Preparing for the visit of Queen Elizabeth I to Middleton Hall

In every year of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, primarily over the summer, the Queen and her court went on a progress. During these progresses the Queen would visit various towns throughout England and she would stay in the homes of members of the aristocracy. At the end of July 1575, her progress took her to Middleton Hall, where she stayed for two days and a night. In this post, we are considering what the preparations for her visit would have involved.

It is thought that Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Middleton Hall would fall under the category of royal whim rather than a pre-arranged plan. This is supported by a letter in the Middleton Manuscripts from Sir Francis Knollys to Francis Willoughby:

“Her Majesty is determined to tarry two days at your house, that is to say tomorrow night and Thursday all day, whereof I thought good to advertise you betimes. Wherefore I think it best for you not to defray Her Majesty, but rather that you should give her some good present of beefs and muttons, and to keep a good table yourself in some place, if you have any convenient room for it, two messe of meat. But do herein as you shall think best, but you had need to consider how your provision of drink etc. may hold out. This Tuesday, the 20th day of July 1575. Your loving Friend F. Knollys.”

However, the visit did not occur on the 21st and 22nd but on the Wednesday and Thursday of the following week. Nevertheless, it appears that Francis Willoughby only had one week to prepare Middleton Hall for the Queen’s visit.

Queen Elizabeth I, aka Lesley Smith, on Elizabethan Evening in the Great Hall at Middleton Hall, 2006. Photograph taken by Audrey Bagby.

Transportation was challenging at this time due to poor roads. Therefore, if a water route was possible that was normally preferred. Otherwise, the Queen’s caravan would travel over land using horses, carts and carriages. It was not unusual for her caravan to consist of over 300 carts, each being pulled by 2-6 horses.

Before the Queen arrived at any destination, an advance team would prepare the house. The members of this team were known as the harbingers and normally included: a gentleman usher; a yeoman usher; three yeoman of the chamber; two grooms of the chamber; two grooms of the wardrobe; and one groom porter. They addressed the logistical questions of: where people would sleep (making sure to keep enemies apart); if new structures were needed; where the horses would be kept; and where to store the food. The royal staff would normally sleep in tents in the grounds, but rooms either in the house or nearby had to be found for everyone else. Although the harbingers would organise the accommodation, the host had the ultimate responsibility for completing the tasks and providing the labourers.

The task of organising the food for the travelling court was the role of the purveyors. In reality, the court consumed immense quantities and varieties of food and normally moved on to the next location when the food and drink ran out.

Further Reading: W. H. Stevenson, Report on the Manuscripts of Lord Middleton, Historical Manuscripts Commission, 1911. p.538.

Mary Hill Cole. The Portable Queen. 1999.

Author - Debbie Jordan, Middleton Hall Volunteer.

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