453, imports of wine were also sometimes embargoed during wars to try and deprive the French of the revenues that could be earned from their main export.

These range from a section on Shakespeare's ancestors to his education and from William Shakespeare's brothers and sisters to Shakespeare's acting career.

Also if her husband was away the woman usually ran the estate.

Very often a merchant's wife did his accounts and if was travelling she looked after the business.

In England smuggling first became a recognised problem in the 13th century, following the creation of a national customs collection system by Edward I in 1275.

Merchants also, however, sometimes smuggled other goods to circumvent prohibitions or embargoes on particular trades.