Heritage Open Days: Everyday Histories #4: Thomas Woodshaw, Caterer of Middleton Hall
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 caterer to be mentioned by name was Thomas Woodshaw. His name first appears in the records in 1567. This was when Middleton was owned by Sir Francis I Willoughby, although he only reached full inheritable age the year after. In Thomas’ role as caterer, he was provided with a horse, horseshoes, canvas wallets and anything else he needed to purchase and carry the food. From Middleton, it is known that he would have purchased fresh food in Tamworth, Lichfield, Coleshill, Coventry and Birmingham. Thomas is also known to have taken food produce from Middleton to Wollaton, specifically 4 swans in 1573.
At Middleton Hall, the majority of food for the manorial household was bought either in bulk in advance or sourced directly from the Estate. The caterer was primarily used: to purchase the food in bulk at the Fairs; to purchase extra when stocks ran low; and, most often, when visitors were coming to the Hall or for special events when extra food or special food was required.
This means that the occupation of a caterer was irregular. Hence, a secondary occupation was necessary. It is known that Thomas was paid for another type of work on the Middleton Estate: haymaking. In latter centuries, he would have been referred to in this occupation as a simple agricultural labourer, but the Middleton documents have shown him to be much more than that.
Nothing further is known specifically about this Thomas Woodshaw. However, it is possible that he was born at Middleton and had descendants who continued to live and work on the Middleton Estate. This is because Woodshaw is a long-associated surname with food production workers at Middleton.
The first record of a Woodshaw at Middleton was in 1485. There were a number of claims over who had killed King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in that year. One documented claim was that Thomas Woodshaw, servant of Sir Henry Willoughby at Middleton Hall and tenant on that manor, had slain the King. Due to the discovery of King Richard’s remains, evidence disproved that Thomas, alone, had slain the King.
Thomas was described as a “grazier”, which is someone who reared or fattened livestock such as cattle or sheep. This occupation was important at Middleton. Traditionally, most livestock were not born and bred at Middleton. Instead, they were purchased in Wales or the north of England and then brought to Middleton, where the grass was much richer, which enabled them to be fattened for either profit at sale or for consumption.
It should also be clarified that another error in this record was that actually Sir Henry was not yet in possession of Middleton, because it was still owned by his aged grandmother, Dame Margaret de Freville. However, despite the inaccuracies, what had given support to this claim about Woodshaw was that on the 20th September 1485, King Henry VII had awarded, for his critical battlefield service at Bosworth, this Thomas Woodshaw with the offices of bailiff of Berkswell in Warwickshire and keeper of the Park there.
It is known that the Woodshaw family continued for hundreds of years at Middleton because, in the 19th century, some of those still present at Middleton were:
Benjamin Woodshaw, who was an agricultural labourer and farmer and was born at Middleton in about 1777;
William Woodshaw, Benjamin’s son born in Middleton about 1815, who in 1851 was an under-gamekeeper on the Estate and later became a market gardener and then a smallholding farmer;
Ambrose Woodshaw, also Benjamin’s son, who was born in Middleton in about 1824 and throughout his life was a shepherd at various farms on the Middleton Estate;
Thomas Woodshaw, also Benjamin’s son, who was born in Middleton about 1826 and was an agricultural labourer at Hunts Green, Middleton;
Charles Woodshaw, another son of Benjamin, born about 1833 in Middleton and was also an agricultural labourer on the farms on the Middleton Estate;
John Woodshaw, the son of the aforementioned Thomas who was born in Middleton about 1862 and was an under-gardener between 1881 and 1901. This John was the last Woodshaw known to be living at Middleton and he died in 1922.
It is known that the father of the Benjamin born 1777, was William who was born in Middleton in 1753. His father was Benjamin who was born in Middleton in 1721 and his father was Benjamin who was born in the adjacent parish of Sutton Coldfield in 1686. His father is known to have also been a Benjamin but it is unknown where he was born.
Further Reading:
W. H. Stevenson, Report on the Manuscripts of Lord Middleton, Historical Manuscripts Commission, 1911. p.435.
Mark Dawson, Plenti and Grase, 2009.
Middleton Parish Registers
Author - Debbie Jordan, Middleton Hall Volunteer.
Comments