Bounteous Buckingham

The festive period of 1507 was a time of great extravagance - and food - for the household of Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham (1478-1521). Edward Stafford was the nephew of Queen Elizabeth of York through her younger sister Katherine, and was therefore a first cousin of King Henry VIII.

The Christmas period of 1507 was celebrated by the Stafford family at their manor of Thornbury Castle in Gloucestershire. Christmas Day saw the Duke host 299 people for dinner, and even more astoundingly hosted 459 people on Epiphany Day on the 6th January 1508. For this extravagant feasting and hospitality shown by the Duke, he was named 'Bounteous Buckingham'.

Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham

Christmas Day 1507 saw the Duke entertain 182 strangers, with 176 in attendance for supper in the evening - this number is in addition to the Duke's family and household members.

In attendance;

95 Gentry, 107 Yeoman, 97 Grooms attended Dinner

84 Gentry, 114 Yeoman, 92 Grooms attended Supper 

Food eaten: 4 swans, 4 geese, 5 suckling pigs, 1 carcass and seven rounds of beef, 9 carcasses of mutton, 4 pigs, 1 1/2 calves, 14 capons, 18 chickens, 21 rabbits, 1 peacock, 3 mallards, 5 widgeons, 12 teals, 3 woodcocks, 22 syntes, 12 large birds, 400 hens eggs, 2 dishes of butter, 10 flagons of milk, 1 flagon of rum, 2 flagons of frumety, and herbs. 

Drink consumed: 11 bottles and 3 quarts of Gascony wine, 1½ pitchers of Rhenish wine, ½ pitcher Malvoisey and 171 flagons and 1 quart of ale.

Thornbury Castle

On the 6th of January the Feast of the Epiphany was celebrated with the grand total of 459 people present. The majority of those in attendance being strangers whom the Duke had opened his home to; 319 at dinner and 279 at supper. Due to the huge number of people attending the feasts, the Duke of Buckingham brought in two extra cooks from Bristol to cope with the demand.

In attendance; 

134 Gentry, 188 Yeomen, 197 Grooms attended Dinner

126 Gentry, 176 Yeomen, 98 Grooms attended Supper

The guest list: The Duke's sister Lady Anne with fifteen attendants, Robert Poyntz with nine, Edmund Gorges with seven, John Rodney and six, Maurice Berkeley and nine, Richard Berkeley and five, James Berkeley and three, Thomas Welsh and three, Richard Frye (duke's cousin) and three, William Kingston and three, Doctor Thower and four, two Auditors and five, Robert Peverell and two, Humphrey Blount and two, John Burrell and two, Edward Garth and two. Bailiff of Hatfield Broadoak, and two. Bailiff of Oakham, and two. The Bailiff of Navisby, the Bailiff of Rowell, two of the Duke's tenants of Penshurst, one of Blechingley, Hugh Boughey and two, William Kemys, Thomas Morgan and three, William Morgan, the Receiver of Newport and two, two men in service to the Lord of Newport, twelve in service to the Lord of Brecon with ten attendants, chaplain John Barton, eighteen singers and nine chapel boys, the Receiver of Surrey and Kent and three, three tenants of the Lord of Brecon, the vicar of Christchurch and two, Henry Dunstan, the Abbot of Kingswood and four, a hermit, a bondman, a joiner, a brickmaker, and embroiderer with two assistants, a goldsmith from Bristol and two hardwaremen, as well as 42 people from the town and 95 from the country.

Food eaten on Epiphany; 678 loaves of bread, 2 manchets*, 36 rounds of beef, 12 sheep, 2 calves, 4 pigs, 1 dried ling, 2 salt cod, 2 hard fish, 1 salt sturgeon, 3 swans, 6 geese, 6 suckling pigs, 10 capons, 1 lamb, 2 peacocks, 2 herons, 22 rabbits, 18 chickens, 9 mallards, 23 widgeons, 18 teals, 16 woodcocks, 20 snipes, 9 dozen large birds, 6 dozen small birds, 3 dozen larks, 9 quail, 1/2 fresh salmon, 1 fresh cod, 4 dogfish, 2 tench, 7 small beams, 1/2 fresh conger, 21 small roaches, 6 large fresh eels, 10 small whitings, 18 flounders, 100 lampreys, 3 plaice, 400 eggs, 24 dishes of butter, 15 flagons of milk, 3 flagons of cream, 2 gallons of frumenty and 200 oysters.

Drink consumed; 8 gallons and 6 pitchers of wine, 259 flagons and 3 quarts of ale, 33 pottles** and 1 pitcher and 1 quart of Gascony wine, four pitchers and a half of Malvoisey wine, 7 pitchers of Rhenish wine, 1 pitcher of Ossey wine.

Also used was; 8 prickets***, 20 quarriers, 9 sises, 46/5 of candle, 10 loads of fuel, 12 quarters of charcoal, hay and litter for 49 of the Duke's horses as well as 62 horses of the Duke's attendants.

The entertainment which was enjoyed during these great feasts included the Duke's own household members such as minstrels, an idiot and a bear. Also, he made payments for two minstrels, six trumpeters, four waits from Bristol and four players sent by the Duke's brother-in-law the Earl of Northumberland from Writhill. It is also likely there were harpists and wrestlers present.

*A manchet is a loaf of the finest white bread, weighing 6oz

**Pottles were a quantity of two quarts

***Prickets were spikes used to hold candles

Elizabeth's marchpanes

Marchpane is an old name for marzipan; a dessert item which is made from sugar and almonds. Queen Elizabeth I was known for having a sweet tooth and therefore a beautifully crafted and decorated marchpane piece would have been an ideal gift for the queen. The detail and creativity of a marchpane, as well as the high costs of making one due to the amount of sugar which is needed, meant that it was usually only enjoyed by wealthy nobles as well as at the royal court.  

Cookbook by Hannah Woolley, 1672

Gifts of marchpane given to Queen Elizabeth I at New Years celebrations;

1561-2
By George Webster, Master Cook, a marchpanne, being a chess boarde.
By Richarde Hickes, Yeomen of the Chamber, a very faire marchepane made like a tower, with men and sundry artillery in it.
By John Revell, Surveiour of the Workes, a marchpane, with the modell of Powle's churches and steeples in past.

1577-8
By John Smithson, a feyer marchpan. 

1578-9
By John Smythesone, alias Taylor, Master Cooke, a fayre march pane with a cattell in myddes.

1588-9
By John Smithson, Master Cooke, one faire marchpayne, with St. George in the middest.

John Smythson, Master Cook, 1568

John Smythson (1523-90) had become Master Cook to Elizabeth I by 1562 and later Chief Master Cook by 1575, whilst his wife Elizabeth was the queen's Laundress. John's mother Elizabeth Smythe had been Laundress to King Edward VI. Given the fact that John is recorded with two surnames, this indicates that he could have been illegitimate, and that his mother's surname was Smythe and it was only after her death that he named himself Smythson, means that his father's name was Taylor and he was not married to John's mother. The adoption of the surname Smythson in 1562 was perhaps a means to show his love for his mother and to honour her memory, but also to strengthen the link between them legally so that he would be able to inherit the property she was in control of. 

In 1562 John leased directly from Queen Elizabeth significant property in Westminster, which had previously been leased to his mother for life, who had died that year. The lease was to be for twenty-one years and included Vyne Garden, which contained a vineyard, as well as a meadow and close called Kechenors and Bergeons, Ostrey Garden and a close called Mylbancke which was situation within the grounds of St Peter's Abbey in Westminster

In 1572 John Smythson received a grant of arms; an indication of his ascension at court, which meant that he was held in high regard by the queen and therefore was able to obtain a number of properties and lands, which he could then pass on to his daughter. 

John Smythson continued to acquire property throughout his life; in 1573 he purchased ten acres of wood in Kidbrook in Kent, the lease of the church and it's lands of Worlaby in Lincolnshire, and the manor of Hide in Herefordshire along with lands in Hidehill, Aldon and Wintercote. In 1575 he acquired four acres of land in Eltham and Bexley. In 1582 John bought one third of a cottage and land in Eltham. 

John and Elizabeth Smythson had a daughter Elizabeth, who married Hugh Miller and had a son called Smythson and a daughter called Susan. A witness to John's Will in 1588 was Ambrosio Lupo, a prominent court musician - for more on this individual see my blog post on the Lupo musicians. John Smythson was buried in Eltham parish church in July 1590, where his wife joined him three years later. 

Master Cooks

King Henry VIII - John Brickett, who was pensioned off after King Henry's death in 1547 after serving

                           him for many years

King Edward VI - Richard Curry, who had been Edward's cook when he was a child, served until his                                          death.

                           George Webster, employed in Edward's kitchens after the death of his previous 

                           employer the Duke of Richmond in 1536.

Queen Mary I - Thomas Burrage, who had served King Henry since the 1530's and had been in 

                          Mary's service from 1547.

Queen Elizabeth I - Francis Piggott was given the position of Master Cook upon her accession; his 

                              father had been a yeoman cook to Princess Mary in the 1520's and by 1534 was 

                              her Master Cook.

                              John Smythson.