Between 1600 and 1800 in England, how easy...?

Question

would it have been for a peasant to pass as a noble's son?

I'm a writer and I want to know how realistic my story actually is before I go trying to write it. A young man is a peasant, and through...some shenanigans I haven't figured out yet...he manages to get enough money to buy expensive clothes and rent a room from a place a lot of young nobleish people rent, and thus slips right into London's high society with people assuming he's some country lord's son. From there people start filling in their details -- oh yes, I remember him as a child when I met his family on holiday in wherever snooty people holiday! etc. This is just the setup, not the actual plot, so I'm trying to figure out if there would have been anything preventing this man from claiming a less peasanty last name and moving into a nice apartment and becoming full-on social climber without having to actually climb anywhere.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

I guess it is possible, not likely however. But I guess it could make an interesting story. It would be difficult fitting in with the high societies culture however as a peasant, even simple things like eating with the right silverware and class, being able to talk elegantly, and such.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

It brought up something I hadn't considered before, but could have been longer or more thorough.