Medieval | Author, Jane Lark's stories

In a Tudor household

By the time the House of Tudor took the English throne in 1485, Christmas was a big event in the calendar, and in the life of British people. Everyone was expected to stop their daily life and celebrate for the 12 days of Christmas. In 1541, Henry VIII banned all sports on Christmas Day except archery, to encourage people to focus on Christmas. In 1551 his son Edward VI, passed a law that everybody should walk to church to attend the services.

Feasting was an important part of Christmas day for every household, and with the manorial system across the country people dined on long trestle tables in the lord of the manor’s hall, or with the farmers they worked for, large gatherings were the norm. Turkeys were already in Britain, they had been brought to Europe from their native America in 1519, and sprouts appeared on record in festive cookery in 1587.

In a Cromwellian household

But then came the English Civil War, in the 1600s, commonly known as a battle between King and Parliament, it was equally a battle between moderate and radicle puritan Christians. As the Civil War progressed those that had begun the war, angered by the King’s desire to fight battles against other Puritan states while he defended Catholics and charged his people taxes to fight the wars they disagreed with, saw the tide turn. They had not begun the war because of religion, but those with radicle beliefs gradually took over Parliament, and in the end they arrested and disposed of anyone who disagreed with their extreme point of view. Over indulgences were frowned on, theatres were told to close, saints’ days were no long holidays and any form of recognition of pagan beliefs or religious images were frowned on and then finally banned by law.

In 1644 it was Christmas’s turn to come under Cromwell’s power. Any celebration of Christmas was banned by law. Cromwell called Christmas ‘an extraeme forgetfulnesse of Christ, by giving liberty to carnall and sensual delights.’ By law, Christmas was a work day, all merchants had to open for business by law, there were no church services – unless the day fell on a Sunday. Carols were forbidden and anyone caught cooking Christmas foods or singing Carols might be fined, or worse.

When King Charles II was restored to the thrown in 1660 these laws were reverted, but even so Britain had become used to a less raucous, extreme celebration.

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I love this little library that was not in a big house, but in a middle-class farmhouse! Of course it now appears as a scene set in Treacle Moon!

This small family library contains some of the National Trust’s most valuable possessions.

The middle-class farmhouse lifestyle that is preserved at Townend in the Lake District, England, has meant that some extremely rare books have been preserved.

These books were not expensive when they bought, this family were well off but not rich. These are books that would have been purchased from travelling sellers who brought such luxuries as ribbons, lace and other treats to the door or market.

They were general reading almost pamphlets. Things like Romances. In the same style as those that published the story of Harriett Wilson, the courtesan who inspired the Marlow Family Secrets Series. In most households these books were lost long ago.

In the pictures below is one of the books, ‘The Crafty Chamber-maids Garland,‘ and the full information about this and other books is available on the National Trust website link below.

It’s also lovely that the stewards told us the family obviously read the books as part of their daily life. The pages have food stains, grass stains and even paw prints on them.