1676 Inventory of Middleton Hall #12: The Bailiff’s and Maids’ Chambers
Updated: Nov 4
This post, the twelfth in the series detailing the rooms and contents of Middleton Hall as described in the 1676 inventory, focuses on the rooms called “The Bailiff’s Chamber Hung With Painted Stuff” and the two “Maids’ Chambers”.
As mentioned in the previous post on The Children’s Chamber, in this era, bedchambers were a multi-functional room, not simply for sleeping. Normally, they were located on the first floor. However, this was not necessarily true for servants’ rooms. Their rooms were often located near something related to their duties, on the ground floor or in the garret, or even in an outer building.
At the time this inventory was taken, the house was closed, the family having departed to the residence of Emma’s new husband Sir Josiah Child. In the absence of the family, the responsibility for the management and care of the Hall and the Estate fell to the steward or bailiff. The bailiff was thus a very high-value employee. Production of goods and collection of rents from the Estate would also have continued and been under the direct oversight of the bailiff.
Therefore, it would have been expected that the Bailiff’s Chamber, unlike others, would be one that was in its normal state and yet it seems to have had as many, if not more, extra and broken items as some of the other rooms. Hence, the question arises whether the items had been temporarily moved to his room for him to be able to keep them secure or for repair. In particular, the number of high-quality down and feather-filled items in his and the maids’ rooms are surprising and extremely out of place.
The Bailiff’s Chamber is specifically described as hung with painted stuff. This is a direct comparison of social status to the post on the Master’s Chamber, which was described simply as hung. In the Master’s Chamber, hung specifically referred to the walls being fitted with luxury textile wall hangings. For the Bailiff’s Chamber, the description reveals that the walls were fitted with painted cloth. This was an imitation of expensive woven tapestries but fulfilled the same basic purpose of warmth and decoration. However, they were made from a cheap material such as canvas, hemp or linen and a painter would then simply paint patterns directly onto it using water-based distemper pigments.
It is uncertain where the Bailiff’s Chamber was located. It is listed confusingly between the Laundry Chamber and The Study to the Master’s Chamber. Previously, it has been suggested that the Bailiff’s Chamber was located in the Porter’s Lodge on the outer moat island or was one of the first-floor rooms of the Tudor Barn.
On the other hand, the Maid’s Chambers are listed together, with almost the same contents. They are also listed directly after the Linen Chamber, which is just after all of the main family bedchambers, and immediately before John Ray’s Chamber. Hence, there are two possibilities or a mix of both: the rooms were located in the service area; or close to the people that they were serving.
The Bailiff’s Chamber contained a number of items that have already been described in the previous post on John Ray’s Chamber. These were:
Two bedsteads. In this era, this solely referred to the corded wooden bed frame.
Three feather beds. These referred solely to what would today be termed a mattress. These were filled with the rigid body feathers of geese or ducks, a quality just below a down-filled item.
Four bolsters. These were long firm cylindrical cushions that stretched the width of the bed and were placed beneath the bed sheet.
Three rugs. In this era, these were not used on the floor but were thick shaggy blankets.
In the previous post on the Master’s Chamber, some other items listed in this room were also described. These were:
Two down pillows. Down was made from the softest under feathers of geese and ducks and considered the most luxurious filling for a bed, pillow or bolster.
One looking glass, the glass broken. Today this is known as a mirror. In the 17th century, mirrors had uneven glass and a toxic mercury-tin amalgam back. They were also extremely expensive luxury items. Even though this was broken, glass was so expensive in this era that it would have been kept to be recycled.
The other items listed in the Bailiff’s Chamber were seven blankets, one cupboard of drawers and:
One turkey work stool. As noted in the previous post on the Still Chamber, turkey work was a luxury English textile that mimicked Middle Eastern carpets.
One close stool. As noted in the previous post on the Garret, this was a wooden box-stool enclosing a toilet pan, although in this item the pan is missing.
One warming pan. As noted in the previous post on the Children’s Chambers, this was a wide, shallow, circular dish with a very long handle and a lid with punched air holes that was used to heat beds.
Two pairs of curtains and railings, six curtain rods and a curtain rod for the window. Curtains with railings meant that it was an entire frame, whilst the subsequent one of rods suggests that those were separated. In this era, bed curtains were much more common than window curtains but it appears that these rods and railings refer to the use for both.
Finally, in the combined Maid’s Chambers combined there were two bedsteads, two feather beds, two feather bolsters, seven blankets and:
One flock bed. As described in the previous post on the Children’s Chambers, flock was made from unspun wool and shredded textiles and was a middle-class filling for beds.
Author - Debbie Jordan, Middleton Hall Volunteer.
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