A Day in the life of Robert Ireland, a mercer (evening)

A cold night. I’m on the watch tonight, prowling the streets of Shrewsbury looking for curfew breakers and the like. Or I would have been if I hadn’t paid Hugh ap Jevon to do it for me! Not cheap – worth nine pints of William Rowley’s ale – but Hugh’s a good man – he won’t take the money and spend the night asleep in the guardroom of the burgess gate, like some I know.
No- I’m content to sit in front of a roaring fire with my servants attending me. My trading and the rent from the houses either side of me allow me those little luxuries that make other men jealous.

How true is "Days in the Life..."?

These dramatised accounts have been created by the Discovering Shropshire's History team. We used information taken from biographies of these individuals as researched by Bill Champion, author of "Everyday Life in Tudor Shrewsbury". These biographies, with the sources he used, can be seen in full by clicking on the "in depth" buttons on each page.