Early Modern (ca 1500) Status/Cost of Living... what do you get?

[Phantasm]

I'm hammering away at some stuff for my Renaissance Fantasy setting, and I wanted some input on what I have for what someone of a given status would have. In short, I'm picturing the world as being set in an era similar to our 16th century (ca 1500-1600; use any of the following terms: Renaissance, early modern era, Age of Exploration, early Age of Sail), with high status folks being a combination of hereditary nobles, merchant princes, and robber barons. Here's the entry:



What Does Status Give You?

The following is not the final word; instead, consider it a guideline (and will be subject to change). This is roughly what a typical person of a given status between Status -2 and Status 4 will have, as far as property, transportation, and servants are concerned. (Status 5 through 7 is currently undergoing research, but for the most part scale up the properties, house guards, and servants accordingly.)

Status 4: A larger manor, plantation, or keep; several other properties; a fleet of carriages; several riding horses; a few house guards, several maids and a butler for each property, a few grooms, a few carriage drivers. Supported with Wealth (Filthy Rich).
Status 3: A manor, plantation, or keep; a few other properties; a number of horse-drawn carriages and a few riding horses; and several servants (butler, a few maids, cook, groom, carriage driver, bodyguard). Supported with Wealth (Very Wealthy).
Status 2: A multi-story house, a few acres of land, a horse-drawn carriage and a riding horse, a few servants (cook, bodyguard, maid, groom; groom or bodyguard will double as a carriage driver). Supported with Wealth (Wealthy).
Status 1: A multi-room house, up to an acre of land with livestock, a horse-drawn carriage or a riding horse, a single servant. Supported with Wealth (Comfortable).
Status 0: A rented apartment in town or a small rural house, possibly shared and/or rented from a manor owner; a pack donkey or mule; a goat for milk; a handful of chickens; a small garden. Supported with Wealth (Average).
Status -1: A rented room or a shared apartment in town, or a shared rural two-room (bedroom and living room) house in need of repairs, probably rented from a manor owner; a single chicken; a window garden for herbs. Supported with Wealth (Struggling).
Status -2: Makeshift or semi-permanent shelter. Supported with Wealth (Poor).

I'm figuring someone of these statuses would have the appropriate clothing already.

Still, I think I'm missing something obvious, or that I'm getting some details wrong. Some help?

[Railstar]

GURPS Banestorm has an excellent detailed list on page 187 that would probably serve this purpose, intended for a more medieval setting but there is no clear way how it would be different for the year 1500.

Owning acres of land and goats/livestock assumes a rural environment. Maybe the list should be more general or at least distinguish between rural and urban lifestyles. Another note is the list on Banestorm tends to have more servants (even Status 0 has “possibly a servant or two, or at least family to help you out” implying it is a family-supporting wage) and from Status 2 even includes armed servants or warriors.

[Ashtagon]

At status 2, I would expect that any rural person would have contacts with an urban colleague that would let them spent a night or two at a time in town. At status 3+, I'd expect all but the most rural characters to maintain a property in the nearest political urban centre in addition to a country estate.

[Phantasm]

Perhaps I should probably say what I'm using as benchmarks for Status:

Status 7: King/Queen, or other head of a nation-state
Status 6: Prince/Princess, Grand Duke/Grand Duchess, Great Khan, or other high-level noble.
Status 5: Count/Countess, Jarl, Khan, or other similar-level noble.
Status 4: Viscount/Viscountess, Baron/Baroness, or other similar-level noble.
Status 3: Baronet/Baronetess, Landed Knight, very minor nobles, merchant princes.
Status 2: Landless Knight, Guild Master, Lord/Lady.
Status 1: Guild Shop Owner, Successful Merchant.
Status 0: Craftsman, Artist, Merchant, Mercenary.
Status -1: Typical Commoner, Slave.
Status -2: Beggar, Homeless Bum.


Basically, Kingdoms are divided into Duchies, which are divided into Counties, which are then divided into Baronies. A Duchy will be centered around a large city, a County around a smaller city or large town, and a Barony around a smaller town. Viscounts and Baronets serve Counts and Barons respectively in official capacities.

I really do not agree that someone at Status 0 should have a servant for their home; that seems like something that would scream "hey, I've made it to the upper class!" (or even upper middle class). Status 0 and 1 are the "middle class", basically, with Status 1 and 2 being "I'm successful enough to take on some of the trappings of the nobility." As you can expect, there's the usual conflicts between "old nobility" and "new money".

[mr beer]

I believe that labour was extremely cheap in pre-modern times and that it would be plausible for a status 0 person to have a servant and very likely for status 1. Definitely not restricted to 'upper class' people.

[Kalzazz]

It was far from uncommon for GIs to employ houseboys to assist them in Korea and such, and an enlisted American soldier is scarcely upper class

[whswhs]

As I understand it, in Victorian times it was expected that any respectable middle class person—say, a shopkeeper—would have a maid of all work or some similar servant. The mark of higher Status was often being able to afford a manservant; male servants got paid more and thus cost more. I believe that that was true in earlier times also.

[cptbutton]

Originally Posted by whswhs

As I understand it, in Victorian times it was expected that any respectable middle class person—say, a shopkeeper—would have a maid of all work or some similar servant. The mark of higher Status was often being able to afford a manservant; male servants got paid more and thus cost more. I believe that that was true in earlier times also.

I've seen it claimed that this was more or less the definition of middle class, having at least one servant.

[fifiste]

It is actually not that surprising - in modern times you could also see massive amount of people in service industries. Beforetimes they were just less "centralized".
Instead of going from establishmetn to establishment and letting themselves be be served by different folks people would have a maid at house. (And depending on wealth more and more different servants)

[joppeknol]

Originally Posted by Railstar

GURPS Banestorm has an excellent detailed list on page 187 that would probably serve this purpose, intended for a more medieval setting but there is no clear way how it would be different for the year 1500.

I'm reading it now and I am confused. Status 2 would be a knight who has adequate war horses. On the other hand. The knight should be comfortable or wealthy, implicating that he should have 2000$ or 5000$ to spend on gear. A war-horse costs 5000$. How does he pay for it?