The Middleton Accounts of 1525: #30

The second entry in December in the Middleton household accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby for 1525 was also undated except for the month. It was described as a reward to a servant of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, who had brought what is believed to be beer (was spelled bayrs). The amount was 8 pence, which was the equivalent of about £14.71 today.

There is a technical distinction between ale and beer. Ale was much more common historically in England and was brewed without the use of hops. Beer was only made using hops. The main difference between the two is that the hops acted as a preservative enabling the beer to last longer and be transported easier. Beer was also cheaper to produce.

Hops were not a natural plant to Britain, but were to Continental Europe. In the 15th century, Flemish immigrants had first introduced hopped beer to England initially by simply importing hopped beer. They then started to import the hops and began brewing beer in England and then they began growing the hops in England as well. It was in the 16th century that beer gradually began to replace ale in England. This was a gradual shift because of the taste difference. Ale was sweet, but the use of hops gave beer a bitter edge to its taste. Nevertheless, the taste did shift, albeit extremely slowly over a couple of centuries, so that beer eventually replaced the traditional ale.

Sir Francis I Willoughby, Sir Henry’s great-grandson, became involved in the innovative entrepreneurial industry of hop growing and beer brewing. He began growing hops at Middleton before 1585 and was so successful at it that the full switch to beer from ale at Middleton occurred before the end of that century. Moreover, he was not only able to brew beer at Middleton, he was also able sell the extra hops that he had grown.

1762 map of Middleton, showing Middleton Hall (top left) and the Hop Yard. Courtesy of Lord Middleton.

In 1525, the Charles Brandon mentioned in this entry was married to Mary Tudor, Queen Dowager of France and daughter of King Henry VII of England. Lady Frances Brandon, who was the second daughter of Charles and Mary, would subsequently marry Henry Grey, son of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, and they were the parents of Lady Jane Grey, the Nine-days-Queen of England. Furthermore, this Henry Grey was the brother of the Anne Grey who was married to Henry Willoughby, Sir Henry Willoughby’s grandson via his second son Edward. Following the deaths of Henry and Anne Willoughby, their three orphaned children, Thomas, Margaret and the aforementioned Francis, were taken into the wardship of Henry Grey and Lady Frances.

Portrait of Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor. PD, via Wikimedia Commons.

Further Reading: W. H. Stevenson, Report on the Manuscripts of Lord Middleton, Historical Manuscripts Commission, 1911, p378.

Author - Debbie Jordan, Middleton Hall Volunteer.

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