absolutely! Please do!

Yeah, sure, why not?

Henry Tudor!

Well, yes! But then I know what you want to share.

Sorry for the delay in posting! (crossposted from my LJ account)

books.google.co.uk/books

A nice collection of transcribed manuscripts relating to expenses for various entertainments under the court of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary, Elizabeth and James: The Loseley Manuscripts

The following titles caught my eye:

"Jousting and Tilting"
“Pageants”
Miscellaneous Entries related to the Royal Tents, Halls, Pavilions, Toyles, etc.”
“Particulars of Sir Thomas Cawarden’s Armoury, seized at the time of Wyatt’s insurrection”
“Purveyance for the Royal Household”
“Inventories of the Earl of Somerset’s Effects”


From “Original Papers illustrating the Revels and Dramatic Entertainments of the English Court. Masques, Interludes, etc. Notice of George Ferrers, as Lord of Misrule” (page 45-46): The following is a partial account of the garments made to clothe the Lord of Misrule for the festivities taking place at Court for Christmas 1552 and the week following. While there is only a partial description of the garments in this paraphrase, there is more detail in the original document (as well as yardages and pricing).


PARAPHRASE:
This fabric was used to make a robe in ‘white’ with a wide embroidered guard of cloth of gold, wrought in knots. This robe was created for the Lord of Misrule (Sir Thomas Carden) for Christmas festivities in the year 1552. In addition to this item, there was a coat of silver with a guard of gold & silk leaves lined in fur, a cappe of mayten’nce (cape of office?) with red feathers and chamblet thrumbe (?) with a plume of feathers, a robe of red baudkyn with a wide embroidered guard of purple/silver lined in fur, a coat of cloth of gold with both red and green velvet and a boarder of more cloth of gold, a robe of purple furred velvet with white and black lining and a matching hat (both decorated with blue and yellow ‘goulde tensell’, a pair of hosen made with cloth of gold with embroidered panes, a pair with cloth of gold and both red and green velvet, two pair of ‘buskyns’ (?), a hat made from cloth of gold with green satin leaves, etc. etc. etc.

The document goes on to describe the clothing provide to the retinue of the Lord of Misrule in this same period, as well as the ‘costumes’ for various people who would be playing parts in the Hunt and other entertainments. Two of these characters were an Irishman and Irishwoman. The following is a direct transcription, including yardages and pricing. Original footnotes retained.

Irishsman*

A large garment of blewe and redde satten pained, con’ viij y’ds. At vj (s) viij (d) the y’d, liij (s) iiij (d), lined w(ith) black buckeram vi y’ds, iiij (s), w(ith) a hear (wig) of blacke flaxe, and a hed pece of dornix+, w(ith) by estimac’on ij (s) iiij (d), w(ith) a sword price ij (s) vj (d), w(ith) a pair of buskens of bridges satten, con’ I y’d di. at v (s) the y’d, vij (s) vj (d) in all …. lxviij (s) ij (d)

Irishewoman

A mantele of red and blew satten paned, con’ ix y’ds at vi (s) viii (d) the y’d, lx (s), liyned w(ith) red buckeram, v y’ds, ii (s) vi (d), w(ith) a smock of yellow buckeram, con’ vi y’ds, iiij (s), w(ith) a hear of flax, worth by estimac’on iii (s) iiij(d), w(ith) a girdle of red sarcenet, con’ I q’ter y’d, xvi (s); in all, besides w’kemanship and other charges of provisio’……..lii (s) viii (d)

* It is evident from these entries that the attire of the Irish at this period wsa national and peculiar. (original editors note – not mine!)
+ Dornix, a course sort of damask made at Deornick in Flanders.

Thanks to my friend Kat for the following information on the pricing notations:

s = shilling; d = pence; y'd or 'yds = yard/yards.

roman numerals:
i = 1, v = 5, x = 10, l = 50,
j = i and is used at the final position within the number

She also provided this site for information on conversion of values: www2.scc.rutgers.edu/memdb/index.html

Sounds fascinating!