Medieval and Tudor Topics: Household Book Entries for the Christmas Season.

First, we are reminded that all kinds of bills and obligations are paid each year at the beginning of the Michaelmas Term. The feast of Michaelmas was celebrated on September 29 each year. Obligations began to be paid on the days immediately following. These would be entered in the appropriate accounting ledger.

Here The Antiquary's Portfolio gives us a liberal sample from the accounts of the household of Squire Thomas Kytson , of Suffolk, from which we choose three. As always, the household accounts are chock full of fascinating detail.

The titles containing the expenses of household and other forren charges and money defraied by me, Thomus Fryer for the use of Mr, Thomas Kytson, Squire, beginning the first of October, 1572:

To the Queen's Players vjs... The Queen's Players seem to have played at Master Kytson's behest. Just where we cannot tell. The players were not paid on term days, however, but immediately after their performances so it must have been on or near Michaelmas Day.

For a payer of shoes for Luke the spaniel boy, xiiijd. In this we have just one example of the common practice of providing the servants of the master's estates with complete sets of sturdy clothing at Michaelmas Term. We also learn that one such servant could be a keeper of the spaniels, in particular, among the master's dogs.

To Meg and Mary, to play at maw in Chrystmas time, xs. Giving members of the master's family money to gamble over the Christmas holiday was actually very common. Meg and Mary are not called Miss, Mistress, etc., so they are sure to be young ladies. The card game called Maw is said to have been at the height of its popularity in the 1590s.

In December we suddenly find large quantities of sweets [cates].

vij lb. almon comfitts, ijs. iiijd. —for ij lb, comfitts ready gilte [frosted], vs. viijd. —for ij lb. carrawaye comfitts, ijs. iiijd. —for toyes [decorations] for marchepane bread, vs. iiijd. —for ij lb. musk comfitts, ijs. viiijd. —for di. lb. red bisketts and red colyanders, viijd. —for ij lb, biskett breade, ijs. —for j. c. marchepane bread, xvijd. —for iiij suger loves, cont^g Ixij lb. di. at xiiijd. the di., iijli. xijs. xid.

These are apparently to be complimented, throughout the season, with hardy wines and oils.

For xiij gallons of Mu[s]cedell, at ijs. viijd. the gallon, xxxiiijs. viijd. —for xx gallons j qrt Malmsey, at ijs. the gallon, with xd. For spoonage and carriage, xijs. viijd. —for xj gallons iij qrts. sack, at ijs. the gallon, with iiijd. for spoonage, xxiijs. xd. —For xij gallons j qrt. rennish wyne, xxiiijs. vjd. —for iij gallons of sallet oyle, xvjs. for iiij gallons of rape oyle, xijs. —for j pottle of oyle for armoury, xvjd.

The last type of oil would seem clearly to be meant to lubricate tools and weapons rather than for preparing food.

The Portfolio goes on to sample from the entries of the next several years. The sample includes such items as

—To the midwife when M^rs. Cornwalleis was brought to bed, xs. —For dying my m^r. [Master] his purple velvet hose into black, viijd. —For xviij ox livers for the spaniels, xvjd.—For a bull to kill in Christmas time, xxxiiijs. iiijd.

The lady of the house seems to have kept a chough as a pet:

In rewarde to Mr. Carew his man for bringing a Cornish choughe unto my m^res [Mistress], xijd.

And then, of course, there were the doctor and pharmacy bills:

—In rewarde for letting my m^res bloode, iiijs. iiijd. —To Dr. Attesloe for his paines in coming to my m^tres. being sicke of the measelles, xs. —To Dr. Langeton, for ministering of certayne fysicke unto my m^r. and my m^res. at one time, xli. vjs. —To the poticary for certain poticary stuffe for my m^r. and my m^res. lixs. xd.

The doctor bill for 10 pounds was enormous. And there was no such thing as insurance yet! A less wealthy man could not have afforded the likes of Dr. Langeton.

The National and Domestic History of England gives us a peek into the Household Book of Edward Stafford, the much more august Duke of Buckingham, some 75 years earlier, where we learn the expenses for the Feast of the Nativity of the year 1507, during which two hundred and ninety persons dined and supped at the baronial castle of Thornbury:

and consumed more than three quarters of wheat at thirteen shillings and eight pence half-penny; eleven pottles and three quarts of Gascony wine, price thirteen shillings; one hundred and seventy one flagons of ale; one carcase and seven rounds of beef, price twenty shillings; nine carcasses of mutton, sixteen shillings; four pigs, eight shillings; one calf and a half, four shillings; four swans, twelve

shillings; four geese, two shillings; five sucking pigs, twenty pence; fourteen capons, eight shillings; eighteen chickens, eighteen pence; twenty-one rabbits, three shillings and six pence: a peacock, two shillings; five wigeons, ten pence: twelve teals, twelve pence; eight woodcocks, eight pence; four hundred hens' eggs, three shillings and four pence: twenty dishes of butter twenty pence; ten flagons of milk, ten pence; one flagon of cream, six pence; herbs, one penny. In the preparation of all these there were consumed six loads of fuel, six shillings, and six quarters of charcoal, two shillings.

It may be obvious that prices were much lower in 1507. Henry VIII's devaluation of the currency in order to support war and royal partying was still in the future. A penny buys a complete chicken, here. The same as a presumably quite large “dish” of butter or “flagon” of milk.

Thornbury seems to have served milk at table. The beverage was not yet common. Nevertheless, the staff had to purchase it so the estate likely did not include its own dairy.

Henry's father had taken considerable steps to humble the nobility during his reign. The skilled tradesmen on all but the wealthiest estates were being released to start their own businesses in nearby towns. Thus the meat and pretty much all other food and clothing items had to be purchased from the new free tradesmen class that had been created. The livestock, however, was still likely to have been raised on so large an estate as Thornbury and driven to the butcher to be returned ready for cooking.

Sources:

Forsyth, J. S. The Antiquary's Portfolio (1825). II.208-11.

Aubrey, William. The National and Domestic History of England (No date. 1867). II.238-9.