When the occupation of “caterer” is stated today, it is common to think of a person or company that has been hired to provide and serve food. However, this meaning of this occupation only developed in the 19th century. In the historic meaning, which dates from at least the 15th century, it referred to someone who was employed to obtain fresh provisions. The Middleton Manuscripts make many references to the caterer of Middleton Hall, in this historic meaning, but the first cat

This post will focus on John Trussell who was bailiff of Wollaton Hall in the mid-16th century. The previous blog focused on his fellow steward of Middleton Hall, John Hall. Together, these posts provide an example of two very different lives in a similar occupation for the same family at the same time. John Trussell was, like John Hall, a gentleman servant. He was a younger son of minor nobility but, due to his situation, he needed an occupation. John Trussell descended from

The next three entries in the Middleton household accounts for Sir Henry Willoughby in 1526 were dated 12th September. The first was described as a reward to the horsekeepers of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, and the amount was 20 pence, which was the equivalent of about £36.77 today. The second was described as a reward to Master Grey’s servant for bringing a present to Wollaton Hall and the amount was 4 pence, which was the equivalent of about £7.35 today. The third w

The servants that are most frequently recorded in the historic documents of Middleton Hall are the gentlemen servants, especially those that were the stewards or bailiffs. This post will focus on one of them, John Hall, who, for over a decade, was additionally in sole control of Middleton Hall. Although the steward was the chief of the servants, in Tudor times they were not generally considered to be a servant. This was because the steward ran the estate in the absence of t

The theme for Heritage Open Days in 2026 is “Everyday Histories”. This theme aims to draw attention to the daily working lives of our ancestors. For Heritage Open Day Week, from 11th to 20th September 2026, Middleton Hall Trust will run a series of blogs highlighting various “ordinary” workers from its long history. References to the people who worked on the Estate have survived from Middleton Hall’s earliest time, albeit they are extremely patchy. Most that are referred to,

The next entry in the Middleton household accounts for Sir Henry Willoughby in 1526 was dated 9th September. It was described as a payment to Toll, on the commandment of Sir Henry, when Toll went on pilgrimage to the sweet rood of Garendon in Leicestershire. The amount was 12 pence, which was the equivalent of about £22.06 today. In the Middleton Manuscripts, from the time of Sir Henry to his grandson Sir Francis I Willoughby, there are multiple entries that make mention of s

The next entry in the Middleton household accounts for Sir Henry Willoughby in 1526 was dated 3rd September. It was described as payment to Thomas Cokes for his costs when going to Mr Cotes’ for heronsews. The amount was 4 pence, which was the equivalent of about £7.35 today. It is uncertain who Mr Cotes was because this is the only record in the Middleton Manuscripts that mentions him. Heronsew was an old English term for both the juvenile and the meat of a heron. It had its

The next two entries in the Middleton household accounts for Sir Henry Willoughby in 1526 were dated 31st August. The first was described as payment for the making of verjuice and the amount was 19 pence, which was the equivalent of about £34.93 today. The second was described as payment to Richard Davey for 12 strikes of crayfish and the amount was 2 shillings, which was the equivalent of about £44.13 today. Historically, verjuice was frequently made at Middleton Hall. Verju

The next two entries in the Middleton household accounts for Sir Henry Willoughby in 1526 were dated 27th August. A third entry directly after those was undated. The first was described as payment to Sir William for the amount that he had paid for four pairs of shoes for four Children of the Chapel and the amount was 23 pence, which was the equivalent of about £42.29 today. The second was described as a reward to the anchoress at Polesworth and the amount was 8 pence, which w

The next entry in the Middleton household accounts for Sir Henry Willoughby in 1526 was dated 5th August. It was described as a reward to Chamberlain and Lascelles of Nottingham for the bringing of 2 children for the Children of the Chapel. The amount was 10 shillings, which was the equivalent of about £220.64 today. As mentioned in a previous post, 1526 Accounts #21, Sir Henry maintained a private choir at Middleton Hall, comprised of boy choristers, and this was known as th

Historically, what was the primary revenue source generated by the Middleton Estate? This is a frequent question posed to tour guides at Middleton Hall. There is a single answer. For centuries, the principal profit-making resource on the Estate was its timber. Anciently, the Middleton Estate was part of the great Forest of Arden, the edge of which was the nearby Watling Street. This woodland gradually cleared as the settlement developed. Timber is known to have been sold comm

The manufacture of iron at Middleton Hall was begun by Sir Francis I Willoughby in about 1572. It went through three stages of development as Sir Francis experimented with the technology. The industrial production of iron at Middleton Hall continued throughout Sir Francis’ lifetime but ended shortly after his death due to unprofitability. Bar of raw pig iron discovered buried beneath Courtyard Centre at Middleton Hall. Photograph taken 2017 by Debbie Jordan. It is reputed tha

During the restoration of Middleton Hall, a common archaeological find was that of buttons made from shells. However, not only were the buttons themselves found but also the remains of the discarded sheets of punched-out shells from which they were made. This evidence of blank cutting conclusively proved that buttons were being made on site at Middleton Hall. These buttons were made from swan mussels (Anodonta cygnea). Swan mussels are large and can grow up to 15cm long and t

Middleton Pool provided numerous commercial opportunities at Middleton Hall. One of the less well-known activities was the sale of the ice that formed on it. Few records of this activity at Middleton Hall have survived. The primary evidence of it is from testimonies from members of the de Hamel family, who remembered it being undertaken at the start of the 20th century. It is known with certainty that this industrial activity ceased in the latter years of the de Hamel tenancy

One of the more unusual industries to take place at Middleton Hall was the commercial production of water lilies. These water lilies were sold to hotels, such as The Savoy and The Ritz in London, who used them as table decorations. It is believed that this trade began in the Victorian era and continued for decades until just after the Second World War, when it became commercially unviable. Middleton Hall was most noted for its white water lilies. In fact, when Middleton was d

The next entry in the Middleton household accounts for Sir Henry Willoughby in 1526 was dated 5th July. It was described as full payment to Ralph Dyall for the amount that he had laid down for the purchase of a cloak for Sir Henry. The amount was 8 shillings, which was the equivalent of about £176.51 today. It can be assumed that Ralph was either an agent or servant of Sir Henry but unfortunately there are no known further references to him in the Middleton Manuscripts. In 15

The next entry in the Middleton household accounts for Sir Henry Willoughby in 1526 was dated as Midsummer, which would have been 24th June. It was described as payment to the holy water clerk at Middleton for his half-year service in this role and also pins. The amount was 10 pence, which was the equivalent of about £18.39 today. This entry is a prime example of “lumping”. The Middleton Accounts of this time were not in the form of modern balance double-entry bookkeeping but

The next two entries in the Middleton household accounts for Sir Henry Willoughby in 1526 were also undated but should have been between the 16th and the 22nd June due to the dates provided in nearby entries. The first entry was described as payment to Nicholas Cothett for making a songbook for the Chapel and the amount was 4 shillings 8 pence, which was the equivalent of about £102.96 today. The second entry was described as payment for a primer for Mr Draycott and the amoun

The next three entries in the Middleton household accounts for Sir Henry Willoughby in 1526 were dated 11th June. All of these entries concerned costs incurred when Sir Henry’s servant, John Lewissay, took Catesby to Southwell Grammar School in Nottinghamshire. As mentioned in a previous post, Catesby is thought to have been a ward of Sir Henry. The first entry was described as Lewissay’s costs to go to Southwell to carry Master Catesby to the school and the amount was 20 pen

The next two entries in the Middleton household accounts for Sir Henry Willoughby in 1526 were undated except for the month and, therefore, because of the preceding entry, must have been either the 30th or 31st. The first was described as a reward to Sir Henry’s huntsman when he broke his bow and the amount was 8 pence, which was the equivalent of about £14.71 today. The second was described as the costs of a pursuivant lying at Avery’s and the amount was 6 pence, which was t