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STRATFORD-UPON-AVON. ANCIENT GUILD
KALL
Shakespeare Celebration
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©escri^tive Cataloauc
OF
Kn <E[xhibition
HELD IN
The Ancient Guild Hall,
STRATFORD-UPON-AVON,
Monday, 19th April, to Saturday, 8th May,
i
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illustrating: an Inventory dalcJ !:;<»=;. j
and including a number of An^i^^ ti i
connected with some passages
Play of
"THE TAMING 0P THE SHREW."
KOWAKO rOK, PMMTIK, «T«ATrO«0-U*OH- AVOM.
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LMVt:nsnY (H •aluoi
SANTA UAUUAKA
6,r8i6itton Cowmttfcc.
HoLTE, Frank A., Albany Place.
Howe, John, Albany Place {tx-officio).
SCRivEN, Mrs. E. A., Tyler Street.
Whitcombe, a.. Bridge Street.
Baker, Oliver, Lindenhurst.
Brassington. W. S., F.S.A., Southcroft.
Bond, Acton, Knaresborough Place, S.W.
Evans, F. W., Appleton Ma:d {Chaimian),
Edward Fox, Bridge Street, Hcv. Secretary Exhibition Committu.
The Inventory of Richard Baker, of Stratford-
upon-Avon. Died 1595.
The true Inventorye of the goodes and Cattails
of Richard Baker late of old Stratford in the
parish of Stratford vpon Avon in the Countye of
Warwycke husbandman decessed taken the ixM
day of May 1595 & in the xxxvijM yeare of
the Rayngne of our Soverayngne Lady Elizabeth
by the grace of god Queene of Eyngland,
ffraunce, & lerland defender of the ffayth &c.
by the discretyon of John Gibbs John Palmer,
«&: Abraham Sturley.
Inprimis his weryng Apperrell praysed at xiij^ iiij^
It. in the Kytchyn two table bords wyth one frame viij
Joyned stooles, one chyre, a Joyned cubbord &
ij quysshyns at xvi"
It. one sylver spone iij^ iiij^
It, iiij brasse potts & a dabnet of brasse xn]s m]d
It. one fyer shovell & a pere of tongs viij^
It. one great brasse pan & iiij kettels xxs
It. ij spytts, one pere of Cobbards one pere of pott
hooks, a grydyron, one friyng pan & a pere of
lynkes prised at iij.y iiij^
It. V. Candlestyckes & a chaffyng dish of laten vs
It. platters great & small, disshes, sawcers, basons,
saltcellers old and newe of tynne xxxj pieces — xvs
It. V flytches of bacon xij^
It. one knedyng trogh, one Churne thre lomes iiij payles
ij barrells one tubbe of salt, disshes trenchers &
other small Implements at vs
It. one old vtyng fatte one great spynnyng whele thre
wodden bottels one lether bottell a ladder & a
pannell praysed at iiji' i'njd
Ill the Chamber.
Inprimis one ffether bed, iiij flocke bedds, ij boulsters wyth
ffethers, iij boulsters wyth flocks & iiij pyllowes — \\\s
It. iij Coverletts vj pere of blankets & ij twyllys — xk
It. xiiij payre of sheets, xxti table napkins two short bord
clothes, & other small lynnens xxxj
It. one bedsted one truclebed ij coffers & a payntcd
tester cloth vjj \\\]d
It. iiij bagges \\s
In an vpper chamber.
Inprimis malt iiij quarter & iiij strycke vj//
It. in a barne at brige town xviij or twentye theave of
Wheate at \li s\s v\\]d
It. vj beastes praysed at ix/r*
It. xxti sheepe praysed at \li
It. V. geldyngs & mares & one colt v//
It. one long Cart, one payre of Wheles yron bound, one
harrowe, one plow & yrons a swynglc tree, a chaync
& the geares furnyture of the teame at — xxvji' \\\]d
It. xxti lands and butts of barley .S: six lands pease &
fytches \\li\s
It. iij swyne at xss
It. the kylne heare at \s
It. all other small & great trassh & od thyngs nameles — \]s
Somma totalis \\li \\\]s \\\]d
Exhibited at Straiford-vpon-Avon in the court
of John Broinhalty Vicar I Octr J'S95-
Administration granted to John Gibbs (jf
Abraham Sturley.
A^^"^***^
FAC-SI
MILK OF A PORTION OF RICHARD BAKER'S INVENTORY (l595)-
O Inventory of the personal effects of William Shake-
speare having survived with his will, it is nor
possible to say what was the number or character
of his goods and chattels. There exists, however, in the
priceless stores of local records at the Birthplace, a list of
the belongings of one Richard Baker, who was an official of
Stratford in 1595; and Warwickshire being still rich in
antiquity, it has been decided to attempt to illustrate it, the
aim being to get together such examples of English
furniture and domestic implements as are mentioned in the
Inventory, a printed version and a fac-simile of which are
here given.
It is hoped by this Exhibition to present to those whose
lives are spent amidst very different scenes some graphic
idea of the surroundings and daily life of a fellow-townsman
of Shake.speare's during his lifetime.
It has not been possible to represent all the items by
objects which were actually in existence at that time, but
habits and modes of living were more persistent then than
now, and a proportion of the articles used in the time of
Shakespeare were also common to much earlier and to
somewhat later times.
It has been thought best to limit the Exhibition strictly
to the ordinary domestic furniture of the time or slightly
later, so as to get the impression of the actual surroundings
amidst which Shakespeare lived and wrote, and not what
19th century artists, illustrators, and others have considered
they were or ought to have been.
Some of the property enumerated in the Inventory we
have not attempted to include, such as feather beds, which
must always have been much the same as now ; and swine,
poultry, sheep, etc., are not possible.
Several of the objects shown may seem at first sight to
have in themselves but slight artistic or antiquarian interest,
but they help to make the group more complete.
LIST OF OBJECTS
Exhibited to illustrate the Inventory.
The numbers refer to Tickets on the several Objects,
1.
'■'■Inprimis his weryng Apperrell."
A good instance of the apparel worn by a civilian of
Richard Baker's station is that of Nicholas Lane whose
effigy, dated 1595, stands in the east wall of Alveston
Church, about two miles from Stratford. — Photograph by
Mr. Jethro A. Cos sins.
A slightly later example is the portrait, dated 1624, of
an unknown man, whose shelf of books shows his literary
pursuits.
3 - 5.
LENT BY MR. OLIVER BAKER.
'''Two table bords wyth one frame."
The table of this time had always a loose top for
convenience in moving it, the former being separate. The
examples shown are probably a little later than the date of
the Inventory.
6.
" viij joyned stooles."
The framed furniture made with mortice and tenon
was called "joined," to distinguish it from the ruder kind
made of slabs of wood united with pins. Stools were much
more numerous than chairs, especially when, as in this
household, there were no benches.
Probably none of the stools shown arc actually
EHzabethan.
7.
" One chyre " (chair).
As there was only one chair in the house it was prob-
ably a handsomely carved one, and the same may be said
of the cupboard, which was probably a two-storeyed Court
Cupboard, and carved.
" The two quysshyns " (cushions) were no doubt for use
on the permanent benches which were often built with the
Elizabethan house and part of it. These are not illustrated.
8.
" One sylver spone."
By the kindness of Messrs. Crichton Bros., of Old Bond
Street, W., we are able to show three silver spoons, each
of which might have been the one possessed by Richard
Baker^ though it probably most resembled the seal top
example.
8
9 - 11.
"//^' brasse potts er-" a dabnet of bras se.^''
Pots in the i6th century were usually of bell-metal or
brass, and were always numerous in a good house. The
word "dabnet" is puzzling, and none of the learned
authorities consulted can throw any light on it; but it seems
likely that it was a kind of skillet or saucepan.
12, 13.
" One fyer shovell &= a pere of tongs ^
It is hard to say what would be the exact shape of
these, but those shown are early ones.
14.
" The great brasse pan " was probably for making
cheese.
15, 16.
" The spytts" would be turned by hand, as mechanical
spits were later. This primitive spit was usual from the
Middle Ages down to the invention of the smoke-jack in the
1 8th century. Two perfect examples of the latter still
remain, with their spits and appliances complete, in the
kitchen of the Stratford-upon-Avon Town Hall.
17.
^^ The pere of cobbards" were sometimes called cob-
irons, and were racks for supporting the spits when in use
for roasting.
18, 19.
"•The poil /looks" also had racks for adjusting the
height of the pot.
9
20.
"A grydyronr
These were often highly ornamented.
21.
" The friyng pan " having to be used on a flat hearth
had a handle of considerable length.
22, 23.
'' The pere of lynkes " were perhaps a relic of Richard
Baker's official career. They were leg-irons for prisoners.
24 - 28.
''' The V candlesiyckes" were probably of wood and
iron, as well as brass. The chaffyng dish of laten was a
shallow and small vessel of brass, which is not shown.
29.
As pewter is not mentioned in the Inventory, the great
and small platters, dishes, saucers, basons and salt cellars,
here described as of "tynne," were doubtless pewter.
'"''vfiytches of bacon:' — Not shown.
30.
" The knedyng trogh " (shown) is of the time of Shake-
speare.
31.
" The chuyne " would be of the vertical plunging type,
as shown.
32, 33.
" The lomes " were vessels (most often of wood) with
wide mouths.
34 - 38.
" iiij payles " would be of wood or of leather. The
dishes and trenchers would be of wood, and the latter for
the most part square.
'I The old vtyngfaite " is difificult to elucidate, and none
of the authorities on old MSS. available can explain it.
39.
" One great spynnyng whele." This would be a large
hand-turned wheel for the spinning of yarn from wool.
40 - 41.
" The wodden battels P The small wooden kegs, still
used in the Warwickshire harvest fields, and " one lether
bottell" the earlier vessel, which they have replaced, the
'■'■ladder'''' and " the pannell^'' would be of the ordinary kind.
42.
LENT BY MR. A. WHITCOMUE.
The bedstead shown is of the type likely to be used by
Richard Baker, but the bedding is not shown, nor the
" truclebed" which was made to slide under the larger one
when not wanted.
43.
"Coffers" were made of simple slabs of wood, not
framed together.
44.
"■ Small &^ great trassh csr od thyngs natneles."
LIST OF OBJECTS
illustrating passages in
"THE TAMING OF THE SHREW."
Induction.
Hostess : "A pair of stocks^ you rogue ! "
1.
The side and bottom pieces of the ancient stocks are
from Ilmington, nine miles from Stratford-upon-Avon, and
about five miles from Wincot.
The iron fastenings belonged to the stocks at Loxley,
about four miles from Stratford.
2.
Sly : " Go to thy cold bed^ and warm thee."
The beds of the i6th and 17th century were sometimes
stuffed with straw or feathers, and laid on a mattress of
plaited rushes, which often formed the bed itself. Ambrose
Dudley, Earl of Warwick, is represented in the Beauchamp
Chapel, Warwick, as clad in the robes of a Knight of the
Garter, and lying on a rush bed (like the one exhibited) with
one end rolled up for a pillow. Another instance is the
efifigy in Tenbury Church, where Sir Thomas Acton,
father-in-law to Sir Thomas Lucy, of Charlecote (who was
satirised by Shakespeare in " The Merry Wives of
Windsor,") is represented on a similar rush bed.
12
3.
'*And burn sweet wood to make the lodging sweety
The ancient carved bellows, illustrating this passage,
contains in the brass nozzle a small chamber in which
" sweet wood " or herbs could be inserted with a morsel of
live charcoal, so that by working the bellows the fragrant
smoke would be diffused into the room.
The Plague Pan (No. 4), it may be assumed, was used
for herbs, the smoke, which would escape through the holes
in the lid, being accounted disinfectant.
4.
" Wiirt please your honour taste of these conserves ? "
Conserves were often made by the ladies in great
houses. The accompanying MS. book of cookery was
compiled by the mistress of Shipton Hall, Salop, in 1687,
and gives several recipes for making conserves.
" Go, sirrah, take them to the buttery^
Illustrated with drawings of ancient butteries.
The buttery in a lord's house was placed at the end of
the hall. It had in early times an aperture in the wall or
door, called the buttery-hatch, which was superseded by the
" buttery-bar," a door in two pieces, with a shelf on the
lower half. This half-door was secured by a bolt placed so
near the floor that the unauthorised toper could not reach
it by leaning over, but it could be readily unfastened by the
foot of the butler in charge. Only privileged persons would
be taken into the buttery itself, the liquor as a rule being
dispensed through the hatch.
m.
13
6.
" For God's sake, a pot of small ale^
The ale-pot of Shakespeare's time would be of wood
or leather, rarely of earth or pewter.
7.
" A Clip oj sack."
In this case a silver stoup was probably meant, but the
"cup" was generally a shallow bowl of wood."
8.
^^ As on a pillory."
Photograph of ancient pillory.
9.
'' A joint stool."
(See No. 6 of Inventory).
10.
" In ivory coffers have I stuff' d }ny crowns;
Jn cypress chests my arras coutiter points."
Ancient Italian cypress chest, or ^'cassone," and old
Italian tapestry.
11.
" Pewter and brass and all things that belong to house or
housekeeping."
12.
^^ Be the jacks fair within, the jills fair without?"
This refers to drinking jacks of leather, of which three
examples are shown.
14
Note on the local allusions in the Induction to
"The Taming of the 5hrew."
Beggar: " What, would you make me mad?
Am not I Christopher Site, old Sies son of
Burt07i-heathr
* * * *
'■'■ Aske Marian Hacket, the fat Alewife of Wincot,
if shee hww me not:"
* * * *
First Servant: ''Sometimes you would call out for
Cicely Hacket."
Beggar: "^jv, the womati's maide of the house."
Induction. — First Folio.
In the original, or foundation play, ''The Taming of
a Shrew," published in 1594, there are no local allusions,
while in the Induction to ''The Taming of the Shrew" there
are several, and these have been thought to be evidence of
the Shakespearean authorship of the first scenes.
"The Beggar " gives us his name, Sly or Slie, a name
in the Registers at Stratford-upon-Avon.
Wincot is one of the allusions which has puzzled the
commentators.
Did Shakespeare allude to Wilmcote, his mother's
home; to Wilnecote, near Tamworth; or to Wincot in
Gloucestershire? In support of the Gloucestershire Wincot
we have the following facts:
1. Wincot is situated in Clifford Chambers, an adjoin-
ing parish to Stratford-upon-Avon.
2. In the register of an adjoining parish, Quinton, the
name Hackett is found, and in one entry the
scribe formed the letter " C " first, and turned
it into "S" for "Sara" when transcribing the
register, as though " Cicely " was in his mind.
15
3- At Wincot there is a tradition of long standing that
the three fine mulberry trees in the garden were
planted by Shakespeare. Although now only one
farm house is left, there was a hamlet there, as
is proved by foundations recently discovered.
The name " Burton heath" has been taken to be
Barton-on-the-Heath, in Gloucestershire. But the 1623
Folio reads " Burton-heath," and both Barton and Burton-
on-Trent are in the same Staffordshire district as Wilnecote.
Sir Aston Cokain published in 1658 some verses
addressed to Mr. Clement Fisher, of Wincott (?>., Wilnecote).
" Shakespeare your Wincot ale hath much renown,
That fox'd a beggar so" S'c.
There is also a tradition (which it would be interesting
to investigate) that Shakespeare slept at an inn, "The Three
Tuns," at Sutton Coldfield, when traveUing from Stratford
to the North. This agrees with a similar tradition preserved
at the inn at Grendon, on the London road.
W. S. Brassington.
A number of valuable engravings^ interesting play-bills,
editions of old plays and various books bearing upon " The
Taming of the Shreiv" have been kindly lent by the Chairman
a?id Governors of the Shakespeare Memorial Association.
UC SOUTHERN REG'
A A 001 42()
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