From the history of the English yeoman family in the middle of the 17th century (by the materials from the diary and wills)

Background. To study English society in a turning point, it is important to have an idea of the daily life of various social strata. This will allow us to better understand the dynamics of the development of the entire society. The purpose of this work is to study one of the families of the yeoman class in the context of microhistory. This will make it possible to determine their material well-being, as well as their social role in society. It is necessary to trace how the yeomen lived, what problems interested them, how immersed they were in economic affairs, how they rested and had fun, what were their economic, political, social and religious interests during this period. Materials and methods. Following the principle of historicism, applying the comparative historical method of research, the method of analysis and synthesis, using the case study method, the diary and wills of yeoman Adam Eyre and his family of the middle and second half of the 17th century are analyzed. Results. Analysis of the diary shows that its author led a socially active lifestyle: he organized a struggle to expel a priest who was objectionable to the majority of parishioners (he drew up a petition about the priest’s violations, collected signatures from parishioners, and traveled with it to the capital and to Parliament), participated in all funeral rites, holidays, and entertainment, and audited church and parish reports of the elders. Eyre’s personal everyday life was also active: trips to visit acquaintances, to neighboring villages and other cities on various business, receiving guests, playing football, hunting, fishing, regularly attending church and listening to sermons, reading the Bible and secular books. His economic activity was largely focused on financial transactions, although he had land holdings and some cattle. Like other yeomen, he used hired labor in his farm. After his death, he left his wife and immediate family, in general, a good inheritance, but which was largely distributed among his relatives. His wife was not involved in housekeeping and her financial situation, judging by her will, had noticeably decreased. Conclusions. English Yeoman Adam Eyre and his relatives were contemporaries of the civil wars of the 1640s, the Revolution, the Cromwellian Protectorate and the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. All these events affected the fates of the Eyres, who were supporters of Parliament in their political views, like most yeomen. Adam Eyre himself fought in the first civil war, but later preferred a quiet rural life. He was never paid his due salary for his military service, like many other yeomen who fought in T. Fairfax’s army. In terms of his land holdings and movable property, as well as his finances, he was prosperous. He paid great attention to financial transactions: he borrowed money, repaid debts, and lent money himself. However, in two years he was unable to pay off all his debts. His activities in agriculture, the use of hired labor, and trade are reflected in the diary to a much lesser extent, but it is noticeable that his income from the farm was small compared to his expenses. This means that he had considerable income from some financial transactions. He led a socially active lifestyle in his church parish and beyond. He was the initiator of various public affairs. He knew about the current political processes in the country, although he was not particularly interested in politics. His social activity demonstrates leadership in his church parish. This was also reflected in the informal increase in his status in society. Involvement of similar sources in other regions of England will allow for a comparative analysis of the daily life of yeomen, identifying common and special aspects in their property status and social life.