Major Hugh Buntine's Nightcap

 A nightcap in the Glasgow collection has an attached label which states: “this cap belonged to Major Buntine, uncle of William Baillie of Monkton.”

Little if anything is known of Buntine’s early life. He joined the Covenant army, and served under Lesley at the Battle of Philiphaugh (13^th September 1645) Oliver Cromwell rewarded him by making him ‘Muster-Master of the Horse’ for Scotland. In late 1659 George Monck sent him with a letter to Robert Montgomery with a view to using the English army in Scotland to assist with the imposition of a political settlement. A letter from Moray to Bruce in April 1660, indicates that he was in Breda at the time that Charles II made his Declaration. In 1670, he bought an estate which included Law Castle in West Kilbride. Soon after, an Act of Parliament granted ‘in favour of Major Hugh Buntine, … the lands and barony of Kilbride’. He died in 1681.

The nightcap is in red silk velvet, constructed from six conical sections, embroidered in silver threads, silver-gilt braid and gold spangles worked in basket weave, plaited braid with twisted couching depicting stylized fruit motifs, including pomegranates. The highlights are embroidered over thick cords to create the raised and padded effect. It is lined with undyed  linen.

For further information see Rebecca Quinton, Glasgow Museums: Seventeenth century Costume (Glasgow: Unicorn Press 2013) and the museums online entry  http://collections.glasgowmuseums.com/mwebcgi/mweb?request=record;id=447014;type=101

 Buntine's nightcap. Glasgow Museums. CCNC 4.0

 

 

Quilted clothing in the Stuart period

 

Origins of quilted clothing

Figure 1. Nightcap c.1710 Glasgow Museums

In her work on quilting Averil Colby says, “to reverse tradition and trace back a custom to its beginning is much more easily said than done.” (1) There are a few early survivals of quilted fabrics from the archaeological record, and a few medieval survivals such as the Tristan quilt, but for clothing before the seventeenth century you have only military items like the jack of plates or the gambeson, and the linings of helmets.  In the 1579 poem The faerie queen, Giant Monstrous wore “a jacket quilted richly rare,” and the Royal Armouries has a surviving jack of plates dating to around 1560. A few helmet linings survive, again in the Royal Armouries is a 1590s close helmet with a lining of two layers of canvas stuffed with cotton, and quilted in small squares. Below examples of civilian quilted clothing from the Stuart period are examined.

Caps and informal nightcaps for men

These may have started out as successors to the helmet lining. As early as 1541 Elyot speaking of what he would wear on his head to bed, comments “I did throwe away my quilted cappe, and my other close bonettes, and onlye did lye in a thinne coyfe.” (2) There are few later references, until quilted caps appear again in the middle of the seventeenth century. Between 1652 and 1676 James Master purchased several, usually buying two at a time, in 1660 “for 2 quilted caps and 2 holland ones 3s 6d” (3). A quilted white satin cap of about this date survives in the Victoria & Albert Museum. The rise of the quilted cap in the second half of the seventeenth century may well be linked to the rise in the use of the periwig, James Master was an early adopter, men wore the quilted cap indoors when not wearing a wig. At his death in 1698 Montague Drake owned “nine periwigs” and “four quilted night capps” (4) There are several survivals of this type of cap, the one shown in figure 1 is in the Glasgow Museums collections and is a cream plain weave linen in wadded and corded quilting in black silk thread worked in back stitch in a pattern of stylised flowers, leaves and parallel bands. The National Trust has some plain quilted linen examples, including one dated to 1680-1700.

Fig 2. 1640s. Burrell Collection

Waistcoats for Men

In 1618  a “carnacon taffata quilted wastcote worth twenty shillings” was stolen from Charles Chibborne  Serjeant at-Law.  (5)  Very few of these quilted waistcoats survive, there is one in the Burrell Collection that is associated with Charles II when he was Prince of Wales, the waistcoat is a vibrant pink/red silk satin with an interlining of wool and linen, and was lined with a tabby weave pink/red silk, of which little remains except around the buttonholes. It is edged, and the seams are covered, with a narrow silk braid. There are 25 buttons down the front, which are somewhat flat, and are covered with the same silk braid. It is quilted with zig zag lines worked in running stitch. (figure 2)

Waistcoats for Women

Figure 3. Fashion Museum Bath

Quilted waistcoats for women existed, in 1635 Lucy Gobert, a widow left “one quilted taffetie wascoate £3” (6) Several survive from the later part of the seventeenth century both with and without sleeves, there are examples of these in the Victoria and Albert Museum, and in The Fashion Museum Bath (figure 3).

Petticoats

Mary Evelyn in Mundus Muliebris 1690 talks of “Short under petticoats pure fine…another quilted white and red;: with a broad Flanders lace below.” (7) A surviving quilted petticoat of this date survives, but in miniature, it belongs to the doll known as Lady Clapham, and is of white linen with corded quilting in running stitch with an all over floral pattern. It has two side pockets, and is gathered at the waist with a centre back tape tie.

Man’s doublet and breeches

Probably the best known quilted doublet and breeches are the 1630s suit in the Victoria and Albert Museum. The V&A believe that this might have been made from a bed cover, because there are seams that do not follow the construction of the doublet and the directions of the quilted pattern vary.  A detail of the quilting is shown in figure 4.

Figure 4. Detail. V&A Museum

References

1. Colby, Averil. Quilting. 2nd. London : Batsford, 1983.

2. Elyot, Thomas. The Castel of Helth, Book 4. London : s.n., 1541.

3. Robertson, S. The expense Book of James Master 1646-1676 [Part 3, 1658-1663], transcribed by Mrs Dallison. Archaeologia Cantiana. 1887, Vol. 17, 321-352.

4. Reed, M. Buckinghamshire probate inventories 1661-1714. Buckinghamshire Record Society. 1988, Vol. 24, 258-9.

5. Middlesex Sessions Rolls: 1618. In: Middlesex County Records: Volume 2, 1603-25. Originally published London: . [Online] Middlesex County Record Society, 1887. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/middx-county-records/vol2/pp133-142.

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

7. Evelyn, John. Mundus muliebris: or, the Ladies dressing-room unlock'd, and her toilette spread. In burlesque. Together with the Fop-Dictionary, compiled for the use of the fair sex. London : Printed for R. Bentley, 1690.

Nightcaps, 1550-1750

1600-25. In LACMA, Los Angeles

 Nightcaps were caps worn by men informally at home, and sometimes under a hat. There are a number of portraits in which the sitter wears a nightcap under their hat. In the late sixteenth and first half of the seventeenth century survivals are often heavily embroidered, which is why they have survived. King Charles I matched his nightcaps to his informal wear waistcoats, having in 1632 “a skie cullor sattin wastcoate with one gold and silver lace in a seame lined with plush, with a nightcap suitable wrought all over in rich workes with gold and silver lace, these were incredibly expensive, this set of waistcoat and nightcap together cost £16 9s 10d. A nightcap with matching slippers, said to have belonged to Charles II when he was Prince of Wales, survives in the Burrell Collection in Glasgow. [image below] At the bottom end of the market they were considerably cheaper, in 1608 Robert Booth Esquire had stolen from him in Middlesex, “a linen night cappe worth twelve pence,” while in 1610 Thomas Cademan had stolen “a wroughte nightcappe worth ten shillings.”  

From the 1650s on they are less likely to be embroidered and more likely to be quilted or of velvet, the fashion for periwigs resulting in more shaved heads that required a warm covering. In 1698 Montague Drake, esquire, in Buckinghamshire owned “four quilted night capps” and nine periwigs. In 1682 Richard Matthew, a vicar in Devon owned 15 nightcaps, and John Dale a yeoman in Wiltshire owned two.

Links to some surviving nightcaps – organised by date.

1550-1600. Linen with blackwork and metallic thread embroidery, metallic lace and spangles. Los Angeles County Museum of Art.  https://collections.lacma.org/node/2110101

1570-1600. Linen with polychrome and gold and silver embroidery. Museum number: T.55-1947. Victoria & Albert Museum. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O359994/nightcap/

1570-1600. Linen embroidered with blackwork and metal threads. Accession Number: 43.251. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. https://collections.mfa.org/objects/116887

1570-1630. Linen embroidered with blackwork and metal threads, and silver gilt bobbin lace trim. Museum number: T.224-1968. Victoria & Albert Museum.  http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O359993/nightcap-unknown/

1575-1625. Linen embroidered with blackwork and silver gilt thread. Museum number: 199-1900. Victoria & Albert Museum.  https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O357058/cap-headgear/

1575-1625. Linen with polychrome silks and metallic embroidery. Accession Number: 43.250. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.   https://collections.mfa.org/objects/116883/mans-cap

1580-1600. Linen with silver thread embroidery. Cleveland Museum of Art.    https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1950.352

1580-1620.  Linen with blackwork and metallic thread embroidery, metallic lace and spangles. Los Angeles County Museum of Art. https://collections.lacma.org/node/2092825

1580-1620. Linen, embroidered in black silk and silver gilt thread. Accession number: 2003.6. Manchester City Museums. https://manchesterartgallery.org/collections/title/?mag-object-15262

1580-1620. Linen embroidered with blackwork and metal threads. Museum number: T.140-1929. Victoria & Albert Museum.  http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O357050/cap-headgear-unknown/

c.1580. Linen with polychrome silk and metallic thread embroidery, with spangles and trimmed with metallic-thread lace. Object number: 1987.042. Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design. https://risdmuseum.org/art-design/collection/mans-nightcap-1987042

1590-1600. Linen cap, embroidered in black and silver-gilt. Accession number: 1959.271. Manchester City Museums. https://manchesterartgallery.org/collections/title/?mag-object-6642

1600s. Linen cap lining, with cream silk embroidery and linen lace. Accession Number 1971-50-115. Cooper Hewitt, New York https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18474003/

1600s. Linen, embroidered. Museum reference: A.1889.334. National Museums of Scotland. No image.  https://www.nms.ac.uk/explore-our-collections/collection-search-results/nightcap-mans/350817

c.1600. Linen embroidered with blackwork. Museum number: T.10-1950. Victoria & Albert Museum. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O357668/nightcap/

c.1600.     Silk embroidered in silk and metallic yarns, in rainbows design. Museum number: 1962-53-11. Cooper Hewitt, New York. https://www.cooperhewitt.org/2014/02/12/a-little-nightcap/

c.1600. Uncut and part blackwork embroidered nightcap. Museum number: T.9-1950. Victoria & Albert Museum.   https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O319540/nightcap-panel/

1600-1620. Linen embroidered with black silk and silver-gilt threads. ID Number: 29.132 Burrell collection, Glasgow Museums. (image right) http://collections.glasgowmuseums.com/mwebcgi/mweb?request=record;id=37367;type=101

1600-1620. Linen embroidered with polychrome silk and silver-gilt threads. ID Number:  29.135. Burrell collection, Glasgow Museums. http://collections.glasgowmuseums.com/mwebcgi/mweb?request=record;id=37485;type=101

1600-1620. Linen embroidered with black silk and silver-gilt threads. ID Number: 29.136. Burrell collection, Glasgow Museums. http://collections.glasgowmuseums.com/mwebcgi/mweb?request=record;id=36682;type=101

1600-20. Linen worked with silk and metal threads, and spangles. Accession Number: 64.101.1241. Metropolitan Museum, New York. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/228950?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=64.101.1241&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=1

1600-25. Linen embroidered with polychrome silk and silver-gilt threads. Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust. http://collections.shakespeare.org.uk/search/museum/strst-sbt-1994-70

1600-25. Linen embroidered with polychrome silk and metallic threads. Los Angeles County Museum of Art. https://collections.lacma.org/node/250323

1600-25. Linen with polychrome and gold and silver embroidery of strawberries, with spangles and silver gilt bobbin lace trim. Museum number: 2016-1899. Victoria & Albert Museum. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O15344/nightcap-unknown/

1600-25. Linen embroidered with blackwork and silver gilt. Museum number: 198-1900. Victoria & Albert Museum. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O72529/nightcap-unknown/

1600-25. Linen, embroidered with polychrome and silver-gilt thread with silver-gilt bobbin lace & spangles. Museum number: T.258-1926. Victoria & Albert Museum. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O73335/nightcap-unknown/

1600-25. Linen, embroidered with silver and silver-gilt thread with silver-gilt bobbin lace & spangles. Museum number: T.75-1954. Victoria & Albert Museum. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O357046/cap-unknown/

1600-1625. Linen, embroidered mainly in silver and silver gilt thread, with pink, green and gold silk thread. Accession number: 1971.50. Manchester City Museums. https://manchesterartgallery.org/collections/title/?mag-object-7423

1600-1625. Linen, embroidered in black, silk and silver gilt. Accession number: 1972.113. Manchester City Museums. https://manchesterartgallery.org/collections/title/?mag-object-7435

1600-25. Linen embroidered in plaited braids of silver and silver-gilt thread, trimmed with silver-gilt bobbin lace, and with spangles. ID number 42.51. Museum of London. https://collections.museumoflondon.org.uk/online/object/90475.html

1600-25. Linen embroidered in polychrome silks, and silver and silver-gilt thread. ID number 27.117. Museum of London. https://collections.museumoflondon.org.uk/online/object/90472.html

1600-1630. Linen with wide border of needlepoint lace seamed to lower edge. Accession number: 2003.85. Manchester City Museums. https://manchesterartgallery.org/collections/title/?mag-object-14672

1600-30 Linen lining, said to have been worn by Charles I, plain with cutwork or needle-lace trim. ID number: 35.147/3. Museum of London. https://collections.museumoflondon.org.uk/online/object/91437.html

1600-30. Linen embroidered with blackwork. Museum number: 308-1902. Victoria & Albert Museum.  http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O357057/cap-unknown/

1600-30. Linen embroidered with blackwork. Museum number: 1032-1903. Victoria & Albert Museum. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O357056/cap-headgear/

1600-1630. Linen embroidered with silver and silver-gilt thread with spangles. Museum number: T15-1925. Victoria & Albert Museum.http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O357052/cap-headgear-unknown/

1600-30. Linen, embroidered with polychrome and silver-gilt thread. Museum number: T.16-1925. Victoria & Albert Museum. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O357051/cap-headgear/

1600-1630. Linen, embroidered with black silk, gold thread and gilt spangles. Museum number: 814-1891. Victoria & Albert Museum. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O357060/cap-headgear-unknown/

1600-30. Linen, embroidered with black silk (almost completely missing) and silver-gilt thread. Museum number: 795-1892. Victoria & Albert Museum. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O357059/cap-headgear/

1600-30. Linen, embroidered with green and yellow silk, gilt thread, and green ribbon.  Museum number: T.56-1934. Victoria & Albert Museum. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O357047/cap-headgear/

1610-20. Linen, embroidered with silks, silver metal thread and spangles.  Chertsey Museum. https://chertseymuseum.org/search_collection?filter=nightcap&item=14092

1610-20. Linen, polychrome silk and metal threads. Fashion Museum, Bath. The Fashion Museum does not have an online search facility. The nightcap is on their Facebook page

c.1620. Uncut and part polychrome embroidered nightcap. Museum number: T.39-1955.Victoria & Albert Museum. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O357612/nightcap-unknown/

c.1620. Linen, polychrome silk and metal threads. Sold at Bonhams. https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24678/lot/139/?category=list

1640-45. Pink silk satin embroidered in silk, silver and silver-gilt threads, with matching slippers (29.144-145). ID Number: 29.133. Burrell collection, Glasgow Museums. (shown left) http://collections.glasgowmuseums.com/mwebcgi/mweb?request=record;id=37208;type=101

1640-60. Red velvet embroidered in metal threads. ID Number: 29.315. Burrell collection, Glasgow Museums. http://collections.glasgowmuseums.com/mwebcgi/mweb?request=record;id=447014;type=101

1650-60.  Quilted white satin. Museum number: 786-1864. Victoria & Albert Museum. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O357061/cap-headgear/

1675–1725. Green silk velvet embroidered with gold-metallic thread. Accession Number: 38.1298. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. https://collections.mfa.org/objects/46601/mans-negligee-cap

1675–1725. Light brown silk, embroidered with silks and metallic thread. Accession Number: 38.1308. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. https://collections.mfa.org/objects/46615/mans-cap

1675-1700. Linen in the chinoiserie style, embroidered in black, red, pink and yellow silk, turned up, peaked brim, lined yellow silk and bound with yellow silk ribbon. Accession number: 1952.123. Manchester City Museums. https://manchesterartgallery.org/collections/title/?mag-object-5833

1675-1700. Linen in the chinoiserie style, embroidered in yellow silk, turned up, peaked brim, unlined. Accession number: 2012.82. Manchester City Museums. https://manchesterartgallery.org/collections/title/?mag-object-5833

1675-1700. Linen, embroidered with silk (note museum dating of first quarter 17^th century is wrong). Accession Number: 39.145. Metropolitan Museum, New York. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/101826?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&deptids=62%7c8&when=A.D.+1600-1800&what=Costume&ft=cap&offset=20&rpp=20&pos=22

1680-1700. Quilted linen. Object number: NT 1348925. National Trust, Snowshill. http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/1348925

1680-1720. Linen, embroidered over entire surface with yellow silk and coloured silks, lined with blue silk, blue silk turned-back brim trimmed with silver bobbin lace. Accession number: 2003.108. Manchester City Museums. https://manchesterartgallery.org/collections/title/?mag-object-14671

1680-1720. Linen, cotton, with silk embroidery. Accession Number 1951-105-32. Cooper Hewitt Collection, New York. https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18386589/

1680-1720. Cream silk embroidered cross stitch in green silk. Accession Number: 26.231.8. Metropolitan Museum, New York. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/98367?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&deptids=62%7c8&when=A.D.+1600-1800&what=Costume&ft=cap&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=2

1690-1700. Scarlet velvet embroidered in silver and silver gilt, with a spilt point brim. Museum number: T.95-1967. Victoria & Albert Museum. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O353236/nightcap-unknown/

1700-60. Quilted linen. National Trust, Snowshill. http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/1348924

1700-50. Green silk embroidered in silk. Accession Number: C.I.46.9.224. Metropolitan Museum, New York. (image left) https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/116700?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&deptids=62%7c8&when=A.D.+1600-1800&what=Costume&ft=cap&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=20

1700-50. Silk with embroidery. Accession Number: 43.311. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. https://collections.mfa.org/objects/116815/mans-cap

1700-50. Blue silk embroidered with straw. Accession Number: 38.1315. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. https://collections.mfa.org/objects/46627/cap

1700-50. Linen with quilting and embroidery. Accession Number: 1973.486. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.  https://collections.mfa.org/objects/123621/mans-cap

1700-50. Blue silk with silk and metallic-thread embroidery, and metallic-thread lace trim.  Los Angeles County Museum of Art.   https://collections.lacma.org/node/214537

1700-20. Blue silk, embroidered in silk. Object number: NT 1348924. National Trust, Snowshill http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/1348948

1700-20. Scarlet velvet embroidered in silver thread. Object number: NT 1348949. National Trust, Snowshill. http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/1348949

1700-20. Pink silk with metallic embroidery. Accession Number: 43.307. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.   https://collections.mfa.org/objects/116801/mans-cap

1700-20. White satin silk with embroidery. Accession Number: 38.1307. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. https://collections.mfa.org/objects/46613/cap

1700-20. Linen, Italian quilting. Museum reference: A.1979.19. National Museums of Scotland. No image. https://www.nms.ac.uk/explore-our-collections/collection-search-results/nightcap-mans/350820

1700-1725. Linen, backed by coarser linen; turned up brim. Embroidered through both layers in white linen, chiefly in satin stitch, french knots and drawn fabric work. Accession number: 1948.1. Manchester City Museums. https://manchesterartgallery.org/collections/title/?mag-object-5527

1700-1725. Red silk velvet, lined with pale blue spotted silk.  Museum number:T.44-1918, Victoria and Albert Museum.  http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O139654/nightcap-unknown/

1710. Linen with wadded and corded quilting in black.  ID Number:29.140.  Burrell collection, Glasgow Museums. http://collections.glasgowmuseums.com/mwebcgi/mweb?request=record;id=36131;type=101

c.1720. Cream silk with pink silk brim, embroidered with silk threads. Accession Number: C.I.39.13.278. Metropolitan Museum, New York. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/112625?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&deptids=62%7c8&when=A.D.+1600-1800&what=Costume&ft=cap&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=17

1725-75. Cream silk with silk and metallic-thread embroidery, and metallic-thread lace trim.  Los Angeles County Museum of Art. https://collections.lacma.org/node/233262

1725-50. Green silk with silk and metallic-thread embroidery, and metallic-thread lace trim.  Los Angeles County Museum of Art. https://collections.lacma.org/node/246507

c.1730.  Green lampas (silk fabric with a brocading weft). Accession Number 1951-105-31 Cooper Hewitt Collection, New York.  https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18386587/

1740-60. Leather. Object number: NT 1348951. National Trust, Snowshill.  http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/1348951

1740-60. Shot green/yellow silk. Object number: NT 1348950. National Trust, Snowshill.  http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/1348950

1740-50. Red velvet, with turned-up brim and a tassel. Museum number: T.43-1918. Victoria & Albert Museum.  https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O353241/nightcap/

1740-50. Pale blue silk damask, with turned-up brim and tassel. Museum number: 294-1906. Victoria & Albert Museum. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O353247/nightcap/

c.1750. Linen, embroidered with silk, and a silver braid edging. Accession Number: 38.1297. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. https://collections.mfa.org/objects/46598/mans-negligee-cap

1700s. Orangey-red brocaded silk. Accession Number 1952-47-2. Cooper Hewitt Collection, New York. https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18392135/

1700s. Yellow brocaded silk. Accession Number 1951-105-30. Cooper Hewitt Collection, New York. https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18386585/

1700s. Linen embroidered with cotton. Accession Number 1950-19-1. Cooper Hewitt Collection, New York. https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18392133/

1700s. Yellow embroidered silk, with metallic lace trim. Accession Number 1952-47-1. Cooper Hewitt Collection, New York. https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18384431/

1700s. Linen embroidered with whitework and with a tassel. Accession Number: 43.1696. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. https://collections.mfa.org/objects/120485/nightcap

Gown, cap and slipper sets

What does the early seventeenth century gentleman wear for lounging around the house? Possibly a [night]gown, [night]cap and slipper set, perhaps with a waistcoat. We do have a very few survivals of, and references to, these sets.

Charles, Prince of Wales nightcap. Burrell Collection

A gown, cap and slipper set thought to have belonged to Francis Verney (1584 –1615), the black sheep of the Verney family, is at the family home Claydon House, which is now in the ownership of the National Trust. Unfortunately the items are not on display and there are no photographs of the outfit on the National Trust website. The record on the website says: “A purple silk damask man's robe, cap and slippers. The robe is lined with slate blue silk shag which is a fabric with a long pile simulating fur. The robe is decorated with gold and silver braid and has matching buttons. It was reputed to have belonged to Sir Francis Verney and to have been sent back to Claydon from Messina in Sicily where he died. Sir Francis left England and his family in 1608 and became a pirate on the Barbary coast of North Africa.” Janet Arnold took a pattern of the gown in her Patterns of Fashion, vol 3. (Arnold, 1985) All the photographs of the gown in that book are black and white. There is a colour photograph of the gown here, and in 17^th century men’s dress patterns. (Braun, et al., 2016) Also a colour close up of the gown appears in The Art of Dress (Ashelford, 1996 p. 64), this shows the gown as a much more vibrant colour than the full length photo available online and you can see the damask patterning.

Richard Sackville, 3^rd Earl of Dorset has a similar set in his 1617 inventory. The gown is described thus: “one faire tufftaffetie gowne of tawney laced with two faire gold laces about two downe the back and twoe down the sleeves, with faire buttons and loopes made of the same lace, lyned with a tawney unshorne velvet.” The matching slippers and cap appear in the inventory as “one paire of slippers of tawney tufftaffetie laced with six gold laces of a slipper” and “one capp of tufftaffetie laced with gold lace suteable to the gowne”  (MacTaggart, 1980)

In 1634 King Charles I purchased a nightgown “of skiecullor brocated sattin lined with rich aurora cullor plush and a waistcoat to the same of aurora cullor sattine, trimmed with a gold and silver frenchwork open compass lace and buttons.” He also purchases a chamber gown; “ of crimson wrought velvet with two broad laces, and short sleeves laced all over, the lace being six times sewd on verie thicke with bigg buttons and large loopes on all the santes, and all the sleeves lined with plush.” (Strong, 1980)

The online image of the Verney slipper is taken from above which gives it a rather strange aspect. Similar “slippers” do survive. In the V&A museum we have a heeled pair from the 1650s of red velvet with silver gilt embroidery. Another pair with silver gilt embroidery, this time on salmon pink satin, and also dating from the 1650s is in the Museum of London. This slipper in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, has a slight wedge heel and is earlier, from the first quarter of the 17^th century. Another slipper, which was found in Scotland, has been dated to 1640-1660. King Charles in one year spends £28 19s 2¾d on slippers.

On a further occasion King Charles I purchases a waistcoat that is the same sky blue colour as his gown. The waistcoat is; “of skiecullor sattin, lined with sarcenet and ratine” and comes with “a nightcapp laced with gould and silver lace all in rich workes lined with taffaty.” The waistcoat and nightcap together cost him £11 16s 3d. Sky blue seems to be his colour for this type of garment as the following year he purchases, “a skie cullor sattin wastcoate with one gold and silver lace in a seame lined with plush, with a nightcap suitable wrought all over in rich workes with gold and silver lace.” (Strong, 1980)

The matching slippers, Burrell Collection

A waistcoat, nightcap and slippers set, reputedly belonging to Charles II when he was Prince of Wales is in the Burrell collection in Glasgow, and I have already blogged about them. The nightcap and matching slippers are shown here.

Bibliography

Arnold, J. 1985. Patterns of Fashion: the cut and construction of clothes for men and women c. 1560-1620. London : Macmillan, 1985.

Ashelford, Jane. 1996. The art of dress. London : National Trust Books, 1996.

Braun, M, et al. 2016. 17th-century men's dress patterns 1600-1630. London : Thames & Hudson, 2016. 978 0 500 51905 9.

MacTaggart, P and A. 1980. The rich wearing apparel of Richard, 3rd Earl of Dorset. Costume. 1980, Vol. 14.

Strong, R. 1980. Charles I's clothes for the years 1633 to 1635. Costume. 1980, Vol. 14.