1676 Inventory of Middleton Hall #6: The Master’s Chamber and Study
This post, the sixth in the series detailing the rooms and contents of Middleton Hall as described in the 1676 inventory, focuses on the rooms named as “The Master’s Chamber Hung” and “The Study to The Master’s Chamber”. The unanswerable question is whether this room had been occupied after the death of Francis Willughby in 1672, who was the last Master of the house, and the time of this inventory.
As mentioned in the previous post on the Red Chamber and Old Study, in this era, bedchambers tended to be located on the first floor and were a multi-functional room, not simply for sleeping. Furthermore, it was explained that the study, which was also known as a cabinet or closet, was normally a small room attached to a bedchamber. In their most basic form, studies were no more than a dressing room, but they could often include general collected items, works of art, books and more.
The title of the room as The Master’s Chamber Hung, specifically reveals that the walls of this room were fitted with textile wall hangings. Historically, high-status rooms were lined with large fabric panels in order to keep the room warmer and visually more interesting. These textile hangings were also a display of wealth. The fact that they are recorded in the title intriguingly means that they had not been taken down when the house was closed, even though they should have been easy to move or easy to pack into chests to protect them from damp.
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.
In the 1676 inventory, in the Master’s Chamber, there were a number of items that have already been described in the previous post on John Ray’s Chamber. These were:
One bedstead. As noted, in this era, a bedstead 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.
One bolster. This was a long firm cylindrical cushion that stretched the width of the bed and was placed beneath the bed sheet.
One green rug. In this era, a rug was not used on the floor but was a thick shaggy blanket.
One carpet. In this era, a carpet referred to a cloth covering a table or a chest not a floor covering.
Five valons rods. 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 other items listed in the Master’s Chamber were three blankets, six cushions, one table and:
Two down pillows. Down, in England in this era, specifically referred to the soft, fluffy under-plumage of waterfowl, normally from domestic geese or ducks. Down-filled items were considered the ultimate luxury because of how many soft feathers were needed to fill even just a single pillow.
One counterpane. As noted in the previous post on the Red Chamber, a counterpane was a highly decorative bedspread that was used during the day to cover the bed.
One stand for a basin with a wash, in curtains. The stand for a basin refers to a washstand. It would have been a wooden moveable piece that was specifically crafted with either a circular cutout or flat top to hold a washbasin. The inventory description reveals that this stand had an attached fabric curtain that would have had a dual purpose. First, it would protect the room furnishings from splashing water and, second, for the privacy and modesty of the user.
Six cane chairs. Cane chairs were a relatively new type of furniture in England at the time of this inventory. They were first introduced to England in about 1660 and became popular just after the Great Plague and Great Fire of London due to being lightweight and more resistant to dust, moths and woodworm. The cane to make these chairs came as rattan cane from Southeast Asia, which was transported to London via the East India trade route. The chairs were then made in England.
One firebox, one fire shovel and tongs. As noted in the previous post on the Garret, in this era, a firebox was described not as the chamber where the coals were burned but was an obsolete word for a tinderbox, which was a box containing various items required to start a fire.
In the Study to the Master’s Chamber, the items listed were:
One turkey work chair. As noted in the previous post on the Still Chamber, turkey work was a luxury English textile that mimicked Middle Eastern carpets.
One looking glass. Today known as a mirror. In this era, the glass for a mirror was made in small plates that had a wavy uneven surface and often contained air bubbles. The mirror was then backed with a toxic mercury-tin amalgam. They were extremely expensive items with a single mirror often costing more than the annual wage of all the household staff combined.
One ink bottle. The ink used in this era would have been iron gall ink. Interestingly, it is known that in the 16th century this was being made at Middleton Hall, as was explained in a previous blog post. Ink containers in this era were made of various materials. However, most were described as an inkhorn or inkwell not an ink bottle. The description of it as a bottle would infer that this was a narrow-necked container probably made out of glass or stoneware.
Five books in folio, specifically, two volumes of St Austin, two volumes of English Annotations and one volume of Poole’s Synopsis. A folio was the largest, most expensive book size. It was created by folding a sheet of paper only once to form two huge leaves. These were massive volumes that were premium luxury items reserved for scholars and the wealthy.
The most notable aspect of the Master’s Study was the books it contained. The two works of St Austin likely refer to the published writings of St Augustine of Hippo (354-430AD), who was a very prolific early Christian theological writer.
The English Annotations, also known as the Assembly’s Annotations, the Westminster Annotations or the Annotations upon all the Books of the Old and New Testament, was first published in 1645. However, there were a number of expanded editions, specifically the 1651 and 1657 editions, both of which were published in two volumes. These were a comprehensive verse-by-verse Bible commentary. It was produced by a group of scholars who were appointed by the Westminster Assembly of Divines. They were commissioned by Parliament, during the English Civil War, to write an authoritative Protestant commentary to help the public understand scripture.
Poole’s Synopsis refers to Synopsis Criticorum by Matthew Poole (1624-1679). Poole was an English nonconformist theologian and biblical commentator. It was published in five volumes between 1669-1676. In this work, Poole summarised the views of 150 biblical critics. It included not only Roman Catholic commentators but also rabbinical sources and Reformed and Protestant thinkers.
Author - Debbie Jordan, Middleton Hall Volunteer.
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