Introduction
This is the second 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, decoration and colours of the clothing. This section will cover linens: smocks, coifs, neckwear, and wristwear. Section 1 covered the parameters and the main garments. Section 3 will cover accessories: aprons, gloves, hats, shoes, stockings, etc.
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| Figure 1: Linen sleeves with cut work lattice and stars design. Manchester Art Gallery |
Linens
As with probates many wills just list linen as a general term, there are twenty six wills in the database that do so. In 1640 Elizabeth Dowse had “all the smalle wearing linen.” (1) Anne Wright in 1626 has “her wearinge lynen.” (2 p. 103) A “whole suit of best linen” is left by Elizabeth Davy to her godchild.” (3 p. 430) Sometimes a list of the linen is given, in 1626 Elizabeth Colman left her sister, among other items, “2 smocks, 4 squares, 4 coifs, 4 handkerchiefs, 4 pair cuffs, 4 neckcloths, linen apron, say apron.” (4 p. 135) What a suit of linen might consist of is unknown but Manchester has it its collection a set of matching coif and forehead cloth, (2003.77/2) sleeves (2003.79/2) [Figure 1] and neckwear (2003.78)
Linens were sometimes left to daughters and sisters, and sometimes to maidservants. Dorothy Hedley in 1621 left linens to four named women including, “To Goose's maid apron, coif and square.” (3 p. 134)
Smocks
Smocks are the main item of women’s underwear. Thirty two smocks are mentioned in sixteen wills, though all women would have owned at least one smock, and when a single smock is mentioned in a will it tends to be accompanied by the word best. These smocks would almost always be linen, but only one mentions a textile. In 1630 Frances Raye leaves her sister a hempen smock. (5 p. 46) Hempen and flaxen [linen] cloths are made from different plants, hempen cloth is made from the thick long fibres on the outside of the Cannabis sativa plant, whilst linen is made from the flax plant. Hemp is coarser in the fibre than flax and, while it was used to make canvas, it could also be used to make a fine fabric. (6 pp. 46-65). No smock in the wills mentions decoration or lace, though most survivals have some. A smock with a narrow edging of lace can be seen at the neck in figure 3, and figure 2 shows a surviving smock dated 1630-60, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, which has a similar neckline, with chain stitch embroidery in silk.
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| Figure 2:Linen smock with chain stitch embroidery. 1630-60. Victoria and Albert Museum. |
Where smocks are being given in wills they are often in multiples, in 1621 Elizabeth Smith leaves her maid Sarah “2 petticoats, 2 smocks,” whilst leaving another smock to someone else. (3 p. 112) Ann Hutton leaves three of her smocks to her servant Jane Harrison, together with “my workdaye apparel.” (7 p. 173)
Coifs
Thirty eight coifs appear in the wills belonging to fifteen women. Few mention a textile but three are holland, two fustian and two silk. At least one was embroidered as Alice Smith left Mary Armiger a “...coif wrought with silk and gold” in 1622. (3 p. 193) An embroidered coif can be seen under the hat in figure 5. Most coifs would have been plain, with perhaps the addition of some lace. A laced coif in the Manchester collection can be seen in figure 3, while a similar coif being worn can be seen in figure 4.
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Figure 3:Coif. 1625-50. Accession number: 2003.83. Manchester Art Gallery |
Cross cloths and forehead cloths
There are 9 cross cloths and 5 forehead cloths, these appear to be the same thing, as they are both often given with coifs, and Fynes Morison wrote “Many weare such crosse-clothes or forehead clothes as our women use when they are sicke.” (8 p. 211) In 1630 Mary Cater gave her maid Margaret “a coif and a cross cloth.” (5 p. 60) In 1635 Alice Edmundes gave her sister Mary “a silk coif, a silk forehead cloth and 3 holland coifs.” Both do appear in wills on their own without coifs, Margaret Runacre left two “camberwick forehad cloths,” in her will. Camberwick may refer to Candlewick Street in London [now Cannon Street] where Stow says that the street “is now possessed by rich Drapers, sellers of woollen cloth, &c.” (9 p. 128) Forehead cloths rarely appear in images of women wearing coifs.
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| Figure 4: Hollar engraving of a woman wearing a lace edged coif and kerchief |
Neckwear and handkerchiefs
The most common form of neckwear appears to be the simple square of linen folded diagonally, which can be seen in many drawings of the period [Figure 4], and there is an extant example in the Victoria and Albert Museum. These appear under several names in the wills, there are 31 kerchiefs, 33 squares, 17 neckerchiefs, 14 handkerchiefs, 9 quarters, and 7 neckcloths. There must be some distinction between them, because several may appear in a single will. In 1624 Helen Hill left, “To Francis 3 coifs, 3 squares, 2 holland neckerchiefs and 2 working neckerchiefs.” (3 p. 335) Joan Gooch left one of her daughters three squares and a neckcloth, and her other daughter, her three best squares, a neckcloth, and two neckerchiefs. (4 p. 129) Some of these have a size, usually a yard, in 1636 Helen Page leaves her daughter Anne “one of the best laced handkerchiefs ...[and], a little yard kerchief.” (10 p. 14) Laced would indicate a lace edging as in figure 4. Some kerchiefs, are wrought, that is embroidered, particularly handkerchiefs which are smaller than kercherchiefs and usually fifteen to eighteen inches square. In 1620 Anne Bowle’s will had, “1 black wrought handkerchief to go to widow Keeble.” (3 p. 47) The Burrell Collection has a 1600-25 handkerchief that is roughly 15 inches square. (38cm by 37cm), with black silk embroidery. [Figure 5] In 1636 Rebecca Howlet left, “a kerchief wrought with silk.” (10 p. 11)
Figure 5: Handkerchief with black silk embroidery. 1600-25. Glasgow Museums.
The
next most common type of neckwear was the ruff. Although the ruff had gone out
of fashion in court circles, it was still being worn extensively in the
provinces and by those below the nobility. There are 46 ruffs and 3 ruff bands,
owned between 29 women. Twenty seven of these ruffs are from the 1620s, and
twenty ruffs are from the 1630s. Textiles are rarely mentioned though Abrie
Boteman in 1625 left a “new piece of lawn which was bought to make a ruff.” (4 p. 6) The three ruff bands
are all left by a woman called Mary Showell in 1621.(11 p. 14) Figure 6 is from a
1628 triptych and shows a woman, who may be a daughter of Henry Holme
(c.1570-1631) of Paull Holme, Yorkshire, wearing a ruff.
The other neckwear mentioned is a gorget. There is only one, owned by Alice Kerich in 1637, she also left a ruff and a plain neckcloth. (10 p. 227) According to Randle Holme gorgets are “round Dresses plaited [pleated] to be deep about Womens Necks.” (12 p. 98) Bishop Richard Corbet, wrote a poem that associated gorgets with rails, it was entitled, “To the ladyes of the new dresse, that weare their gorgets and rayles downe to their wastes,” this was in 1635. (13)
Another term that might be used is partlet. There are no partlets in the wills or probates after 1624, when the inventory of Abraham Allaway lists seven partlets belonging to his wife, who had died a month before him. (14 p. 330) The 1620 will of Jane Aubrey, a gentlewoman, listed “one fine gathered night partlet edged about with bone lace.” (15)
Figure 6: Detail from a 1628
triptych depicting a family. The coat of arms indicates that the wife belonged
to the Holme family. Victoria and Albert Museum. Accession
number W.5-1951
Another term that might be used is partlet. There are no partlets in the wills or probates after 1624, when the inventory of Abraham Allaway lists seven partlets belonging to his wife, who had died a month before him. (14 p. 330) The 1620 will of Jane Aubrey, a gentlewoman, listed “one fine gathered night partlet edged about with bone lace.” (15)
Wristwear
Only three women leave cuffs. Anne Ellis leaves a pair of cuffs in 1623, Elizabeth Colman leaves 4 pair of cuffs in 1626, and Elizabeth Crosse leaves a pair of my best cuffs. (3 p. 287) (4 p. 135) (10 p. 240) The 1628 painting [Figure 6] shows a woman wearing a ruff at her neck with turn back cuffs at the wrist.
The use of lace on linens
Lace does appear on some linens in the wills. Helen Page leaves her daughter Dorothy, “a laced kerchief,” and her daughter Anne “one of the best laced handkerchiefs.” (10 p. 14) Likewise Mary Showell leaves “my laced handkerchiffe.” Both these women appear to be relatively wealthy widows. (11 p. 14) Of the thirteen “common” women who appear in the Huntington Library Cries of London, from around 1650, five have some lace edging either their kerchief or coif, or both. (16 pp. 430-4) Figure 7 is the woman selling hot codlings (apples).
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| Figure 7: Hot codlings from the Cryes of London series in Huntington Library, USA |
References
1. Munby, L. M. Life and death in Kings Langley, wills and inventories 1498-1659. Kings Langley : Kings Langley Local History and Museum Society, 1981.
2. Reed, Michael, ed. The Ipswich probate inventories 1583-1631. Suffolk Records Society. 1981, Vol. 22.
3. Allen, M. E. ed. Wills in the Archdeaconry of Suffolk 1620-1624. Woodbridge : Suffolk Records Society, 1988.
4. —. Wills in the Archdeaconry of Suffolk 1625-1626. Woodbridge : Suffolk Records Society, 1995.
5. Evans, Nesta, ed. Wills of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury 1630-1635. Suffolk Records Society. 1987, Vol. 29.
6. Skoglund, G. Traditional Fine Homespun Hemp Linen Fabrics: About Qualities and Usages in Ritual and Secular Contexts. . Textile. 2023, Vol. 21, 1.
7. Wood, H. W. ed. Wills and inventories from the registry at Durham, part 4, [1603-1649]. Publications of the Surtees Society. 1929, Vol. 142.
8. Moryson, Fynes. An itinerary. London : Printed by John Beale, dwelling in Aldersgate Street, 1617.
9. Stow, John. The Survey of London, 1603 edition. London : Dent.
10. Evans, Nesta, ed. (1993) Wills of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury, 1636-1638. Suffolk Records Society. 1993, Vol. 35.
11. Brinkworth E.R.C. and Gibson, J.S.W. eds. Banbury wills and inventories. Pt.2, 1621-1650. Banbury Historical Society. 1976, Vol. 14.
12. Holme, Randle. The academy of armory. [Online] 1688. [Cited: July 12, 2024.] https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A44230.0001.001?rgn=main;view=fulltext.
13. Corbet, Richard. The Poems of Richard Corbet, late bishop of Oxford and of Norwich. [Online] [Cited: June 17, 2023.] https://www.gutenberg.org/files/65375/65375-h/65375-h.htm.
14. Jones, J, ed. Stratford-upon-Avon Inventories,volume 1, 1538-1625. Stratford-upon-Avon : Dugdale Society , 2002.
15. Victoria County History: Hampshire. Farleigh Wallop Probate Material, 1601-1620. Will of Jane Aubrey 1620.
16. Shesgreen, Sean. "The manner of crying things in London": style, authorship, chalcography and history. Huntington Library Quarterly. 1996, Vol. 59, 4.
