1676 Inventory of Middleton Hall #10: The Queen’s and Best Chambers
This post, the tenth in the series detailing the rooms and contents of Middleton Hall as described in the 1676 inventory, focuses on the rooms named as “The Queen’s Chamber”, “The Best Chamber” and “The Small Chamber Between The Queen’s and The Best”.
The Queen’s Chamber unquestionably relates to the visit of Queen Elizabeth I to Middleton Hall in July 1575. In theory, it would have referred to what had been her chamber when she stayed at the Hall. As mentioned in the previous post on The Red Chamber, in this era, bedchambers tended to be located on the first floor and were a multi-functional room, not simply for sleeping.
Accounts from the de Hamel family, who were tenants at Middleton Hall at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries, have mentioned a room plaque of “Queen’s Room” at first floor level in the vicinity of the Great Hall to the 1391 Chapel area. However, room plaques were a Victorian not a 17th century feature and, moreover, the Hall had undergone a considerable amount of renovation in the intervening centuries.
One suggestion that has often been made for the location of The Queen’s Chamber, The Small Chamber Between and The Best Chamber is the top floor of the Jettied Building. In the 17th century, the first floor of the Jettied Building had three solidly divided rooms, glazed oriel windows but only one of the three chambers, the central one, was heated by a fireplace. However, at the time of the Queen’s visit, neither the glazed windows nor the fireplace had yet been added. Nevertheless, even if one of the Jettied Building’s rooms was not specifically the Queen’s chamber during her brief stay, it is widely agreed that the three rooms were functional bedchambers at that time and would have housed her retinue.
Although the inventory is a useful illustration of the household at Middleton Hall, two caveats must be taken into account when considering the items. First, many items listed in the inventory are just being stored in rooms, rather than being in their proper place. Second, this inventory was taken when the house was closed, not in its lived-in fully-furnished fine state. There is no question that, if it was in its fine state, the Queen’s and Best Chambers would have been the most visually impressive guest chambers at Middleton Hall.
In the Queen’s Chamber were a number of items that have already been described in the previous post on John Ray’s Chamber. These were:
One bedstead. In this era, this solely referred to the corded wooden bed frame.
One feather bed. This referred solely to what would today be termed a mattress and was filled with the rigid body feathers of geese or ducks.
Wrought curtains and valon. A valon meant a valance. This was a decorative strip of fabric that hung across the top of a window or around the frame of a canopy bed. The curtains would likely have referred to bed curtains not window.
One bolster. A bolster was a long firm cylindrical cushion that stretched the width of the bed and was placed beneath the bed sheet.
There were also some items in the Queen’s Chamber that have already been described in the previous post on the Red Chamber. These were:
One green couch. In this era, this referred to a long, narrow, upholstered bench that would be used for resting on during the day.
Eight wrought chairs. In this context and era, wrought referred not to ironwork but to worked embroidery or needlepoint tapestry fabric.
There were also a few items in the Queen’s Chamber that have already been described in the previous post on the Master’s Chamber. These were:
Two down pillows. In this era, down specifically referred to the soft, fluffy under-plumage of waterfowl, normally from domestic geese or ducks, that was used as a luxury filling.
One looking glass. Today this is known as a mirror. In the 17th century, mirrors had uneven glass and a toxic mercury-tin amalgam back. It was also an extremely expensive luxury item.
Furthermore, there were also some items in the Queen’s Chamber that have already been described in the previous post on Lady Child’s Chamber. These were:
A hanging shelf. This was wall-mounted shelving.
Four window curtains. In this era, window curtains were not a common item and were primarily a luxury, decorative status symbol.
Fire shovel, tongs, bellows and irons. Irons, known today as andirons or fire-dogs, held up the wood when burning in a fireplace. These were generally forged with flat, rectangular or square posts.
The other items in the Queen’s Chamber were two stands, two blankets, a brush and:
A yellow silk counterpane. In the previous post on The Red Chamber, it was described that a counterpane was a highly decorative bedspread that was used during the day to cover the bed. However, the one in this room was specifically made of the luxury fabric of either silk damask or silk satin. Both of these fabrics have a luminescence and, in night-time candlelight, the yellow silk would likely have had a shining golden hue. At this time, silk items were almost entirely imported because England lacked the skills to make anything more advanced than ribbons, trimmings and simple taffeta. This would change about a decade later, in 1685, when skilled silk-weaving Huguenots fled France and established the silk-weaving district of Spitalfields in London.
One little drawer table. This referred to a compact wooden occasional table with a built-in single drawer. It was notable and worthy of specific description because, before the mid-17th century, tables did not have drawers fitted. Instead, in order to store items a chest or trunk would have had to have been used. The drawer table could either have been used as a side table or a writing table.
One dressing table. These were only introduced to England after King Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660. When he and his courtiers returned from exile in France and the Low Countries, they brought with them the French court ritual of the toilette. This was a morning routine in which aristocrats dressed, powdered their hair and applied cosmetics in front of visitors. All the specific items required for this vanity ritual were kept on a purpose-made dressing table. It was only in the subsequent decades that dressing tables began to be constructed in England and became a highly fashionable item.
One white chamber pot. This almost always refers to a Delftware tin-glazed earthenware chamber pot. Chinese porcelain was extremely expensive and in order to mimic it, English potters used an opaque tin glaze over clay to create a striking, glossy, milky-white finish. Following the restoration of the monarchy, fashion culturally shifted towards brightness as a sign of cleanliness. Hence, a bright white chamber pot looked very pristine and sanitary.
The items listed in the Chamber between the Queen’s and Best were one bedstead, one feather bolster, three blankets, two covered stools and:
One rug. In the previous post on John Ray’s Chamber, it was noted that, in this era, rugs were not used on the floor but were a thick shaggy blanket.
One joint stool. In the same previous post, a joint stool was described as a common type of stool that was jointed together, rather than nailed or glued.
Finally, the items listed in the Best Chamber were: one bedstead; one feather bed; two blankets; three pillows and a bolster; five window curtains with rods; six chairs; two stools; one dressing table; a table; two stands; a hanging shelf; fire shovel, tongs and a pair of bellows; one looking glass; six pictures; and two white chamber pots. There was also:
One quilt. In the previous post on Lady Child’s Chamber, a quilt was specifically described as a warm night-time bed covering that was multi-layered with two sheets of fabric and a stuffing layer that were tightly stitched together in intricate patterns.
Inner valons. These specifically refer to a secondary, interior set of curtain borders that hung inside the upper bedstead canopy frame. This meant that the person lying on the bed would look up on a draped canopy of fabric rather than the wooden canopy frame.
Author - Debbie Jordan, Middleton Hall Volunteer.
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