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    British Costume from Earliest Times to 1820
    British Costume from Earliest Times to 1820
    British Costume from Earliest Times to 1820
    Ebook765 pages5 hours

    British Costume from Earliest Times to 1820

    By Mrs. Charles H. Ashdown

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    About this ebook

    Hard-to-find classic drew on primary sources — actual costumes, illuminated manuscripts, effigies, etc. — to provide authentic detailed coverage of what people wore in Britain from the early Saxon period (ca. A.D. 460) to the reign of King George III (1820). Clothing of commoners, royalty, and ecclesiastics. Indispensable for fashion historians.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDover Publications
    Release dateSep 6, 2012
    ISBN9780486147628
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    • 2/5
      Mrs. Ashdown's book is fun, but not very reliable as a source. One can't entirely blame her for this; costume research was still new and full of Victorian misconceptions when this book was written (early 20th century). The book includes several lovely full-color photo plates in which people wear reconstructed costumes of various periods. We now know that many of the details in Ashdown's book are not correct, but the effort put into these photos is still admirable. (Note that the woman on the cover wearing a 14th century cotehardie is clearly wearing a turn of the 20th century corset!) I suggest that you not use this as a main source for costuming research, but it is a fun book to look through if you can avoid the pitfalls.

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    Book preview

    British Costume from Earliest Times to 1820 - Mrs. Charles H. Ashdown

    LADY, temp. HENRY VI. (frontispiece, p. ii)

    SAXON (p. 9)

    SAXON LADY (p. 19)

    LADY, circa 1290 (p. 67)

    LADY, temp. HENRY VI.

    Head-dress.—The horned; note the coronet and the size of the cauls.

    Robe.—The short-waisted, train in front and behind, V-shaped opening in bodice.

    Cincture.—Very broad, from which depends the gypcière.

    Underdress.—Decorated with heraldic designs.

    (Photographed direct from examples used in the Author’s lecture upon Mediæval Costume and Head-dresses.)

    Published in Canada by General Publishing Company, Ltd., 30 Lesmill Road, Don Mills, Toronto, Ontario.

    Bibliographical Note

    This Dover edition, first published in 2001, is an unabridged republication of the book originally published in 1910 under the title British Costume during XIX Centuries (Civil and Ecclesiastical) by T. C. & E. C. Jack, Ltd., London. The only significant alteration consists in retaining the nine color plates in black and white in their original positions in the book, as well as reproducing them all in full color on the covers.

    DOVER Pictorial Archive SERIES

    This book belongs to the Dover Pictorial Archive Series. You may use the designs and illustrations for graphics and crafts applications, free and without special permission, provided that you include no more than ten in the same publication or project. (For permission for additional use, please write to Permissions Department, Dover Publications, Inc., 31 East 2nd Street, Mineola, N.Y 11501.)

    However, republication or reproduction of any illustration by any other graphic service, whether it be in a book or in any other design resource, is strictly prohibited.

    Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

    Ashdown, Charles H., Mrs.

    [British costume during XIX centuries (civil and ecclesiastical)]

    British costume from earliest times to 1820 / Mrs. Charles H. Ashdown.

    p. cm.

    Originally published: British costume during XIX centuries (civil and ecclesiastical). London: T.C. & E.C. Jack, 1910.

    The only significant alteration consists in retaining the nine color plates in black and white in their original positions in the book, as well as repeating them all in full color on the covers—T.p. verso.

    Includes index.

    9780486147628

    1. Costume—Great Britain—History. I. Title.

    GT730 .A7 2001

    391’.00942—dc21

    2001032304

    Manufactured in the United States of America

    Dover Publications, Inc., 31 East 2nd Street, Mineola, N.Y. 11501

    THIS BOOK

    IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED TO

    MY HUSBAND

    TO WHOSE INVALUABLE HELP AND ENCOURAGEMENT

    DURING THE PRODUCTION OF THIS WORK I AM

    MUCH INDEBTED

    PREFACE

    BOOKS upon costume are to a certain extent plentiful, but those long-suffering individuals who have occasion to search them frequently, or possess the wish to grasp and thoroughly comprehend the exact style prevailing during a particular period in, say, the Middle Ages, can fully testify to the complete confusion prevailing in the majority of works upon the subject. Thus, styles which were in vogue for only a short period are vaguely defined as fourteenth century, Plantagenet, or Edwardian, as the case may be, while the approximate time when any costume died out—which is just as important as its introduction—is practically never alluded to.

    It was with a humble but earnest endeavour to rectify this condition of things, and to introduce some degree of order and method, whereby definite styles could be appropriated to definite periods, that I began a course of methodical research in the manuscript department of the British Museum to verify years of previous work, and the result will, I hope, be appreciated by those who are interested in the subject. The method and general arrangement followed is similar to that carried out in the companion volume upon Arms and Armour by my husband, which has received many encomiums for its definiteness and lucidity. For the first time a system of classifying the costume of the ladies according to the head-dress which prevailed has been attempted, and it is hoped with success. There is undoubtedly a great revival of interest in the wearing apparel of our ancestors at the time of writing, possibly owing to the numerous Pageants which have been held during the past few years, and it should be hailed with satisfaction; for if they have led to costumes being produced which are historically correct, much educational work will have been accomplished. To the earnest student, however, there have been many occasions for regret when painful anachronisms have appeared upon the arena, but these have been growing less year by year.

    With some notable exceptions the representation of historical costume upon the stage is still almost in its infancy, so far as the periods anterior to the Tudor are concerned, and this is most sincerely to be deplored, inasmuch as mediæval costume has a charm and grace of its own which is quite unknown to post-Reformation dress. By actual experience I have found upon more than one occasion that an audience pays much more critical and appreciative attention to a play which is costumed strictly in accordance with historical detail, and as such is duly advertised, than to one dressed in a pot-pourri of stage dresses, which are invariably a réchauffé of costumes authentic, conjectural, and mythical. The idea prevailing among stage costumiers that a dress cannot be striking without multitudinous furbelows is doubtless responsible for many of the lamentable mistakes so frequently seen, and the manager of a theatre who insists upon rigid adherence to historical accuracy in preference to the effectiveness at one time chiefly aimed at, richly deserves the warmest thanks of the community. In the illustrations of books, too, there is much to be done before satisfactory work is achieved, and this remark also applies specially to costumes ante-dating the Tudor period. Perhaps the most earnest workers in the realm of truth are the many artists who ransack every available authority in the sincere endeavour to produce pictures combining beauty with absolute truthfulness, though some are beguiled into representing both civil and military dress by the fantastic illustrations of certain fifteen century illuminators of manuscripts, who revelled in imagery and depicted impossibly fantastic costumes, which are eagerly followed by stained-glass window artists, wood-carvers, sculptors, and modern-day illuminators.

    I take this opportunity of expressing my indebtedness to the custodians of the Manuscript Department of the British Museum and Printed Books Department; also to those at South Kensington Museum and the National Gallery; to the curators of the Public Libraries at Eastbourne, Whitby, Nottingham, St, Albans, Brighton, St. Heliers, &c.

    My thanks are also due to H. J. Toulmin, Esq., E. P. Debenham, Esq., W. M. Myddelton, Esq., to those ladies and gentlemen who have kindly acted as models for the coloured illustrations, and to my husband for kind revision of proofs.

    (MRS.) CHARLES H. ASHDOWN.

    MONASTERY CLOSE,

    ST. ALBANS, HERTS.

    Table of Contents

    Title Page

    Copyright Page

    Dedication

    PREFACE

    Table of Figures

    FIRST PART: CIVIL

    CHAPTER I

    CHAPTER II - THE SAXON PERIOD, c. 460 TO 1066

    CHAPTER III - THE NORMAN PERIOD

    CHAPTER IV - THE NORMAN PERIOD (continued)

    CHAPTER V - HENRY II., 1154—1189; RICHARD I., 1189-1199; AND JOHN, 1199—1216

    CHAPTER VI - HENRY III., 1216-1272

    CHAPTER VII - EDWARD I., 1878-1307

    CHAPTER VIII - EDWARD II., 1307-1327

    CHAPTER IX - EDWARD III., 1327-1377

    CHAPTER X - RICHARD II., 1377-1399

    CHAPTER XI - HENRY IV., 1399-1413. HENRY V., 1413-1422

    CHAPTER XII - HENRY VI., 1422-1461

    CHAPTER XIII - EDWARD IV., 1461–1483. EDWARD V., 1483. RICHARD III., 1483-1485

    CHAPTER XIV - HENRY VII., 1485-1509

    CHAPTER XV - HENRY VIII., 1509—1547

    CHAPTER XVI - EDWARD VI., 1547—1553. MARY, 1553—1558

    CHAPTER XVII - ELIZABETH, 1558—1603

    CHAPTER XVIII - JAMES I., 1603—1625

    CHAPTER XIX - CHARLES I. AND THE COMMONWEALTH, 1625—1660

    CHAPTER XX - CHARLES II., 1660—1685

    CHAPTER XXI - JAMES II., 1685-1688. WILLIAM AND MARY, 1688–1702

    CHAPTER XXII - ANNE, 1702-1714

    CHAPTER XXIII - GEORGE I., 1714–1727. GEORGE II., 1727-1760

    CHAPTER XXIV - GEORGE III., 1760–1820

    SECOND PART - ECCLESIASTICAL DRESS

    CHAPTER XXV - THE SAXON PERIOD

    CHAPTER XXVI

    GLOSSARY

    INDEX

    SECOND PART: ECCLESIASTICAL

    A CATALOG OF SELECTED DOVER BOOKS IN ALL FIELDS OF INTEREST

    Table of Figures

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    FIRST PART: CIVIL

    CHAPTER I

    THE BRITONS

    THE subject of British costume naturally commences with the garments worn by the primitive inhabitants of these Islands, but, as might be anticipated, the necessary particulars for describing the dress of the Ancient Britons are extremely meagre, and even when given are in many parts almost, hopelessly obscure. Of definite descriptions anterior to the date of the first Roman invasion there are practically none extant, and even after Cæsar’s two visits the references to such matters as dress and adornments for the person are scanty and unsatisfactory. We know that the constant intercourse between the Southern coast of Britain and the mainland naturally led to a higher degree of civilisation being existent along the southern littoral than in the Midland and Northern districts; and thus, while the inhabitants of Trent enjoyed the full benefit of that intercourse, the dwellers of Strath-Clyde were still plunged in the depth of barbarism. Arguing from analogy, we should expect the latter to have been clothed in what may be termed man’s primitive attire, namely, the skins of the beasts struck down in the chase, or those of domestic animals slaughtered for food. This assumption is confirmed by Cæsar, who states in his Commentaries, that those within the country went clad in skins, while the Southern Britons were clothed like the Gauls. This condition of things must have lasted for centuries, for even after the Roman occupation we read of the Northern tribes as being but little removed from savages. As we have the authority of Cæsar and other ancient writers for asserting that the Southern Britons were similar in manners, customs, and dress to the Gauls, any contemporary knowledge of the latter would naturally apply to the former. Thus the Gaulish methods for spinning, weaving wool, dressing, and dyeing had been copied by the men of Trent, and, according to the evidence of Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, and Pliny, certain trade secrets in the art of dyeing had also been communicated. The parti-coloured cloth worn by the Gauls was also manufactured in Britain, and appears to have been very characteristic of that period. It was composed of strands of wool dyed in different colours, and afterwards woven in such a manner that the resulting fabric presented a chequered or parti-coloured appearance, and may have been the prototype of the Scottish plaid. Respecting the dress of Boadicea, who flourished more than a hundred years after the Cæsarean invasions, we are informed by Dion Cassius that she wore a tunic of several colours all in folds, and over it, fastened by a fibula or brooch, a robe of coarse stuff. This tunic was evidently made of what may be termed the national cloth, and the cloak of common fustian, which all nations emerging from barbarism appear to have the faculty of manufacturing.

    THE DRUIDS

    The Druidical priests were clad in white voluminous robes reaching to the feet, and consisting of two essential parts, the robe proper and the cloak.

    Robe.—This garment was similar to a sleeveless dressing-gown reaching to the feet, but with no collar. We have no knowledge of the material of which it was made, but it was probably of wool, and of special manufacture. A bas-relief found at Autun in France represents two Druids (Fig. 1), and from the many folds delineated in each of these robes they were evidently of a soft material.

    Cloak.—From the illustration it will be gathered that this was peculiarly ample, inasmuch as some parts reach to the ground. Of the form and dimensions of this garment no data are extant, but practical experience has discovered that if it be cut somewhat like a Roman toga it will give when draped an appearance very similar to that shown in the figure. The Druid upon the right is crowned with an oak garland and bears a sceptre; while the one upon the left carries a sacred symbol, the crescent, in his hand. At important ceremonials the Arch-Druid wore a torque or breastplate of a peculiar shape (shown in Fig. 2). The broad lower portion rested upon the chest, and the two bosses reached on either side to the ears, while upon his head a tiara was worn with diverging rays. These ornaments were all of gold, and engraved. Respecting the minor priestly orders, the Bards or Singers were habited similarly to the Druids, but in cloth of a sky-blue colour, symbolical of peace. The Ovates, a class professing erudition, were in green, a colour signifying learning. The lowest order of priests or novitiates wore garments of the three colours combined, presumably spots of colour on a white ground.

    FIG. 1.—Druids from bas-relief found at Autun.

    FIG. 2.—Druidical torques, &c.

    CIVIL DRESS: THE MEN

    The Tunic.—The men were habited in a loose-fitting sleeveless tunic, confined at the waist by a belt. Diodorus tells us the Belgic Gauls wore dyed tunics beflowered with all manner of colours, and possibly the Britons may have imitated them. The tunic partly covered the braccœ, or trousers, an article of apparel by which all barbaric nations seem to have been distinguished from the Romans. They reached from the waist to the feet, and were either close-fitting or loose; if the latter, they were partly confined by bandages passed round the limb at wide intervals. By the use of the term braccae, signifying spotted, we may infer that these garments were fashioned from the native cloth, the predominating colour in which was red.

    The Sagum was a cloak dyed blue or black, which had superseded the skins still worn by the inhabitants of the interior. The hair was long, and fell in curls down the back; the face was clean shaven, except for the moustache, which was apparently cultivated to its utmost extent, and occasionally reached to the chest. Probably no covering for the head was in use.

    THE WOMEN

    The dress of the women consisted of a long loose-fitting sleeveless garment, confined at the waist, over which was worn a cloak or skin, the head as a rule being left uncovered.

    With respect to the inhabitants of the interior, we can only surmise that they were dressed in skins, and consequently no definite fashions prevailed.

    A national characteristic appears to have been the staining of the skin with woad, which is referred to by many ancient writers. From some we should gather that this was a system of tattooing similar to that practised by the Maori, while others infer that the whole skin was stained with the colour so as to give a bluish-green appearance. Both Herodotus and Isidorus concur in stating that the skin was punctured by needles and the colour afterwards rubbed in. Pliny asserts that this was done during infancy by the British wives and nurses. We may therefore safely assume that the Britons carried indelible designs upon their bodies, which were calculated to add to their ferocious aspect in war. The articles of personal adornment consisted of armlets, bracelets, rings, collars, and necklaces of twisted wire, made of gold, silver, and the commoner metals and alloys.

    CHAPTER II

    THE SAXON PERIOD, c. 460 TO 1066

    WITH the advent of this period we leave to a certain extent the region of conjecture, and enter within the bounds of certainty, inasmuch as the material for reconstructing the Saxon Period is of a much more tangible character than that afforded by the British. There are practically three authorities from which we derive information, namely, the Sagas, the contents of Saxon barrows, and the MSS. Unfortunately the Sagas deal as a rule with the heroic deeds of Scandinavian heroes, and although they furnish us with what may be termed minute details of military equipment, there are practically no references of any value to the civil or ecclesiastical garments of the men, or to the costume of the women. The second source, the Saxon barrows, only affords us information concerning the gold, silver, and other ornaments, together with the military arms of our Saxon ancestors; and although this is valuable to a great extent, we have to rely finally for precise knowledge of dresses and decorations to the many priceless manuscripts which are preserved in the British Museum and elsewhere. The Saxons commenced their conquests during the fifth century, but it was not until the year 720 that the earliest MS. preserved to us saw the light; there are consequently more than two centuries during which we have no reliable details. Spelman, in his Councils, refers to a meeting at the end of the eighth century, in which a speaker chides the Saxons for the manner in which they wore their dress, intimating that the nation had changed its style of clothing upon its conversion to Christianity. As a consequence, the description of the Saxon dress must be accepted as that which prevailed after the time of St. Augustine, and not to that worn before 597.

    FIG. 3.—Saxon rustics.

    No. 1. (Harl. MS. 603.) No. 2. (Cott. MS. Claudius B iv.) No. S. (Bod. MS. Junius xi.)

    FIG. 4.—The Saxon tunica.

    No. 1. (Cott. MS. Claud. B iv. ) No, 2. (Bod. MS. Junius xi.) No. 3. (Cott. MS. Claud. B iv.)

    FIG. 5.—Saxon mantles.

    No. 1. (Cott. MS. Claudius B iv.)

    No. 3. (Bod. MS. Junius xi.)

    No. 2. (Cott. MS. Claudius B iv.)

    No. 4. (Cott. MS. Claudius B iv.)

    FIG. 6.—The Saxon mantle. (Cott. MS. Tiberius C vi.)

    SAXON CIVIL COSTUME: THE MEN

    The garment worn next to the skin, or the just-au-corps, appears to have been universal among all ranks, even to the humblest, who at times possessed no other clothing. For example, the Saxon rustic shown in Fig. 8, Pl., No. 1, taken from Harl. MS. 603, dating from the reign of Harold II., is thus habited, and a still earlier example, No. 2, possesses but one garment. Of course it may be claimed that these figures are dressed in tunics. It was always made of linen, the wearing of a woollen garment next the skin being enjoined at that period as a severe penance.

    The Tunica.—This was of two kinds—the short, which was practically worn by all classes of people, and the long, which was generally considered as a mark of superior rank. The short tunica in the earlier period was simply provided with an opening for the passage of the head (Fig. 4, Pl., No. 1), but in later examples it was open for a short distance from the neck, and laced up in front when adjusted, No. 2. The sleeve was cut with the garment, having one seam only, and a very marked peculiarity of Saxon sleeves, which may even be traced for nearly two centuries after the period, is the extraordinary rucking upon the forearm. This is explained by the fact that, during cold weather, the sleeves could be drawn over the hands to provide warmth. The hem reached to just below the knees, and subsequently became decorated with a worked border, which was carried up the two sides where the openings occurred, as in No. 3. Around the waist a girdle was worn, seldom shown in the engravings, inasmuch as the tunica was pulled up through it, and fell in folds over it, giving the strange appearance which is such a marked feature of the waist. When indulging in very violent exercise, such as sword-play, throwing the lance, &c., more of the tunica worked up through the girdle on the right side than on the left, thus giving a slanting appearance to the hem. This striking point was promptly copied by the ladies (Fig. 21, Pl.). The lavish ornamentation bestowed upon the garment in the later part of the period is indicated in No. 3. The tunica was not always cut up at the side. It is perfectly permissible to suppose that the smock-frock, or carter’s gown, of the present day, with its peculiar needlework, may be a direct descendant of the Saxon tunica.

    The Mantle.—Probably- the most distinctive feature of the Saxons of both sexes was the mantle, flowing in graceful folds, and in sweeping curves of beauty. It was not always adjusted after a stereotyped fashion, but much was left to individual taste; the mode of fastening, however, was either in the centre of the chest, or upon one or both shoulders. The shape of this mantle was that shown in Fig. 5, Pal, No. 1 ; although plain in the earlier years, it finally became decorated (Fig. 6, Pl.). An example in which it is shown fastened upon the chest is given in Fig. 7, Pal, where it is very voluminous ; upon both shoulders in Fig. 5, PI., No. 2, and upon one shoulder in Fig. 9, Pl. Occasionally the mantle was made in a circular form, with a hole for the head not placed in the centre, as shown in Fig. 5, Pl., No. 1. Upon comparing Fig. 5, Pl., No. 4, which is of the eighth century, with No. 2, which dates from the tenth, it will be gleaned that the mantle eventually became much smaller; but this must not be taken as universal, inasmuch as persons of distinction and elderly people frequently wore mantles of great length, sometimes reaching the ground, over the long tunicas which they also affected. The method of fastening the mantle was generally by

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