Upon leaving Kenilworth the Queen and her entourage next
visited the town of Lichfield. Happily, a record was kept of the “Accompte of
Symon Byddull and John Walkelet, Bayliefis and Justic's of Peace within the
Cyttye of Lich[field],”[1]
associated with the Queen’s stay. Like all such accounts, it provides us with
details that don’t tend to show up in written narratives about events.
Much as was described in our account of the 1564 visit to
Cambridge “A special traveling staff called the “harbingers” arrived a day ortwo before the Queen trailed by drovers and carts.”[2]
Her hosts were responsible for their pay and lodging — as they were generally responsible
for the honoraria and lodging of all of her staff during her stay.
|
Item |
₤ |
s |
d |
|
It'm, to the Queene's Maties Harbengers |
0 |
10 |
0 |
The harbingers would verify that all of the various work for
the royal visit was complete or on schedule. Rooms would be inspected for
location and fitness. Kitchens would be inspected. If anything was lacking they
would order it done. The main officers of the household would arrive next to
see to it that all had been properly accomplished.
In Worcester — a larger city on the itinerary — the city
gates were then being painted with the Royal Arms by way of dutiful submission.
In Worcester and Lichfield, both, orders
had gone out to all citizens along the Queen’s route to paint their houses in
bright, festive fresh colors. Town workmen cleaned foul materials out of
ditches, covered puddles and offal in the streets with dirt and/or sand. The
route was covered with rushes as the final layer.
Thomas Harvye would be paid one shilling to provide poles
for the work scaffold upon which the workers would stand for various tasks,
foremost for painting the Market Cross before which the festivities would take
place. Another man would be paid one shilling “for takynge downe the scaffold”
and carting it away.
We learn that the Clerk of the Market, in Lichfield, was the
Master-of-Ceremonies, upon the Queen’s arrival, for at least the citizen’s welcoming
ceremony.
|
Item |
₤ |
s |
d |
|
It'm, to the Clerke of the M[ar]kett |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
It'm, to the Trumpettors, at the tyme of p[ro]clamc[i]on, made by the
Clerke of the M[a]rket |
0 |
10 |
0 |
He would read the proclamation of joy and obedience to the Queen before the Market Cross among applause and fanfares.
And, of course, the bell-ringers of the Lichfield Cathedral must
be paid. Not only would the Queen’s arrival be celebrated by trumpets and but
by the most ornate peals of the highly practiced ringers.
|
—————— the Ringers of Saynt Marye's Churche |
1 |
4 |
0 |
It was the cathedral, after all, that put Lichfield on the map. There wasn’t much more to attract a visit from the Queen.
Of course, the mayor, aldermen and other Town officials
would meet her first at the city limits, in their finest official attaire, to
declare their obedience and provide her with a gift from the town — usually a large
gilt or silver cup filled with large denomination coins bearing her likeness.
Next follows a longish list of payments to the Queen’s
various servants.
|
Item |
₤ |
s |
d |
|
It'm, to the Fotemen |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
It'm, to the Messengers of the Chamber |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
*** |
|
|
|
|
—————— Yomen of the bottells |
0 |
13 |
4 |
|
—————— the Queene's Porter's |
0 |
10 |
0 |
|
*** |
|
|
|
|
It'm, to the Slawghter men |
0 |
3 |
4 |
|
It'm, to the Queene's Coachemen |
0 |
10 |
0 |
|
—————— Post maister |
1 |
0 |
0 |
The item for “them of the P[ri]vye backhowse” would seem to
suggest that some variation upon Tudor Port-a-Potties were available, along
with attendants, to supply the vastly increased population needing such relief.
The Post Master of the traveling Court kept official mail flowing for it was
still vital to manage all of the affairs of the kingdom while on progress. Of
course, a pound was worth a great deal more than it is nowadays.
Food and delivery had to be paid for:
|
It'm, to Gregorye Ballard's Maid, for brynginge checkyns |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
—————— Rob'rt Dale, for salt fysshe |
0 |
6 |
0 |
|
—————— Nycholas Smyth, for victualls |
1 |
17 |
1 |
These expenses were paid in order to feed the town’s workers
who were hired to make the preparations. The Court bought and prepared its own
food. Poisoning intentional and unintentional was a constant concern. No third
party except closely supervised kitchen personnel were permitted to come into
contact with the entourage’s food. Of course, the Queen and her entourage also
had individual meal preferences that would be carefully followed.
The same townsman who supplied his maid for errands carried
the town’s mail back and forth to Kenilworth during the Queen’s visit there:
|
It'm, to Gregorye Ballard, for goinge wth l[ett]res to Kyllyngworthe |
0 |
3 |
10 |
Among the letters he would carry would likely be the town
charter. These visits were also used to review, and, if considered appropriate,
to revise the charter. Often towns took the opportunity to petition for relief
of onerous conditions or of grievances. Showing the Queen a particularly good
time could have its benefits.
As it turns out, the Earl of Warwick made his players
available to entertain all. They may or may not have performed plays but they
are certain to have performed acrobatic feats.
|
—————— to my Lorde of Warwyk's Players |
0 |
8 |
8 |
They may also have traveled ahead of the Court in order to
provide entertainment at all of the stops within the lands of the Earl.
While all of this was more or less common for all stops of
the Queen on her annual progresses, there is one entry in the books of
Lichfield that was not.
|
Wm Hollcroft, for kepynge Madde Richard when her Matie was here |
0 |
5 |
0 |
Mr. Hollcroft was tasked with caring for “Madde Richard” — presumably a
mentally ill citizen of the town — in order to assure that he would not cause a
scene. It is more common, in general, to see provisions in various 16th
century records regarding provision for the care of mentally ill individuals,
referred to by name, than might be thought. Entries concerning them surprisingly
often suggest that their special needs were accommodated as a normal responsibility
of life. Five shillings was a considerable amount so Richard must have been a
handful.
[1] Nichols,
John. The Progresses and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth (1823).
I.529.
[2]
Purdy, Gilbert Wesley. “Elizabeth I’s Progress to Cambridge University, 1564:
The Host Makes Ready.” Virtual Grub Street. April 4, 2021. https://gilbertwesleypurdy.blogspot.com/2021/04/elizabeth-is-progress-to-cambridge.html
Also at Virtual Grub Street:
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