Women’s Clothing (1620-1650), part 2: clothing in wills: section 3: the accessories

 Introduction

This is the third section of part two of a series of posts on women’s clothing in the period 1620-50 from the information in probates and wills. Part 1 looked at women with a probate estate of less than £30. This part is information mainly from wills, where we do not how much the woman was worth, but there is much more information on the textiles and colours of the clothing. This section will cover accessories: aprons, gloves, hats, shoes, stockings, etc. Section 1 covered the parameters and the main garments. Section 2 covered linens: coifs, neckwear, wristwear, etc.

Figure 1: Wenceslaus Hollar engraving 1647 showing muffs, gloves, fans, mask, etc.

 Accessories

Aprons

The ninety four aprons in the database are owned by fifty women, Many women own two or more aprons, with five owned by Francis Middleton. (1 p. 218) Especially where there is more than one apron given, the textile or colour may be mentioned. In 1626 Elizabeth Coleman gave her sister both a say apron and a linen apron. (2 p. 135) In 1636 Rebecca Howlet left her daughter, “my best white and best green aprons.” (3 p. 11) Seven aprons are listed as being either linen or holland, five are linsey woolsey, six are say, two are serge and three are silk. Thirty seven aprons have a colour, and fifteen of these are white, and therefore probably linen, as the aprons are sometimes listed with other linens, as in “one neckcloth one square one band and one approne,” given by Martha Clegg to her sister in 1637. (4) There are also nineteen green aprons, [Figure 2] of which three are say and one is serge. Say, which has already been mentioned as being used for petticoats and gowns, was a thin worsted twill stuff similar to serge, which was also a worsted twill. The only other colours that appear for aprons are black, blue and murrey. 

 

Figure 2: Adam Willaerts. Detail from Ships off a Rocky Coast, 1621. Rijksmuseum

Fans

Only one woman owns  fans. This is rich gentlewoman Lucy Gobert whose valuation was £1336, both her will and probate inventory exist. Her list of accessories includes “stockins, shoes, hatts, ruffs, cuffs, muffs, hudds, ffans & other necessaries £20.” (1 p. 54)

Garters

Only one garter appears in the wills. Elizabeth Frend leaves her daughter in law’s servant, “my red coat, two aprons, a garter and a neckercher.” (5 p. 360)

Girdles

Only three girdles appear the wills and two of these are silk. In 1624 Joan Balls left her godchild many items including her silk apron and girdle. (6 p. 341)  Many girdles would be cheap, in 1632 the mercer Thomas Harris has girdles in stock at 3d each, with those for children at 1½d. (7)  Silk girdles were worth far more, in 1624 Venetia Stanley had “an old crimson wire girdle worth two shillings” stolen, and this may be why they do not appear in wills unless they are silk. (8) Girdles could be used to hang a variety of accessories from the waist, such as purses, mirrors, keys, etc., this can be seen clearly in Callot’s a woman spinning, with several items hanging by strings from her girdle.[Figure 3]

Figure 3: Woman spinning by Henriet after Jacques Callot

Gloves

There were thirty one pairs of gloves mentioned in wills, but these are mainly given as funeral perquisites. The value of the gloves depends on the wealth of the deceased, and the status of the receiver. Elizabeth Gosling left six people ten shillings each to buy gloves, and then, “to the four young men that shall carry the testator to the grave, 12d each to buy them gloves.” (2 p. 100) Anne Sheather,  a singlewoman, left “To Mr Henry Aldham my ring I now wear and 10s to buy him a pair of gloves,” as well as “To Elizabeth Pretty and Charles Humfrey, of Risangles 5s each to buy a pair of gloves.” (3 p. 131) Gloves were occasionally left to individuals, for example in 1624 Helen Hill left to Francis Girling several items of clothing including a pair of woollen gloves. (6 p. 335)

Hats

There are 90 hats, but what they are made of is rarely mentioned unless they are fabric. In 1623 Margaret Taseburgh left her daughter in law her best velvet hat. (6 p. 265) Hats could be lined, in 1625 Frances Reynolds left her daughter her “best hat lined with velvet.” (2 p. 105) A hat that is known to have belonged to Constance Hopkins (1606-77) is in the Pilgrim Hall Museum, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Figure 4 shows a detail of the portrait of Hester Tradescant attributed to Thomas de Critz (1607–1653)

Figure 4: Detail from a portrait of Hester Tradescant by Thomas de Critz. Ashmolean Museum

Jewels: rings and other items

A considerable number of rings are given in wills, almost always as memento mori. Often an amount of money is given for a ring, the value depends on how rich the deceased was, and the relationship of the receiver. Lady Anne Drury left “to my twoe brothers in lawes tenne pounds a peece to buy them ringes.” (9 p. 166) Further down the social Francis Marshall leaves her brothers and sisters a “gold ring each to the value 10s.” (10 p. 130) In 1633 Margaret Rawlinson left her grandson, “two angells of old gold to make a ring to wear for my sake.” (11 p. 252) The angels are described as old, and the value of an angel depended on its date. Sometimes the ring already exists. Anne Chatborne leaves, “a ring now on the testator's finger.” (2 p. 35) Elizabeth Hilles in 1635 left her daughter Alice, “My gold ring if I need it not before my death.” (5 p. 322)

There are a few other items of jewellery given in the wills. In 1627 Winifred Gallowaie’s will has, “In Mr Nightingale's hand there is a bracelet pawned for 40s.” (2 pp. 53-4) Joan Saunders has a broach worth 1s 6d. (12 p. 68) Elizabeth Courton in 1626 owned “one ringe and a paire of silver taches 2s.” (12 p. 51) A tache is something to fasten two things together, like a hook or fastening pin, an example is the item found at the excavation of the Rose Theatre in London and identified as a copper dress hook. [[Figure X]  A rich widow, Mary Aldrich leaves buttons: “to Mary Dade 5 long buttoned jewels of gold, to Anne Dade 7 enamelled buttons of gold [and] to Elizabeth Dade 7 other enamelled buttons of gold.” (2 p. 102)

Figure 5: Dress hook or tache from the Rose Theatre. London Museum.

Muffs

Three women own muffs, two are described as gentlewomen – one a spinster and the other a widow. The third woman, Ann Wright a widow of Ipswich, a black velvet muff worth 3 shillings, this may be similar to the fabric muff with a fur edging in Figure 1. 

Purses

There are very few purses mentioned in wills, though they are often mentioned as purse and apparel in probates. In 1637 Elizabeth Hart, who was the widow of a gentleman, left her grandchild “all my unbequeathed rings and jewels … and my best purse with all things in it at my decease.” (3 p. 144) Sometimes purses come with other items that might be hung or attached to a woman’s waist, as mentioned in girdles. In 1637 Anne Abry left her god-daughter “my purse, pin case and a pair of knives.” (3 p. 139), while Lucy Godbert had “purses, spectacles and cases quishnetts and knives.” (1 p. 53) While none of the purses are described as embroidered many survivals are, and some come with matching embroidered knife sheaths. [Figure 6] Another knife in a case can be seen hanging from the waist of Callot’s spinner [Figure 3]

Figure 6: Cutlery with embroidered case. Dutch. 1604. British Museum.

Scarves

Scarves are an item of which Adam Martindale, writing in old age about the 1620s, said “the proudest of them (below the gentry) durst not have offered to wear an hood or a scarfe  (which now every beggar’s brat that can get them thinks not above her).” Five women own scarves, with little other information given. The only detail mentioned is Frances Jodrell who owns several scarves including a “greene scarfe with gold fringe,” “a whyte scarfe with a silver fringe” and “an ould scarfe” which was worth 4shillings. (13 pp. 315-22)

Shoes  

Shoes are rarely mentioned in wills, only fourteen references, although three people leave their best shoes. Most shoes are simply tied, as in Alice Brightall’s shoe tieings, and in a 1650 probate account tuppence is spent on “a yard of tape for Annas shoetyes.” (13 pp. 266-98) Francis Middleton has a “payre of shoes and 1 paire of roses.” (1 p. 218) The shoe roses decorated the top of the shoe, usually in the form of a gathered ribbon, a surviving pair can be seen in Figure 7.

Figure 7: Shoe roses. c.1610. Livrustkammaren, Stockholm.

Stockings

Although a common item very few stockings are mentioned in wills. In 1631 Wynifride Midleton leaves her cousin “a paire of knit stockins of 5s price.” (11 pp. 233-5) Alice Brightall‘s 1638 will states “I owe Mr Lancaster 3s for a pair of stockings and shoe tieings.” (3 p. 162) Katherine Wood’s will in 1620 has a list of clothes to be sold by her executor that includes two pair of stockings. (6 p. 36) In 1622 Mary Bunnel leaves a “ready to knit pair stockings,” which presumably means she has the yarn. (6 p. 198) Figure 8 shows the silk stockings recovered from the Texel wreck, the ship sank in the mid seventeenth century. (14)

Figure 8: Silk stockings from the Texel wreck. Museum Kaap Skil, Oudeschild, Netherlands

References

1. Earwaker, J.P. Lancashire and Cheshire wills and inventories 1572-1696. Manchester : Chetham Society, 1893.

2. Allen, M. ed. Wills of the Archdeaconry of Suffolk, 1627-1628. Suffolk Records Society. 2015, Vol. 58.

3. Evans, Nesta, ed. (1993) Wills of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury, 1636-1638. Suffolk Records Society. 1993, Vol. 35.

4. South Pennine Probate Archive. Will of Martha Clegge of Stansfield, 1637-8. [Online] [Cited: Jan 28, 2026.] https://probate.southpenninehistorygroup.org.uk/probate-record/clegge-martha/.

5. Evans, Nesta, ed. Wills of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury 1630-1635. Suffolk Records Society. 1987, Vol. 29.

6. Allen, M. E. ed. Wills in the Archdeaconry of Suffolk 1620-1624. Woodbridge : Suffolk Records Society, 1988.

7. Vaisey, D. G. A Charlbury mercer's shop 1623 (viz 1632). Oxoniensia. 1966, Vol. 31, 101-16.

8. Middlesex Sessions Rolls. Middlesex County Records: Volume 2, 1603-25. Originally published London: Middlesex County Record Society, 1887. [Online] [Cited: May 23, 2026.] https://www.british-history.ac.uk/middx-county-records/vol2/pp176-186.

9. Tymms, S. ed. Wills and inventories from the registers of the Commissary of Bury St Edmunds and the Archdeacon of Sudbury. London : Camden Society, 1850.

10. Allen, M. E. ed. Wills in the Archdeaconry of Suffolk 1625-1626. Woodbridge : Suffolk Records Society, 1995.

11. Wood, H. W. ed. Wills and inventories from the registry at Durham, part 4, [1603-1649]. Publications of the Surtees Society. 1929, Vol. 142.

12. Wyatt, P. The Uffulme wills and inventories 16th to 18th centuries. Exeter : Devon sand Cornwall Record Society, vol 40, 1997.

13. Phillips, C. B. and Smith, J H. Stockport Probate Records 1620-1650. Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire. 1992, Vol. 131.

14. Museum Kaap Skil . Het Palmhoutwrak. [Online] [Cited: May 29, 2026.] https://kaapskil.nl/het-palmhoutwrak/.

15. Reed, Michael, ed. The Ipswich probate inventories 1583-1631. Suffolk Records Society. 1981, Vol. 22.