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