Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd

Janet Arnold

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781000161106
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Scienze sociali
• Subtopic: Archeologia

This book provides photographs of portraits, miniatures, tomb sculptures, engravings, woven textiles and embroideries of clothes found in the wardrobe of Queen Elizabeth. It is an invaluable reference for students of the history of dress and embroidery, for social historians and art historians.

X

The Inventory Made in July 1600 of all Clothes, Silks and Personal Jewels remaining in the Wardrobe of Robes at the Tower of London and within the Court at the Palace of Whitehall, Westminster, and other Royal Residences

MSS Stowe 557 in the British Library and LR2/121 in the Public Record Office, London

The Stowe Inventory

Inside cover

Strype’s Ecclesiastical Memorials Vol I Appendix p. 172. Lady Brian in her letter to Lord Cromwell says that the Lady Elizabeth after her mother & Anne had been put to death had neither cloaths nor necessaries.

Many curious particulars concerning the Princess Elizabeth during the reign of her sister Queen Mary are to be found in MrT. Warton’s life of Sir Thomas Pope printed for Cadell in 1780 8^vo

Note written after 1790 by Thomas Astle.

ff. i, r^v, 2

[No entries]

f.2^v

Extract (by Philip Hills Esq A.D. 1800) from a Manuscript in Colchester Castle Library intitled ‘A Diarian Discourse or Ephemeridia Narration by Sir Symonds D’Ewes of Stowe Hall Com: Suffolk’. N.B. This M.S. is only a part of Sir Symonds D’Ewes’s Diary the original of which is in the Harleian Library No. [no number given]

‘AD 1620 January 21 King James consumed that mighty Mass of Treasure left by Queen Elizabeth, without bettering any Man, except a few beggerlye Scots, and gave away that inestimable Wardrobe for charitye preserved by all His Ancestors, to one onlye Scott, namely Erie of Dunbar(¹) who breaking those venerable Robes of ancient Kings and wickedlye transporting them into the Low Countrys, sold them for above One Hundred Thousand Pounds’.

The above account may be true when we attend to the description of the Robes Jewells etc in this Book.

(1) George Hume of Manderstoun, one of the great favourites of King James the 1st — In 1590 he was knighted & constituted Master of the King’s Wardrobe — In 1601 he was made Lord High Treasurer of Scotland — He accompanied King James into England in 1603 — On the 7th of July 1604 he was created an English Peer, by the title of Lord Hume of Berwick — On March 3rd, 1605 he was dignified by the Title of the Earl of Dunbar. In 1609 he was made a Knight of the Garter — He died January 29th, 1611 & was buried at Dunbar. Sec his Epitaph & several particulars concerning him in Crawford’s Lives of the Great Officers of State in Scotland page 397.

LMN £100,000. Notes written after 1790 by Thomas Astle.

f.3

This Book belonged to Sir Simeon Stewart and was sold by Auction at his seat in Hampshire in May 1779 to <……. > 〚Sir John Cullum Bart afterwards to Mr Craven Ord who placed it in 1790 in my M.S. Library. T. Astle.〛

Note written after May 1779 by the previous owner of the MS. Deletion and addition after 1790 by Thomas Astle.

The Booke of all suche Robes Apparell Silkes Jewells and other stuffe in the chardge of Sir Thomas Gorg knight gentleman of her majesties wardrobe of Robes

The title of the book cut from the original vellum cover, stuck onto the centre of the page.

This book contains an account of all the Robes, Apparel Silks, Jewels &tc. of Queen Elizabeth in the charge of Sir Tho. Gorges Knight Gentleman of the Wardrobe, taken by virtue of the Queen’s Commission dated July 4th 41 Eliz AD 1600 directed to Thos. Lord Buckhurst Lord High Treasurer of England, George Lord Hunsdon Lord Chamberlain of the Queen’s Houshold, Sir John Fortescue Knight Chancellor & under-Treasurer of the Exchequer &C Sir John Stanhope Knight Treasurer of Her Majesty’s Chamber or to any Three of them of which the Lord Treasurer or Lord Chamberlain to be one

It appears by a Note at the end of this Book that all the Jewels &tc therein mentioned were by Sir Tho. Gorges Knight delivered into the charge of Mrs Mary Ratcliffe May z8th 1603, 1 months & 4 Days after the accession of King James the 1 st. In the presence of Edwd. Carye, Thos. Knyvett. Francis [no surname given].

Note written after 1790 by Thomas Astle.

ff. 3^v, 4

[No entries]

f.₄^v

A Booke of all suche Garments Jewelles Silkes and other stuffe garnishmentes of golde pearle and stone and also of dyvers stones of severall natures and workemanship as are remayninge in the Offyce of the Gardrobe of Robes the day of Julie in the xlijth yeare of the raigne of our soveraigne Ladie Elizabeth by the grace of god of Englande Fraunce and Irelande Queene Defender of the faith etc: And now in the Chardge of Sir Thomas Gorges knight gent of the Robes, At which ryme the right Honorable Thomas Lorde Buck-hurste Lorde highe Threasorer of Englande George Lorde Hunsdon Lorde Chamber-laine of her Majesties house [hold] Sir John Fortescue knighte Chauncellor and under threasorer of Thexchequer and Sir John Stanhope knighte Threasorer of her high- nes Chamber by vertue of her highnes Commission under the greate Seale of Englande bearing date the iiijth daie of Julie in the saide xlijth yere of her highnes raigne to them or to anye three of them (whereof the Lorde Threasorer or Lorde Chamberlaine to bee allwaies one) in that behalf directed, did repaire to the saide Garderobe of the Robes as well within the Courte as at the Tower of London and Whitehall and there did take a perfecte Survey of all such Robes garmentes and Jewells and other parcells as at that tyme were there founde to remaine. Accordinge to whiche Survey they have Caused to be written twoe severall Bookes the one of whiche Bookes is subscribed with the handes of the saide Commissioners and remayneth for a Chardge to the saide Office of the Robes, the other is subscribed by the saide Sir Thomas Gorges knight and remaineth with the saide Lorde Threasorer.

‘xxvii’, for the day of July is given in PRO, LRz/izi and Folger, V.b.72. The space is left in BL, Stowe 557, but not filled in. LMN by Thomas Astle ‘Taken by Commission dated July 4, 42 Eliz. A.D. 1600’.

f.5

Robes late Kinge Edwarde the vj th

The items listed between ff. 5–10 were used by Elizabeth’s brother Edward and her sister Mary. No attempt has been made to link any clothing with warrant entries for the work of tailors and embroiderers before November 1558.

[1] Firste one Robe of clothe of silver lyned with white satten of thorder of <the> St Michell with a brode border of enbroderie with a wreathe of venice golde and the skallop shell and a frenge of the same golde and a small border aboute that, the grounde beinge blew vellat embrodered with halfe Moones of silver with a whoode and a Tippet of Crymsen vellat with a like enbroderie, the Tippet perished in one place with Ratts and a Coate of Clothe of silver with demi sleeves with a frenge of venice golde.

Loc. ‘T’, ‘t’. LMN in H16 ‘Rem xxijnd Junij Anno primo R.Ris Jacobi primi 1603’.

[2] Item one kirtle of Crymsen vellat lyned with white Taphata for the order of the garter.

Loc. ‘T’, <‘c’>, ‘t’. LMN in Hn ‘delivered to ye Kinges taylor’. LMN in PRO, LRz/izi ‘Issued to the kings taylor’.

[3] Item a kirtle of Crimsen vellat lyned with white sarceonet with a border rounde aboute of Mynnever powdered with Armyons with a whoode of the same vellat furred with mynnever and powdered <with> Armyons for the parliamente Robe.

Loc. ‘T’, ‘t’. LMN in H16 ‘Rem’. LMN in HII ‘Kinge Edwardes’.

f.5^v

Apparell

[1] Item one Gowne of purple [cloth of] golde tissue with a brode garde of purple vellat enbrodred with venice golde and with wreathes of purles of damaske golde edged with vellat unlyned.

Loc. ‘T’, ‘t’ LMN in H16 ‘Rem’.

[2] Item one gowne of blacke vellat with a brode garde of blacke vellat enbrodred with purles of silver and fower wreathes of the same edged with vellatt unlyned.

Loc. ‘T’, ‘t’ LMN in H16 ‘Rem’.

[3] Item one gowne of Crimsen satten enbrodered allover with purles of damaske golde edged with Crimsen satten with a short stocke sleeve unlyned.

Loc. ‘T’, ‘t’. LMN in H16 ‘Rem’.

[4] Item one frocke of clothe of golde reized and tissued with golde and silver with a billament lace of venice golde lyned with blacke vellatt.

Loc. ‘T’, ‘t’. LMN in H16 ‘Rem’.

[5] Item one frocke or Cassocke of Clothe of silver reized with golde and silver tissue and greene vellat edged with vellat and lyned with satten.

Loc. ‘T’, ‘t’. LMN in H16 ‘Rem’.

[6] Item one frocke of clothe of silver chequered with redd silke like birdes eies with demisleeves with a cutt of Crymsen vellat pursled on with silver lined with Crimsen vellat.

Loc. ‘T’, ‘t’. LMN in H16 ‘Rem’. f.6

[7] Item one Coate of clothe of silver enbrodered allover with purles of damaske golde with twoe greate wreathes of silver lyned with Taphata.

Loc. ‘T’, ‘t’. LMN in H16 ‘Rem’.

[8] Item one rydinge Coate of Crimson vellatt enbrodered with a brode border rounde aboute of gold of venice, and small borders downeright the flower of the worke with purles of Damaske golde lined with vellatt.

Loc. ‘T’, ‘t’. LMN in H16 ‘Rem’.

[9] Item one Coate with demisleeves of Crimsen Satten enbrodered allover with a twiste of golde and a border of Crimson vellat enbrodered with golde and pulled out with tincell lyned with vellat.

Loc. ‘T’, ‘t’. LMN in H16 ‘Rem’.

[10] Item one rydinge Coate of purple Taphata stronge downeright with small cheines like a flagon cheine of silver and guilt on either side a wreathe of venice golde cut and lyned with golde sarceonet and vellat.

Loc. ‘T’, ‘t’. LMN in H16 ‘Rem’. The word ‘stronge’ means ‘strung’ here.

[11] Item one Jerkine of Clothe of silver with longe cutts downeright bounde with a Billament lace of venice silver and blacke silke lined with Satten.

Loc. ‘T’, ‘t’. LMN in H16 ‘Rem’.

[12] Item one Dublet of Crimson Satten allover enbrodered with venice golde cu...