history – Page 3 – Cottage Capers

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus….

March the 1st is the National Day of Wales – Saint David’s Day – and has been celebrated since the 12th Century….

Although not a public holiday many events take place across Wales; festivals and parades, usually with a dragon theme – the biggest being the National St. David’s Parade in Cardiff…. Many people attend special church services and recitals of Welsh literature (Eisteddfod)…. National costume is often worn, especially by school children….and traditional songs are sung. Many heritage sites offer free admission on this day….

A woman in “Welsh national” dress with a spinning wheel LIGC ~ NLW via Foter.com / No known copyright restrictions Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/llgc/5552906473/

Leeks and daffodils are to be seen everywhere being the National symbols, along with the yellow and black flag of St. David….

St. David’s Flag Bruce Stokes via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bruciestokes/14344677406/

The traditional meal of the feast day is Cawl, a soup made with meat, root vegetables and of course, leeks…. Other foods enjoyed are Bara Brith (Welsh fruit bread), Tiesen Bach (Welsh cakes) and Welsh Rarebit….

Bara Brith theglobalpanorama via Foter.com / CC BY-SA Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121483302@N02/15412520652/

Welsh Cakes James E. Pets via Foter.com / CC BY-SA Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/14730981@N08/8768378691/

So…. Who was David, Patron Saint of Wales? It’s hard to know for sure, so many stories and theories have emerged over the years…. In Medieval times it was believed he was the nephew of King Arthur; it does appear he may have been born to Royal parentage….

It is said David was born on a cliff top one night during a raging storm – some time around 500 AD in Pembrokeshire, on the South West coast of Wales. Some say he was the son of Sandde – Prince of Powys – and ‘Non’ – the daughter of a Chieftain…. Others say his parents were Sanctus, King of Ceredigion and a nun (Nonnita). St. Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland, is reputed to have been born in the same region some years before and he is said to have had a ‘vision’ of the birth of David…. At the site of David’s birth there stands an 18th Century chapel, dedicated to Non….also the ruins of a tiny ancient chapel and a holy well….

St. Nons Bay dachalan via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/54945394@N00/6201523513/

The young David was brought up by his mother at Llanon, a village in Ceredigion…. He was then possibly educated at Hen Fynwy – a monastery – and tutored by St. Paulinus. It seems he was always destined to be a priest….

David became a missionary – spreading the Christian word throughout the British Isles – he even made a Pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where he was made a Bishop…. During his life he is supposed to have performed several miracles: he restored the sight to his tutor, St. Paulinus….he brought a child back to life with his tears…. But perhaps his most famous miracle is from the time he was preaching to a crowd out in the open air – some cried out from the back that they were unable to hear him…. Suddenly a white dove landed on his shoulder and the ground beneath his feet rose to form a small hill….and then everybody could hear what he had to say…. The white dove became the emblem of St. David; he is often depicted in pictures and stained glass windows with one on his shoulder….

St. David Lawrence OP via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/3319037420/

David was made Archbishop of Wales in 550 and founded 12 monasteries altogether, including Glastonbury – but the one he chose to make his base was the one close to his birth place, which he founded around 560 and is now the location of St. David’s Cathedral and St. David’s Bishops Palace – having been built by the Normans on the site of the original monastery…. In fact there is a stone which sits within an altar in the Cathedral which is believed to have been carried back by David himself on his return journey from his Pilgrimage to Jerusalem….

St. David’s Cathedral in St. David’s John D. Fielding via Foter.com / CC BY Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/john_fielding/10335587213/

David’s monastery and church was built at Rose Vale (Glyn Rhosyn) on the banks of the River Alun. A settlement grew around the monastery and became known as David’s House – (Tyddewi)…. Life was tough in a monastery and David ran a particularly strict Order…. All were expected to work hard; ploughing the land by hand without the use of animals, to provide food with which to feed themselves and the travellers they gave shelter to…. They undertook many crafts, including beekeeping….but one of their main tasks was to look after the poor and needy by clothing and feeding them…. Their diet was vegetarian – David himself reputedly ate just bread and herbs and he was known as Dewi Ddyfrwr (the Water Drinker) because this was all he ever drank…. He was also very harsh on himself and was not beyond self-imposing penances such as standing up to his neck in freezing cold water – reciting the Scriptures….

David died on the 1st March 589 AD, rumoured to having been over 100 years old…. He was buried in a shrine in the 6th Century cathedral he had founded…. During the 11th Century the Vikings plundered the site repeatedly, murdering two Bishops in the process – in 1087 it was finally burned to the ground….

St. David’s Cathedral/Eglwys Gadeiriol Tyddewi atrebatus via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/atrebatus/24314362598/

The Monastery ruins at St. David’s Cathedral/Eglwys Gadeiriol Tyddewi atrebatus via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/atrebatus/24314458468/

The ruins of the Bishops Palace atrebatus via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/atrebatus/38135111982/

After his death David’s influence spread throughout Great Britain, eventually crossing the channel to Brittany, France…. In 1120 Pope Callistus II made him a Saint – (St. David is the only Welsh Saint to be canonised by the Catholic Church) – it was the Pope who declared two Pilgrimages to the shrine of St. David were worth one to Rome, three Pilgrimages would equate to one to Jerusalem….

St. David’s (as the settlement that had grown from David’s House became known) was given city status because of its cathedral in the 16th Century – but this status was lost in 1888…. In 1994, at the request of Queen Elizabeth II, it was granted the status again, making it Britain’s smallest city…. In 2011 it had a population of just 1,841 – compared to the capital Cardiff with 358,000…. In 1996 bones were found in St. Davids Cathedral which are said to be those of St. David…. Some 50 churches in South Wales are named for him…. The affectionate (if somewhat cheeky) nickname we often give to somebody of Welsh descent – ‘Taffy’ – originates to the 17th Century and comes from the Welsh for David – ‘Dafydd’….

But what of the emblems for Wales – the leek and the daffodil? The leek is the original emblem; there are various stories to how this came to be…. One being that David advised Welsh troops to wear a leek in their hats whilst in battle with the Saxons, so they could be distinguished from the enemy…. This is doubtful, as apart from this story not being recorded before the 17th Century, David lived a peaceful life and was unlikely to have been involved with warfare….

Another more plausible theory comes from 1346, when the Prince of Wales, ‘Edward the Black Prince’, defeated the French at the Battle of Crécy. The long and bloody battle was fought in a field of leeks….to remember the bravery and loyalty of the Welsh archers, people began to wear leeks in their hats every St. David’s Day. This is the legend reflected in Shakespeare’s play Henry V….Act V Scene I : Fluellen insists Pistol eats a leek after insulting the vegetable on St. David’s Day…. “If you can mock a leek, you can eat a leek”….

The Welsh for leek is ‘cenhinen’, whereas the Welsh for daffodil is ‘cenhinen pedr’ – so it is possible over the years the two have become confused…. The wearing of a daffodil is a fairly recent custom….probably really coming about in 1911 after being encouraged by David George Lloyd at the investiture of the Prince of Wales…. You’ve got to admit a daffodil does smell sweeter than a leek when you are wearing it….

In the words of Dewi Sant (Saint David)…. “Gwnewch y pethau bychain mean bywyd” ~ “do the little things in life”….

Dewi Sant Lawrence OP via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/6943177459/

Delw Sant, Eglwys Gadeiriol Tyddewi Dogfael via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/dogfael/439098747/

British History

On this day in history….6th January 1540

On this day in history : 6th January 1540 – King Henry VIII marries Anne of Cleves….a disastrous union from the start….and one that was to last just a few months….

Henry had always preferred to choose his own wives…. It was shortly after the death of his third wife, Jane Seymour, that the suggestion was made that an alliance with the House of Cleves would be a good proposition. It was at a time when Henry needed new allies in Europe – two of his greatest rivals, the Holy Emperor Charles V and King Francis I of France had forged a treaty…. Henry, having made himself head of the Church of England had expelled Catholicism – and certainly had no friend in the Pope….which gave him common ground with the Duke of Juliers-Cleves, who had also broken all ties with the Catholic Church in his domain…. An alliance would have suited them both….and Henry would have gained political power in Europe…. His chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, was particularly keen on the idea as it would have strengthened the Reformation in England…. All Henry had to do was marry one of the Duke’s daughters – besides he desired another heir….

Crowell praised Anne’s reputed beauty to reassure Henry – but he needed more convincing…. Therefore, Hans Holbein the Younger, a renowned German painter and printmaker was commissioned to paint portraits of Anne and her sister Amalia….Henry required the portraits to be as accurate as possible; the artist was not to ‘flatter’ his subjects – they had to be true to life, as Henry was going to use the likenesses to determine which of the sisters were to become his wife….

Anne of Cleves by Hans Holbein the Younger – public domain

Amalia by Hans Holbein the Younger – public domain

Henry was delighted when he saw the portrait of Anne….and was finally persuaded to agree to a betrothal….and so Anne began her journey to England – to become Queen….

Anne was born on the 22nd of September 1515, in Düsseldorf…. Henry liked his women to be well-educated and to be culturally sophisticated…. Anne was neither of these, she had received little education – she could read and write but only in German – however, she was accomplished in needlework….

Anne was 24-years-old when she arrived on British soil – her husband-to-be twice her age…. On route to London Anne and her escort party rested at Rochester Castle….she was expecting to meet her future husband for the first time at Greenwich, where the wedding ceremony was to take place…. However, in the English court there was a tradition, that was essentially meant to be a bit of fun, before a betrothed couple ‘officially’ met….and King Henry was quite the traditionalist….

Anne had retired to her chamber – when Henry in disguise and accompanied by five of his friends, made a surprise visit to her…. He embraced her, brazenly gave her a kiss and presented her with a New Year’s gift…. Anne, who knew nothing of this custom, must have been a little ‘taken aback’…. She was polite but cool….

Henry was slightly affronted – but as he had been in disguise and they had not even met before – he assumed she had not recognised him and so gave her the benefit of the doubt…. He dined with her that evening and again the following morning – having revealed his true identity…. But the ‘spark’ was not there – there was no chemistry between them – they were so different in culture and didn’t even speak the same language…. Henry later complained Anne looked nothing like her portrait, he did little to hide his disappointment….

Henry tried to get the wedding stopped….he wanted to ‘call the whole thing off’ – but this would have caused a major diplomatic incident….he had to go through with it – and he was furious….

Henry and Anne were married on the 6th of January 1540 at the Palace of Placentia, Greenwich, London – in a ceremony conducted by Archbishop Thomas Crammer….and then, of course, followed the wedding night….

She was young, 24, innocent, unworldly…. He was impatient, twice her age, grossly overweight and increasingly immobile after a jousting injury…. After four nights of trying to do what was required of him – and failing miserably – he attempted to save his pride by blaming her ‘ugliness’ and physical repulsiveness…. He confided to his man-servant that she was “indisposed to excite and provoke any lust” and that he “could never be stirred to know her carnally” and that he “left her as good a maid as I found her”…. More likely he was impotent – perhaps confirmed by the fact he had not taken a mistress for a while….most unlike Henry….

By Hans Holbein the Younger – public domain

Their marriage was never consummated…. For six months they endured each other’s company….publicly putting on ‘a brave face’ – but by the spring of 1540 Henry had fallen in love with Anne’s lady-in-waiting, Catherine Howard….

On the 24th of June 1540 Anne was ordered to leave court and on the 6th of July was informed of her husband’s intent to have the marriage annulled…. She did not make a fuss….

But there is a twist….one that would perhaps deem Anne the most successful of Henry’s six wives….

It seems that over the six months of their marriage they had actually come to quite like one another….and had come to refer to each other as ‘brother’ and ‘sister’….

On the day the annulment was announced Henry wrote to her…. “You shall find us a perfect friend, content to repute you as our dearest sister. We shall, within five or six days….determine your state minding to endow you with £4,000 of yearly revenue…. Your loving brother and friend…. Henry”….

Anne was given not only a generous annual allowance but property too….namely Richmond Palace and Hever Castle in Kent – she also owned Anne of Cleves House in Lewes, East Sussex….

Henry went on to marry Catherine Howard – but Anne was still very much included in the family – often being invited to court and even spending the Christmas period….

Anne outlived Henry by nearly ten years – and also outlived all of his other five wives…. She was remembered by those who had served her as being generous and easy-going…. She died in 1557, eight weeks before her 42nd birthday, probably from cancer…. She was buried in Westminster Abbey on the 3rd of August 1557….

Engraving by J.C. Buttre – public domain

Life & Observations....

“Give us a soul-cake, Missus…!”

That time of year is almost upon us, when excited kids transform into witches, ghosts, monsters and zombies; ready to hit the streets with the aim of collecting enough candy to give a sugar-rush that could redefine the word ‘hyper’ into something positively lethargic….

blogdroed via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/blogdroed/58188445/

Candy! ppdiaporama via Foter.com / CC BY-NC Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ppdiaporama/14036200835/

I – like many I suspect – could be forgiven for assuming Halloween is a festivity that we Brits have imported from the States. In truth, our American cousins were introduced to its customs and traditions by Irish immigrants during the 19th Century; particularly the 1840s, the time of the Great Famine, caused by the crop failure due to potato blight…. Thousands upon thousands emigrated from Ireland to America to begin a new life….

halloween 19 — Potato famine of Ireland / Ireland in the 1840s Public domain Author unknown

I don’t really remember celebrating Halloween as a child; the focus always seemed to be on Guy Fawkes Night, which of course follows closely after, on November the 5th…. Naturally, we all knew Halloween to be the night ghosts come out to haunt us and witches bomb around on their broomsticks….but certainly for me, that was as far as it went….

Trick or Treat Nick Kenrick via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/zedzap/8140357070/

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Maybe it was because I grew up in the South of England – had my childhood been spent in more Northern parts, or Ireland, indeed anywhere with more Celtic influences, perhaps I would have been familiar with ‘Mischief Night’ and taken part in a bit of ‘guising’ – (which comes from ‘disguising’)….

halloween 3 — You’re never too old to trick or treat Canary Beck (www.canarybeck.com) via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA Original image URL: https://flickr.com/photos/canarybeck/10511319056/

Halloween, as we now know it, didn’t really become big here in the UK until the 1980s; even as its popularity has increased there are just as many who are not fans. A poll conducted in 2013 revealed 70% of those asked admitted they would prefer trick and treaters not to knock on their door…. I’m sure we all know somebody who turns the lights off and pretends to be out on that particular evening….

So, on discovering it was Irish immigrants who took the customs of Halloween with them to the States, it got me wondering how the festival has its origins rooted in the Emerald Isle in the first place….

Halloween can be traced back to its Pagan roots of some 2,000 years ago…. Certainly the Romans had an Autumn festival, one that was dedicated to Pomona – a divine spirit, representing Nature, also known as a wood nymph – she was the goddess of the fruits of the tree, particularly apples…. This would give an explanation as to why apples are so often involved in the party games associated with Halloween, like apple-bobbing for instance….

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blogdroed via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND Original image URL: httsp://www.flickr.com/photos/blogdroed/58192420/

Cael gafael yn yr afal nicdafis via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nicdafis/51630508/

Long after the advent of Christianity, Pomona was still celebrated…. It seems these Pagan beliefs were deeply ingrained and indeed the Celtic people of Ireland, the UK and Northern France were heavily influenced by Pagan beliefs of their own….

The Pagan calendar year can be simplified into four seasonal sections: Imboic – February 1st; Beltane – May 1st; Lughnasa – August 1st and then the one we are concerned with; Samhain – which falls on the first day of the eleventh month. ‘Samhain’ (pronounced ‘sow-in’), being the Irish name for the equivalent English ‘November’, is also the name given to the ancient Pagan festival celebrating the Celtic New Year. Other Celtic regions have their own variations of the name; in Scottish Gaelic it is known as ‘Samhuinn’, whereas on the Isle of Man it is called ‘Sauin’ – it comes from ‘sam’ for summer and ‘fuin’, meaning ‘end’. In Wales however, it is named ‘Calan Gaeaf’ and in Brittany, ‘Kala Goanv’….

halloween 7 — Samhain Fulla T via Foter.com / CC BY-NC Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/topaz-mcnumpty/15508188868/

Whichever particular Celtic name applied, the celebration was (or indeed, for many still is…) essentially a fire festival. Falling at the time of year when all the crops had been gathered and stored, the animals brought in from the fields either to be slaughtered or over-wintered, it was a time for feasting and festivity…. Celebrations began on the last day of the year, with the ceremonial lighting of bonfires and the sacrificing of animals – the bones being thrown into the fire as an offering. It was also known as the Feast of the Dead; being the last day of the year – a time of transition – it was believed that the barrier between the mortal Earth and the ‘Otherworld’ was at its thinnest. Spirits of departed loved ones were invited to return and visit their Earthly homes and families…. Pagans do not fear death and old age is revered as it brings with it wisdom…. It was believed the returning spirits could help the Druid priests predict the future, fortune-telling was very much a part of the celebrations. Of course, with the path between the Otherworld and human World being open, it was not just invited spirits who made their presence known; this is where the ‘spooky’ side of Halloween comes from. Malevolent spirits, banshees and fairies also came over from the other side, bringing their evil with them. People would dress in scary costumes with grotesque masks and animal heads to scare away the wicked spirits…. Sometimes offerings of food would have been left out in the home, or by the nearest hawthorn tree (where fairies were believed to reside)….

After the festival people would relight the fires within their own homes using flames from the sacred bonfire – thus ensuring protection of the household during the coming year. The following day, the cold ashes from the bonfire would have been spread on the fields to bring luck for the next harvest….

It was around the 8th Century that the Church, in an attempt to quell Pagan beliefs, made November the 1st ‘All Saints Day’; the evening before became ‘All Hallows’ – later to become known as ‘Hallowe’en’. As hard as it tried, the Church was unable to prevent many of the old customs from staying with us, in one form or another….

Many of this Pagan New Year celebration’s traditions are reminiscent of those we know from our own New Year today….the casting out of the old and welcoming in of the new…. It could be said that the UK’s customs of ‘first footing’, fire festivals and the Welsh ‘Calennig’ – (a festive form of trick and treating) – all stem from Samhain….

Halloween trick and treating in Britain and Ireland goes back as far as the Middle Ages, at least to the 16th Century…. Dressed in ghoulish garb, people would go from door to door reciting prayers, poems and verses – (delivering tales of bad fortune to come if not welcomed) – in exchange for gifts of food, especially ‘soul-cakes’…. “Mercy on all Christian souls for a soul-cake” would be sung at doors and under windows in order to beg for one of the small round cakes, decorated with a cross on the top – either simply scored on or perhaps more elaborately made using currants or other dried fruits….

Trick and treating didn’t actually become popular in the States until the 1920s/30s. The first recording in North America was in Ontario, Canada in 1911….

It wasn’t until the 1800s that it became common-place to display Jack-o’-lanterns in windows to ward off evil spirits…. In days gone by lanterns would have been made by hollowing out and carving faces into vegetables such as turnips and swedes….

halloween 16 — Turnip O’ Lanterns kayepants via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/5112005395/

Upon arriving in America, Irish immigrants encountered pumpkins; being so much easier to carve, the pumpkin soon took over and became one of our main symbols of Halloween….

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Jack-o’-lanterns Jesse Palmer via Foter.com / CC BY-SA Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jp3d/2990029171/

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The story behind the Jack-o’-lantern varies somewhat, depending on which region of the UK it comes from….

The Irish version tells of a farmer, ‘Stingy Jack’ or ‘Drunk Jack’. Jack enjoyed a drink, so much so he ran up a huge debt at his local pub, which he was unable to pay. He did a deal with the Devil, who paid off his bar-tab in exchange for Jack’s soul…. When the Devil arrived to collect his payment, Jack tricked him into climbing up a tree – he then carved a cross into the base of it. The Devil, unable to descend the tree had no choice but to release Jack from the debt…. When the time came for Jack to knock on the Pearly Gates, he was denied entrance to Heaven and so had to try his luck with Hell…. The Devil refused to allow him in, leaving Jack with the only option of wandering through the World of Lost Souls for the rest of eternity…. To make things a little easier for him, the Devil gave Jack a burning coal from the fires of Hell, which he carried in a lantern made from a carved turnip….

Another account tells of a wicked blacksmith named Will – who on reaching Heaven’s gates was given a second chance by St. Peter to redeem his ways. Will continued to live a life of wickedness and so was doomed to wander the Earth for evermore….the Devil gave him a hot coal to keep him warm and guide his way…. Will then used the light to lure travellers at night from the safe paths as they crossed over marshes, bogs and swamps. This tale entwines with the folklore myth of Will-o’-the-wisp…. People travelling at night would sometimes be drawn towards ghostly lights dancing and swirling in boggy areas – on approach the lights would disappear; some believed it was malevolent fairies, others said it was Will-o’-the-wisp….

halloween 17 — Wandering After Will-O’-The -Wisp garlandcannon via Foter.com / CC BY-SA Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/garlandcannon/5416798747/

What they were actually seeing was ‘Ignis Fatuus’ (friars lantern)….an eerie, phosphorescent aura, seen at night, over swamps and bogs – believed to be spontaneous combustion of gas caused by decaying organic matter; also known as ‘marsh gas’….

halloween 18 — Image taken from page 75 of [‘A System of Physical Geography…To which is added a treatise on the Physical Geography of the United States…The whole embellished by numerous engravings and…maps…by J.H.Young.]’ via Foter.com / no known copyright restrictions Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary/11239810913/

I suppose Halloween is one of those occasions you either love or loathe…. As a child, for me the night of October 31st was usually spent in a state of utter excitement as the following day happens to be my birthday – I arrived in the ‘wee’ hours of November the 1st, long before sun-up…. I’m not sure if this makes me a witch or a saint – if I’m a witch, then I promise I’m a friendly one…. I quite look forward to trick and treaters knocking on the door – (this old place lends itself to it)….and I always make sure I’ve got plenty of sweets in….to help fuel that sugar-rush I mentioned earlier.

halloween 5 — Trick or Treat Komunews via Foter.com / CC BY Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/komunews/8143286420/

Perhaps we should be reviving the tradition of giving out soul-cakes instead…. If you fancy giving them a try, they can be made 2 or 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container….

Try adding dried fruit to the mixture to add a bit more flavour; cherries, cranberries, dates etc all work well…. Me – I’m off to design my Jack-o’-lantern now; last year I used the pumpkin flesh to make caramelised pumpkin and chilli jam – (the caramelised bit was an accident – but it was absolutely delicious)…. Unfortunately, I made the recipe up as I went along and didn’t think to write it down – I will try and replicate it again this year and will pass the recipe on if I’m successful….as it really was rather good, even if I say so myself….

Meanwhile….

halloween 11 — teknikir via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA Original image URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/teknikir/4061210409/

Soul-cakes (makes 12)

6 oz butter
6 oz sugar
3 egg yolks
1 lb plain flour (sifted)
Pinch of salt
Milk to mix
4 oz currants (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 180C / gas 5

Cream butter and sugar together; add and blend 1 egg yolk at a time

Fold in sifted flour (add dried fruit if using). Gradually add enough
milk to form a soft dough

Roll out and cut into rounds with a cookie cutter. Either score a cross
on to the top of each cake with a knife or use currants (or other dried
fruit) to make a cross shape

Bake on a greased baking sheet for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool on a wire rack….

A 19th Century souling rhyme….

A soul! a soul! a soul-cake!
Please good Missus, a soul-cake!
An apple, a pear, a plum or a cherry,
Any good thing to make us merry.
One for Peter, two for Paul,
Three for Him, who made us all….

Happy Hallowe’en…….X

Life & Observations....

Knickers…!

There’s an old saying…. “Red shoes and no knickers!” What it is really referring to is someone who’s all for show but has no substance – they are bothered about the ‘flashiness’ of the look – but not the basics – like wearing knickers! We might chuckle at the idea of going ‘commando’ ~ or the slightly less liberated amongst us may raise an eyebrow and think only a loose woman would dare to do such a thing…. But there was a time when it was the complete opposite….until the mid 1800s it was considered improper for a woman to have anything between her legs ~ and that included knickers! (This is why women rode horses side-saddle)….

Fashion in 1898 – original photograph by Leopold-Emile Reutlinger – French photographer : Public domain

Roman men and women wore a ‘shorts’ like garment, resembling a loincloth, called a subligaculum. Women also wore a bandage of cloth or leather around the chest, called a strophium or mamilare – perhaps an ancient equivalent to the modern-day bra. It took until 1913 for the modern version to arrive – and was thanks to Mary Phelps Jacob with her pair of hankies tied together with ribbons….

During the 1400s men began to wear ‘braies’, adopted from a type of trouser originally worn by Celtic and Germanic tribes. Made of wool or leather (and later cotton or linen) they generally hung to the knee or mid-calf, resembling today’s shorts…. Women wore shifts and a chemise – any other form of underwear for the nether-regions was thought unnecessary – as warmth was the main priority and the thicker fabrics of skirts and dresses of the time was deemed sufficient….

Stays or corset. English c.1780 Linen twill and baleen. Hoop petticoat or pannier, English 1750-80 Plain-woven linen and cane. Chemise, English 1775-1800 Plain-woven cotton. All – Los Angeles County Museum of Art Author: PKM via Wikimedia

By 1600 ladies were wearing crinolines or farthingales – a frame of wire or whalebone; an easier, cheaper version was the ‘bum roll’ – a padded roll that was worn around the waist…. Very wealthy women wore silk stockings – (nylon stockings first emerged in 1939 and tights were invented in 1959). Clever ladies may have pinched their husband’s braies to wear underneath their crinolines to combat the droughts….

The first undergarments to become commonplace, emerging in the mid 1800s, were drawers – so named as they were literally drawn on to the body, with lacing at the back to pull in the waist. The legs were then sometimes gathered into a cuff well below the knee. They were basically two separate leg pieces joined at the waist ~ which is how we get the term ‘a pair’ of drawers, knickers or pants…. The seam running from back to front was left open….so those naughty Victorians actually invented crotchless knickers! By the 1850s drawers became more decorative and elaborate, even sometimes being made of silk – and by the end of the 1800s had become part of every day wear – even for poor women (who’s smalls may have been fashioned from scratchy sack cloth)…!

Open drawers. A. Two darts take in the fullness in the front B. Edge of drawers faced with garment bias facing; C. Ruffle sewed on with a receiving tuck. Circa 1919 Author: Celestine Leantine Schmit via Wikimedia

Meanwhile men’s braies had evolved – firstly into breeches, usually stopping just below the knee but in some cases reaching the ankles – and later, by the mid 1800s these were replaced by trousers….

The term ‘knickerbockers’ may have come from the 1809 book by Washington Irving “History of New York” featuring a Diedrick Knickerbocker, supposedly descending from the Dutch settlers of New York. Well-known caricaturist, George Cruikshank, illustrated the Knickerbocker men dressed in loose breeches, tied at the knee…. From the 1820s onwards breeches were often known as knickerbockers – and were especially popular for sporting activities…. It was not unheard of for ladies to borrow a pair of knickerbockers belonging to their husbands to wear under their dresses for a bit of added warmth – perhaps a tip handed down by their crinoline wearing grandmothers…. With the closed crotch seam of knickerbockers a new era arrived in the development of women’s underwear – and is where the name ‘knickers’ comes from….

Queen Victoria became an advocate of knickers. Being a fashion icon in her younger days her style was often copied…her hair, her clothes, her love of tartan and her love of drawers – all the fashionable women started to wear them…. From the 1870s various all-in-one combinations started to emerge ~ in the form of camisole bodices being attached to drawers…. By the 1890s Victorian knickers had grown wider at the leg hem, generally with a width of around 20 inches, with a lace frill at the knee – sometimes as much as 10 inches deep. With the wide skirts and petticoats of the period they were easily accommodated….

collect 11 — Photo credit: express.co.uk

It was the Great Exhibition of 1851 that first introduced the British public to ‘bloomers’ – so named after the publisher of a ladies’ magazine ‘The Lily’ – American Amelia Jenks Bloomer – who was also a devotee of women’s rights…. Fellow feminist Elizabeth Smith Miller had designed a range of clothing aimed at freeing women from the restrictive garments society expected them to wear – namely the unreasonably tight corsets and cumbersome skirts…. She took her inspiration from the clothes worn by Middle Eastern and Central Asian women. One of the ideas she came up with was a pair of loose-fitting trousers that gathered at the ankle, which were to be worn under a tunic-type dress. Amelia Bloomer decided to promote this style and started to wear it in public ~ and by 1849 these ‘trousers’ had become known as ‘bloomers’….

“Bloomer” dress of the 1850s. Public domain via Wikipedia

However, although they were popular amongst the more liberated young women of Britain, they were soon to become undeservedly associated with loose morals and so generally were not accepted in Britain ~ and all because a campaign to promote them went terribly wrong….

On the 6th of October 1851 a grand Bloomer Ball was held at the Hanover Square Rooms in London, to launch and publicise this radical new form of women’s clothing…. Only ladies wearing bloomers were admitted – but unfortunately most of the ‘ladies’ that turned up wearing them were prostitutes…. As the evening wore on it developed into a fracas ~ men were forcing their way in to ‘carry on’ and cavort with the ‘ladies’ – in the end it turned into such an orgy of a brawl that the services of the Metropolitan Constabulary were required….

After this unfortunate event bloomers became condemned by the more refined women of society – they became associated with the loose and fallen…. Amelia Bloomer’s vision of practical, more relaxed apparel – suitable for sporting and leisure activities (such as her mountain climbing outfit – an open skirt reaching the knee, revealing the rest of the leg encased by a frilly legging) – was not for us Brits…. Good job we don’t have too many mountains here in the UK then….

Amelia Bloomer – September 1851. Source: ‘The Lily’. Public domain via Wikipedia

So, ladies’ knickers continued along the road of evolution to become as we know them today…. Brands started to appear – Triumph (have the bra for the way you are) started making underwear in 1886, Silhouette followed in 1887 and Pretty Polly first appeared in 1919…. Our ‘unmentionables’ became more talked about – words crept into our everyday vocabulary, such as ‘lingerie’ – coming from the French word for linen ‘lin’ – things made from linen….

During the 1920s some women were still wearing drawers (those crotchless ones) but most found knickers more comfortable. Wider, shorter ones came into vogue; known as ‘French knickers’ or ‘ skirt knickers’ the style was more suitable for the shorter, closer fitting fashions of the Flapper era…. These replaced the cami-knickers popular in the Edwardian period; by this time much finer fabrics such as lawn were being used….

Image credit: Emma Benitez – DreamDate Art via flickr

Nylon was invented in 1935 by Wallace Carothers. The slinkier clothing of the 1930s demanded undergarments to provide a smoother line – it was early days for nylon but it helped enable this…. Skirts had become shorter and the hemline of knickers rose accordingly…. Around 1924 knickers also became known as ‘panties’….adopting the American term….

True Vintage English Nylon Knickers Image credit: Emma Benitez – DreamDate Art via flickr

With the onset of World War 2 – rationing meant drastic means had to be employed….many women had to resort to wearing knitted knickers ~ or if really lucky a best pair made from parachute silk….

Utility Underwear – Clothing Restrictions on the British Home Front, 1943…. A woman and two girls model utility underwear. Left to right: a woman’s wool vest (costing 4/2 and a half d and 3 coupons), and wool panties (costing 3/11 and 3 coupons; 11 year old girl’s wool vest (costing 4/-1/2d and 2 coupons) and rayon lock-knit panties (costing 3/4 and 2 coupons); 4 year old girl’s wool vest (costing 3/6 and a half d and 1 coupon) and wool knickers (costing 1/5 and a half d and 1 coupon) Date: 1943 Photo D 13088 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums

By the 1940s and 50s most women had started wearing ‘briefs’ and the majority of which were made of cotton and so could be included in the laundry boil wash…. Silk was kept for special occasions…. During the 1950s nylon and elastic became commonplace – and this really revolutionised underwear – more machine-made merchandise meant our smalls were more readily available….

1949 saw the first frilly knickers at Wimbledon. American tennis player Gertrude Moran – “Gorgeous Gussy” – scandalised Wimbledon officials with her saucy outfit – even prompting a debate in Parliament….

“1949 ‘Gorgeous’ Gussy Moran asked the Wimbledon organisers if she could wear coloured clothing. Her request was turned down, so tennis fashion designer Ted Tinling created a dress incorporating lace-trimmed knickers which even triggered a debate in parliament. Photographers lie flat on the ground in order to shoot her knickers”…. Via Mazzeo Construction & Tourism on pinterest.com

In the 1960s totally nylon knickers became the norm….and the double gusset arrived. Full briefs reached the waist – but a lower cut became known as ‘hip huggers’ – later they became cut even lower and were christened ‘bikini pants’…. With more figure hugging fashions VPL became an issue that needed to be addressed…. Elongated pants, known as ‘long johns’ or ‘demi johns’ were still being worn but only as practical pants to keep warm in winter….

1974 saw the invention of the ‘thong’ – which was to become really popular in the ’90s…. The 1980s brought us designer knickers with the likes of Calvin Klein and Sloggi….the name emblazoned across the top so it could be viewed peeping above the top of the waistband of a garment – both men and women were guilty of this….

German model with sixpack Artist Kevin Goerner via Wikimedia

The ’80s also brought us that impractical contraption – the ‘teddy’…. An all-in-one body garment, usually made of silk or satin – but other cheaper options of silky polyesters were readily available ~ with fiddly snap fasteners under the crotch ~ an absolute nightmare if the call of nature needed to be answered urgently…. Teddies offered no support as we’d all supposedly started visiting the gym by then and were well toned and so didn’t need any extra support…. Perhaps it was a garment really designed and better designated to the bedroom – or the bin. Crotchless knickers had also made a come back by then…. The eighties had a lot to answer for….

Nowadays we have plenty of choice….briefs, bikinis, tangas, thongs, g-strings, boy shorts, hip huggers, Brazilians….. We can choose our own comfort…. Wonder what they’ll come up with next….

‘Manikins in Underwear’ Manikins in their underwear in Marks & Spencer in Exeter…. The Local People Photo Archive via flickr

Image credit: Emma Benitez – DreamDate Art via flickr

Please…. If you have read this post through to the end – then I assume you have found it of interest and I hope you’ve enjoyed it…. If you have found this via Facebook, a little ‘like’ for the Cottage Capers page would be very much appreciated…. I’m not trying to sell you anything ~ I’m simply a blogger trying to establish myself…. Many thanX….

Cottage News....

Lavender blue, dilly-dilly….

There was a time, not so long ago, when many of us associated lavender with little old ladies and viewed it as being slightly old-fashioned…. How times have changed – now it appears we cannot get enough of it…. Whether it’s the current trend for French Shabby Chic or our love affair with English nostalgia – lavender certainly earns a place in either category….

A couple of weeks ago I found myself wandering through the fields of a lavender farm…. It was a thoroughly delightful way to spend an afternoon – with the sun blazing down, the gentle buzz of bees and the fluttering of butterflies….and oh that glorious scent.

It wasn’t hard to imagine being in Provence but it was in fact far from the sunny depths of Southern France…. To be precise this lavender farm is located just 15 miles from the heart of London; Mayfield Lavender is situated in the North Surrey Hills, not far from Carlshalton. When it was founded some 13 years ago it was one of only 15 commercial farms in the UK; now there are over 30, a number that is growing year by year…. But what may come as a surprise is that once upon a time this area of Surrey, particularly Mitcham, Carlshalton, Sutton, Merton and Wallington was the capital of English lavender….

The history of lavender use goes back at least 2,500 years – certainly the Egyptians used it in the mummification process. It is quite likely it first came to these shores with the Romans….lavender’s origins are believed to be from the Mediterranean, India and the Middle East. Today it is cultivated not only in its native regions but throughout much of the rest of the World – North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Japan, Europe….and of course, Britain….

The uses for lavender are endless…. It’s name derives from the Latin ‘lavare’ meaning ‘to wash’. We know the Romans used it to scent their clothing, bed linen (as it deters bed bugs and lice) and in their baths….

It was also the Romans who discovered the medicinal properties of lavender. The oil is used as an anti-inflammatory, an antiseptic and disinfectant. It can help soothe insect bites, stings, sunburn and minor burns, small grazes, cuts and acne. It helps with indigestion and heartburn and can ease headaches and migraines – it can even help travel sickness. Of course, lavender is also well-known as a relaxation aid, reducing stress levels and inducing sleep….

Recorded evidence of its use in Britain starts in the 12th Century…. Washerwomen in Northern England were called Lavenders, as they scented newly washed linen with it, as it was thought to keep moths and insects away…. It has been grown commercially in the UK since the 1500s; Queen Elizabeth I was an advocate of it – she had it scattered before her as she walked and carried posies of it….the belief being in the Renaissance period not only did it mask bad smells but actually protected against plague…. In fact she loved lavender so much that she even had a special jam made from the herb….

Such became the desire for lavender that commercial growing began; everybody was using it, from scattering it amongst the rushes strewn upon their floors, to it being the main ingredient of their nose gays…. People would of course grow the plant in their gardens – it was even cultivated in monasteries and convents – but the high demand meant growing it on a much larger scale was a viable proposition….

Surrey proved to be a particularly good region and it was Mitcham and the surrounding area that was to become the heart of lavender growth in the UK. Mitcham itself industrialised initially along the banks of the River Wandle, with varied industries including copper, iron, dye, flour and snuff. By 1750 Mitcham and nearby Merton Abbey had become the printing centre of calico cloth in England….1781 saw this expand to include silk printing…. William Morris opened a factory at Merton – ‘Merton Abbey Mills’ – and here the famous Liberty Silk printing works were based…. All this industrial activity led to the building of the Surrey Iron Railway, the World’s first public railway, in 1803….

But it was back in 1749 that the distillation of lavender water became a commercial venture on an industrial scale – led by two local physic (or medicinal herb) gardeners ~ Messrs Ephraim Potter and William Moore. Together they founded a company to produce toiletries and other products from locally grown lavender (and peppermint which was also grown in the area) – the company was called ‘Potter & Moore’….

The company set up a distillery to extract lavender oil in Eveline Road, Mitcham – overlooking what is now known as Figges Marsh. The business grew and flourished – and even more so when William Moore’s grandson James took over the helm…. An expert nurseryman with an excellent business head, he bought up surrounding land – by the end of the 1800s Potter & Moore owned 500 acres of land, on which they grew lavender, peppermint, chamomile, roses and pennyroyal….

Pennyroyal image credit Tom Brandt via flickr.com

The lavender was harvested in August; women would cut and bundle (referred to as ‘mats’) and these were then taken to the still room. Work in the fields was hard and poorly paid; in the peak of production during the 1800s the wage was just 10-15 shillings a day for a 14 hour shift – (this is actually good in comparison to what workers in lavender fields further south were paid – they could expect just 8 shillings a day – that’s 40p in today’s money!)….

After the harvest had been taken to the still room the process of distillation could begin. The cut plants would be put into a ‘retort’ – a large vessel partly filled with water; it was then sealed, either with a door or a lid. Next it was heated; as the water reached boiling point a mixture of steam and oil rises – which then passed through a pipe into a condenser. The steam and oil were combined back into a liquid and ran through another pipe to a ‘separator’ – a tank where the oil would float to the top and the water would be allowed to drain away, leaving behind the pure lavender oil…. 3/4 of a ton of lavender plant would produce 11 or 12 pounds of oil ~ but a little of which goes a long way….

James Moore died in 1851 and then the business passed to his illegitimate son, James Bridger. The success of the company continued under Bridger; after his death in 1885 it was bought by W.J.Bush. In 1968 it was merged with two other companies to form Bush Boake Allen – to become the World’s largest supplier of perfumes. The Potter & Moore section of the business was then sold on again – as is so often the case in business it changed hands and became associated with other names several times more…. But on doing a quick search it is soon evident that Potter & Moore is still very much alive today….

The peak of lavender’s popularity can perhaps be attributed to one formidable woman, Queen Victoria ~ she loved it…. This in turn encouraged most other English ladies to follow suit – from the wearing of lavender eau de cologne, to scenting their linen and making tussie-mussies….they couldn’t get enough. Lavender symbolised cleanliness and purity – an important quality in Victorian times…. It is often said that Queen Victoria even preferred lavender jelly to mint sauce with her lamb….

Oil from British lavender was far more desirable than that of plants from other countries such as France – arguably the scent of English lavender is by far the sweetest (and the most superior of this being from the Mitcham area) – and so lavender from England fetched a much higher price….

By the 1930s most of the lavender fields in the Mitcham area had gone. The land was needed to satisfy the demand for housing; another contributing factor to the industry’s demise was that English grown lavender’s prices were being heavily undercut by French growers…. But the third and final nail in the coffin for Surrey’s lavender presented itself in the form of disease….Lavender Shab Disease to be precise – a fungus that kills the stems of the plant, the first signs being that the shoots wilt suddenly, even when there is no shortage of water….

Potter & Moore took the necessary measures to protect their own business and by the 1930s had relocated their operation to East Anglia. So, it was to be that the English lavender industry was to fall into decline, with the only real exception being Norfolk lavender – and it was to stay this way until approximately 20 years ago….

However, the Mitcham area has always remained proud of its lavender heritage; the local football team – Tooting and Mitcham United FC – have it on their badge and Merton Council features in on their coat of arms…. It must have been a great delight to many when lavender returned on a commercial scale to the region…. The owner of Mayfield Lavender had connections with Yardley, an old and established perfumery….and now Mayfield Lavender is a flourishing business in its own right – producing a varied range of lavender products, from bath and beauty preparations, essential oils to scented sachets, lavender tea and even shortbread. However, it wasn’t all plain sailing from the onset; in the first year magpies and crows destroyed nearly 70,000 young lavender plugs – and planting had to start all over again the following year….

Early morning at Mayfield Lavender Image credit: Beeches Photography – Rudoni Productions via flickr.com

Maybe Mayfield Lavender happened to read the market correctly and recognised an opportunity as English lavender began to rise in popularity once again – or perhaps the likes of Mayfield are responsible for this resurgence …. Whichever reason it cannot be denied English lavender is once again very much in vogue…. In fact, it is now French lavender that is in decline….

Our revived love of lavender includes all the old traditional ways of using it: perfumes, cosmetics, room and laundry fresheners, dried flower arranging or even as a natural confetti at weddings ~ but we are also embracing its merits in the kitchen too…. Its culinary use doesn’t just stop at the lavender jelly Queen Victoria favoured…. Use it in salads, soups, meat and seafood dishes, desserts, confectionery – even cheese making! In baking it is especially popular – lavender cookies are a favourite…. Use the leaves as you would rosemary to flavour meat and vegetables and the flower buds for baking…. And of course, lavender produces abundant nectar, making a glorious high quality honey….

We can’t all grow lavender on a commercial scale but for those of us with a garden it makes a wonderful addition – both for its beauty and the wealth of uses its harvest can bring…. Lavender thrives best in dry, well-drained soil – either sandy or gravelly and it prefers full sun. It needs pruning once a year to prevent it from growing ‘leggy’ and becoming too woody – but apart from that it needs little care…. Grow it in the garden for fewer slugs, snails and aphids….but at the same time attract butterflies and bees….

“Lavender blue, dilly~dilly
Lavender green
If I were king, dilly~dilly, I’d need a queen”…

Please…. If you have read this post through to the end – then I assume you have found it of interest and I hope you’ve enjoyed it…. If you have found this via Facebook a little ‘like’ for the Cottage Capers page would be very much appreciated…. I’m not trying to sell you anything – I’m simply a blogger trying to establish myself…. Many thanX….