The Middleton Accounts of 1526: #38

The next entry in the Middleton household accounts for Sir Henry Willoughby in 1526 was undated except for June and, given the preceding entry, it would have been after 23rd June. It was described as payment for a chamber pot for Sir Henry. The amount was 13 pence, which was the equivalent of about £23.90 today.

Chamber pots were an essential item in Tudor England, saving dark night visits to the outdoor “necessary house”. At Middleton Hall there was an alternative to the chamber pot because it had a garderobe adjacent to the Stone Building, which emptied directly into the moat. However, garderobes were only a feature of great houses. The timing of this purchase is interesting in the context of the recent Accounts #36 entry, because wealthy travellers in the Tudor era would often take their own chamber pots with them on journeys in order to avoid the notoriously unhygienic facilities at inns.

The amount paid for this chamber pot would also make it a “luxury” style chamber pot and would have taken at least two days’ work to make. In the 16th century, chamber pots were typically made of earthenware or metal. This price is considerably too high for glazed earthenware, which were the cheapest type of chamber pot and would have cost just about a couple of pence. However, the price is also too low for the highest end chamber pots such as those made of brass, which would likely have been about double this price, or silver, which would have cost pounds. It thus suggests that it was made of pewter.

Pewter chamber pot from the Wellcome Collection, Museum No. A128923, L0008771. CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Earthenware chamber pots were the most common form and very functional but they were porous, which meant that they became unsanitary, absorbed odours over time and were prone to cracking. Wealthier families thus tended to purchase metal chamber pots such as those made of pewter or brass. These metal chamber pots were non-porous, which made them easier to clean and more durable. They also held their value and could be melted down and sold just for the metal if required.

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

Author - Debbie Jordan, Middleton Hall Volunteer.

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