The Middleton Accounts of 1526: #33

The next entry in the Middleton household accounts for Sir Henry Willoughby in 1526 was dated 14th June. It was described as a reward to Ralf Heberd and Lowkid, who were minstrels of the Lord of Derby. The amount was 3 shillings 4 pence, which was the equivalent of about £73.55 today and at that time was about five days wages for a skilled tradesman.

The Lord of Derby referenced in this entry, as it was in a previous post from the 1525 Accounts, would have been Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby. Edward had inherited at the age of 13 in 1521. However, because he was still a minor, he became a ward of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey who directly managed Edward’s affairs until he reached inheritable age.

The Earls of Derby had their own troupe of minstrels and were generous supporters of culture for centuries. Nevertheless, these Middleton records are therefore a rare glimpse into the activities of the Earl’s servants during the wardship period.

This era was a key time when entertainers were evolving into a profession. A key distinction was drawn between the "itinerant" minstrels, who were regarded as vagabonds or beggars, and the employed liveried minstrels. These liveried minstrels wore their patron’s coat of arms, which protected them from prosecution for vagrancy and granted them access to elite households. Furthermore, these liveried minstrels were often used as a form of “soft” power political agents. By sending Ralf and Lowkid to Sir Henry, the Earl of Derby, or more specifically, Cardinal Wolsey, was reminding him of the Earl's status and cultural patronage despite the vacancy caused by him being in wardship.

As previously mentioned, the term minstrel was a general term for someone who provided entertainment and the form it could take was varied from singing and performing music to dancing, acting and more.

Minstrels of this era could play a wide variety of instruments that were categorised as either soft or loud. Soft instruments were used for indoor serenading whilst loud instruments were used outdoors or for ceremonies. Some of the soft instruments played at this time included: the lute; the harp, which was smaller than the modern version; the cittern, a guitar-like instrument; the fiddle; and the recorder. Some of the louder instruments included: the shawm, a predecessor of the oboe; the bagpipes; and the pipe and tabor.

Lute player in the Jettied Building at Middleton Hall at the "Stuart Christmas" event, 2024. Photograph taken by Steve Davies.

Beyond music, the minstrels might also have recited epic poems and ballads, particularly about events and in some ways have been claimed to have been the “news reporters” of their time. However, they often tailored the stories they told to celebrate their host or their own lord.

Further Reading: W. H. Stevenson, Report on the Manuscripts of Lord Middleton, Historical Manuscripts Commission, 1911. p.383.

Author - Debbie Jordan, Middleton Hall Volunteer.

Please consider supporting Middleton Hall Trust by sending us a donation.