Elizabethan Social Hierarchy Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing the social structure, family counts, land ownership, and social categories of Elizabethan England.

Elizabethan Social Hierarchy Pyramid

The structural pyramid of Elizabethan society, ranked from top to bottom as: The Queen, Nobility, The Gentry, Merchants, Yeoman and Tenant Farmers, and Craftspeople, labourers, servants.

The Queen

The ruler whose wealth came from her land, who made all the important decisions, and was advised by leading nobles.

The Nobility

A wealthy and powerful group consisting of about 50 families, where a leading nobleman might own tens of thousands of acres in different estates across England.

The Gentry

A group of about 19,000 families where most owned an estate of a few hundred acres, with some members becoming very wealthy during Elizabeth's reign.

Merchants

A group of about 30,000 families who lived in towns, became wealthy through trade, and grew in power and influence during Elizabeth's reign.

Yeomen

Farmers who owned their land (often more than 50 acres) and employed farm labourers.

Tenant Farmers

Farmers who rented land and employed farm labourers.

Craftspeople, Labourers and Servants

A group of about 500,000 families (approx half the population) who worked in town trades such as textiles and leather, or mainly on farms in the countryside.

The 'Middling Sort'

A term used to refer to the social group comprising merchants, yeomen, and tenant farmers.

The 'Lower Sort'

A term used to refer to the social group comprising craftspeople, labourers, and servants.

Estates

Areas of land owned by individuals across England.