The Middleton Accounts of 1526: #57
The next entry in the Middleton household accounts for Sir Henry Willoughby in 1526 was dated 2nd October. It was described as payment for 4 ells of cloth for smocks for Mistress Jane. The amount was 2 shillings 8 pence, which was the equivalent of about £58.84 today. The Mistress Jane referred to in this entry is Jane Harbottle, the widowed daughter of Sir Henry.
An ell was an historic unit of measurement, particularly used in the fabric trade. The word ell comes from the Old English word eln, which meant the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. The ell measurement was similarly based on the length of a man’s arm but from the shoulder (or elbow) to the wrist.
However, the exact length was never formally defined in English law and varied between regions and countries. By Tudor times, the English ell had been standardised at about 45 inches (about 114cm). However, the Scottish ell was about 37 inches (about 93cm) and the Flemish ell, which was very important to know for imported fabric, was only about 27 inches (about 68cm). The 4 English ells in cloth referred to in this entry would thus be about 5 yards or 4.57 metres of fabric.
A smock, also known as a shift, was a type of undergarment worn against the skin, under a gown or robe. It was one item of clothing that was always washed frequently and thoroughly. In comparison, outer garments often could not easily be washed. Thus, essentially, smocks protected the outer garments from the sweat and oils off the skin and also protected the skin from the abrasive outer garment materials.
The women of the household usually made their own smocks but, in the case of an elite household, sometimes it was their maid instead. Smocks were assembled from rectangles and triangles of fabric from a single piece of cloth in order to leave no waste. There was normally: a central rectangular panel for the torso; rectangular pieces for the sleeves; and triangular gussets and godets that were inserted into the skirt and armpits for flare and movement.
The smocks of the poor would be made from narrow pieces of rough cloth, such as hemp or coarse flax. On the other hand, those of the wealthy, such as Jane’s, would be made of smooth fine linen, which was often imported from Flanders. The smocks of the elite could also be quite voluminous, using up to 6 yards of fabric (5.48m) in order to enable pleating or gathering at the neckline and wrists. They may even have been decorated with embroidery. These extra decorative features would often peek out through the outer gown and were a display of wealth. However, given that the entry specifically states that Jane was having smocks in the plural, it is likely that although the cost is about right for linen, it was probably a pair of less voluminous smocks that were being made.
Further Reading: W. H. Stevenson, Report on the Manuscripts of Lord Middleton, Historical Manuscripts Commission, 1911. p.385.
Author - Debbie Jordan, Middleton Hall Volunteer.
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