The Middleton Accounts of 1526: #48
The next entry in the Middleton household accounts for Sir Henry Willoughby in 1526 was dated 3rd September. It was described as payment to Thomas Cokes for his costs when going to Mr Cotes’ for heronsews. The amount was 4 pence, which was the equivalent of about £7.35 today. It is uncertain who Mr Cotes was because this is the only record in the Middleton Manuscripts that mentions him.
Heronsew was an old English term for both the juvenile and the meat of a heron. It had its origin in the Old French word haironcel, which meant “young heron.” Over time, the English term varied to hernshaw or heronshaw. In medieval and Tudor England, young herons were considered game birds of a very high value and a delicacy for the feasts of only the very highest nobility.
There is little doubt that the purchase of these herons was for the table. It is also highly likely that it was, like the crayfish in #47, another purchase for the upcoming visit to Middleton Hall of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset. The only aspect that is absent from the Accounts is the cost of the herons themselves.
There is a degree of uncertainty over the Cokes surname due to John Lewissay’s Welsh-influenced phonetic spelling of English words. In light of this, the surname might have been Cox. Nevertheless, multiple members of the Cokes family are known to have been servants of Sir Henry Willoughby. There are two other entries that refer to members of this family in the Middleton household accounts. On 8th January 1521/2, William Cokes was sent from Middleton to meet Sir Henry’s eldest son John Willoughby, when John returned to England after his pilgrimage to Rome. William was also to accompany John back home. The last entry unfortunately only identified Cokes by his surname. It was dated 17th July 1524 and was a reward for Cokes bringing letters from Walsall in Staffordshire to Middleton.
These three records together reveal that these Cokes men were unquestionably upper-level servants who were very mobile and highly trusted both personally and with luxury goods. These records suggest that these men might have been riding retainers or personal attendants. Personal attendants were also known as serving men, gentlemen-in-waiting or valets. In Tudor times, these types of servants were reserved for the younger sons of allied gentry families. They would have been of good social standing and literate. Furthermore, in their duties, they would not only personally represent Sir Henry in his stead but would also manage travel logistics, provide security and carry sensitive information.
Further Reading: W. H. Stevenson, Report on the Manuscripts of Lord Middleton, Historical Manuscripts Commission, 1911. pp.338, 367, 384.
Author - Debbie Jordan, Middleton Hall Volunteer.
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