FOOTNOTES:
[94] She was confined in 11th March 1579, also 23rd November 1579. See Reg. Privy Council of date, and at other later times.
XXVI
JANE, THE QUEEN’S FOOL
The only woman in this country clearly recorded to have filled the peculiarly masculine office of the Royal Fool was a person named Jane, whose paternal name is as yet only a matter of inference. It is not insignificant that she flourished in the time of our first Queen Regnant, 1537-1558, coming to the Household while Mary was Princess, and sharing the days of her adversity, as well as of her prosperity. It is possible that Mary, with her modest nature, considered that it would be more decorous that her quiet household should be amused by a humourist of her own sex, than by such jesters as awakened by their broad witticisms roars of laughter in her father’s Court. But it is more than likely that, from some kind motive at first, she had extended her protection to Jane as a young girl left under some peculiar need of help, and, after fitting her for it, appointed her to the office. No book of Jane’s witticisms has come down to us, nor any allusions to them, as in the case of her predecessor Scogan, and her contemporary Will Somers, so that it is probable that her sayings were neither very brilliant nor very broad, and that she was one who rather warmed and illumined life by a genial humour, than one who flashed upon it startling coruscations of wit. Dr. Doran, in his “History of Court Fools,” does not allude to her, though he might have done so had he studied Sir Frederick Madden’s published transcript of the household expenses of the Princess Mary, as Miss Strickland has done to advantage.
Little is known of her except through the accounts of her garments, and yet through the language of clothes we find in this case a good deal of information regarding Court customs and expenditure, and of the Queen who determined both. In many ways Mary showed herself liberal by nature, but nowhere more markedly than in the clothing of her Court Fools. Besides the Girl-Fool of her youth, the Queen, on coming to the throne, “entertained” her father’s fool, William Somers, doubtless on account of his well-known kindly and charitable disposition. Armin, in his “Nest of Ninnies,” says of him:
He was a poor man’s friend
And helped the widow often to her end;
The King would ever grant what he did craue,
For well he knew Will no exacting Knave,
But wished the King to do good deeds great store
Which caused the Court to love him more and more.
But though Henry VIII granted his Fool’s requests, he did not array Somers anything like so handsomely as Mary did. So it does not seem surprising that she liked to deck her Woman Fool almost gorgeously at times. One can only wonder how Jane could wear out all the shoes that were made for her, unless she had some poor relatives whom they fitted. The more limited gifts of Mary’s early days were, no doubt, eked out by home-made “translations,” and certainly aided by grants from the King. The earliest entry (Royal MSS. British Museum, 17B. xxviii) runs: “December 1537. Payd for housen and shewes to Jane the Foole 20ᵈ.”
In 1538: “Payd for a yerde and a halfe Damaske for Jane the Fole 7/. Item payed to Mʳˢ Laundress for stuff by hir bought for Jane the Fole 15/.”
In 1542 appears: “Item for a pair of shews for Jane the Fole 6/.” In April 1543: “Item for three elles clothe to make Jane the Fole smocks 3/.” In July 1543: “Item payd for Jane the Fole for the tyme of her seekness 22/6.” In September of that year:
“Payd for a Kirtle for Jane Foole 15/.
“Item for nedles for Jane 1ᵈ.”
In January 1543-4: “Payed for shaving of Jane Fole’s head 8ᵈ,” an expense which was again incurred in July 1544, in August and September of that year, as if some weakness in the hair had followed her severe illness.
In June-1544: “Item for a coffer for Jane the Foole 3/4.”
From another source we find other facts. In 1540 there had been a warrant issued by Henry VIII to Sir Anthony Denny, Master of the Great Wardrobe, to deliver certain quantities of silks and stuffs to “The nurse of Prince Edward, to Catharine Champernoone, to Ann Basset, and to Jane the Foole” (Add. MS. 7100, Brit. Mus.).
In the autumn after Mary’s accession she allowed for the Coronation to William Somers “A gowne of blue satten, the ground yellow stripping with a slight gold, a jerkin furred, with sleeves of same, furred with conie” (427 (4) Exchequer Accounts, Q.R., P.R.O.).
Mary’s warrants to Sir Edward Waldegrave, Keeper of the Great Wardrobe, were generally in favour of an individual or group of individuals of the same class, as of the ladies of her chamber or ushers of her Court. So much was to be “delivered” either for the occasion or annually. I have not as yet found a notice of Jane so early as those of the others, but this may arise from the fact that her expenses were always included with those of the Queen, and were apparently retrospective. Mary’s special warrants included her own personal wants, with occasional references to those of King Philip; those of one lady, probably the “chief” of her “women,” at first Lady Margaret Clifford (until her marriage to Lord Strange on 7th February 1555-6); afterwards “Lady Jane Seymour,” but always those of her two fools, William and Jane, sometimes in strange juxtaposition. The earliest after her accession which has been preserved is that of 27th April 1 Mary 427 (11) Exchequer Accounts, in which are included:
Item, for thre yerdes of black satten geuen to Mʳ Herte, being Jane our Foole’s Valantyne, all of our great guardrobe.[95]
Item, for making of a Douche gowne for Jane our Foole of striped purple satten, the pleites lyned with frise and buckram, the bodyes lyned with fustian.
Item for making of a kirtle for her of striped silk lyned with cotton, the bodyes and placket lyned with lynnen cloth.
Item for making of a Douche gowne for her of Crimson satten striped with golde, the bodyes lyned with fustian, the pleites lyned with freize and buckram.
Item for making of a kirtle for her of blewe silke fringed over, the bodyes lyned with lynnen clothe, the skirtes with cotton.
Item for making of a Douche gowne for her of crimson striped satten, the bodyes lyned with fustyan, the plate with frieze & buckram, and for sewing silk to the same.
Item for making a kirtle of like crymson striped satten for her, the bodyes lyned with lynnen cloth, and the skirtes with cotton.
Item, for making of a cloak for her of yellow cloth garded with grene clothe layde on with yellow whippe lase, and for pillow silk to stitch it on.
Item for making of a Douche gowne for her of blew damaske chekered, the bodyes lyned with fustyan, the pleight lyned with cotton and buckram.
Item, for making of a kirtle for her all of white satten fringed with copper silver, the bodyes lyned with lynnen clothe and the skertes with cotton.
Item, for making of a kirtle for her of red vared silke lyned with lynnen and cotton cloth.
Item for making of a peticoate for her all of red cloth.
Item for making of a Frenche gowne for the Ladye Margaret Clifford of purple satten, etc.
It is a pity that the cost of the items is not given in this series of papers, but it is evident that there is no distinction of quality between the dress of Jane, and that of the great ladies of the Court, though there is sometimes in the colours or combinations, and generally in the shape. Jane seems to have worn Dutch gowns, and the courtiers French gowns, but the material is as good for Jane as for them and the number of garments greater.
The gentleman alluded to as Jane’s Valentine was probably one of the sons of Sir Percival Hart, who are recorded as performing then a device of their own before the Queen at Court.
This fact seems to suggest that Jane mingled with the other courtiers on a somewhat equal footing. As to what “a Valentine” really implied we cannot be sure, but it seems to have been normally conducted by an annual casting of lots. In Mary’s privy purse expenses there is an illustrative entry: “Item geven to George Mountjoye drawing my Lady Grace to his Valentyne.” And in the list of the Princess’s jewels is another: “Item, a Broche of gold enamyled blacke with an agaite of the story of Abraham with foure small rockt rubies,” while at the margin is added “Geven to Sir Antony Browne drawing her Grace to his Valentyne.”
At the foot of each page is the signature “Marye,” showing that the Princess had passed the entries. In the autumn of the year 1 and 2 Philip and Mary 17th October, the Queen being at Westminster, issued her warrants (427, 11. Exchequer Accounts):
Item to the said Marie Wilkinson our Silkewoman for one rich robe lace of purple silk & gold for his saide Majestie, wrought very richly with taffeta.
Then appears an item for “translating” some gowns for Lady Margaret Clifford; then:
Item, to the saide Edward Jones, tailor, for making of a douche gowne of fustian of Naples striped for Jane our foole, lyned with buckram & fringe and fringed the bodyes lined with fustyan.
Item, for making of a kirtle for her of yellowe Turquey Satten, lyned in Cotton, the bodyes and placarde lyned with lynnen clothe.
Item, for making of a douche gowne for her of grene satten tyncelled with copper gold frenges, the plaites lyned with cotton and Buckram the bodyes lyned with white Fustyan & paste Buckram.
Item, for making of a peticoat for her of red upperbodyed with Turquie Satten, lyned with Lynnen Cloth.
Item, for making of a Dowche gowne of Cloth for Beden the foole, frenged, the plaits lined with friese and buckram, and the bodyes lyned with fustyan.
Item, for making of a kirtle for her of yellowe Turquey Satten lyned with cotton.
Item for making of a peticoat for her of red upperbodyed with yellow Turquie satten lyned with lynnen clothe.
Item, to the saide Marie Wilkinson sylkewoman for nine peire of blak knit hose for the saide Jane our Foole, thirteene ounce and a haulfe of frenge of divers colours of fine slaine silke employed upon two gownes and two cappes for her, and for making the same.
Item, for twelve Handkerchevers of Holland for William Sommers our Fole, thre peyre of lynnen hosen for him, two peyre of knit hose, two ounce and a haulf of grene sylk employed upon a grene coate for hym & thre dossen of grene buttons.
Item, more for him, haulfe an ounce of blewe silke employed upon a coate of blewe damaske, one quarter of an ounce of silke for a doublet of canvas, two dossen white buttons for the same doublet, and one ounce and a haulfe of blew & yellow silke employed upon a Coat of Blew damaske garded with yellow Vellat.
Item for sixe and thre quarters ounce of fine slayne silke frenge of divers cullors employed by the said Edward Jones upon a gowne for the said Beden the foole.
Item to John Bridges Taylor, for making of a gown of purple Damaske, for the said William Sommers our foole with thre gardes of yellow Vellat.
Item for making of a jerkin for him of purple damask plaine, four caps of cloth, two russet, two of them garded with vellat, & stitched with silk.
Item, more to the saide Henry Arnolde our Shewmaker, for seven peire of shews to the saide Jane our fole.
This paper gives us two or three suggestive points. It shows that the knitted silk stockings, supposed to be a new experience to Queen Elizabeth, were liberally given to the Court Fool in the previous reign. It also introduces a new word, “Beden,” evidently a proper name, which can only mean one of two things; either that there was a second Female Fool, and a third Court Fool, nowhere else alluded to, or that “Beden” was the patronymic of Jane, which I take to be the case. I looked carefully through all the household lists of earlier years for a resembling name, and find a “John Bedon” mentioned three times as yeoman of the Chamber to Henry VIII in 1525, 1531, and 1533, who would have been a suitable enough father for her. There was also a John Beddon, master of the vessel sailing to Bordeaux for the King’s wine in 1526, and a Richard Bedon on the commission of the peace for Surrey, 1541. I cannot connect “Jane” with any of these, but thought it wise to note the names, as they may later yield some clue to her paternity.
The accounts here fail us at the Record Office, but fortunately they have strayed no further than to the Bodleian Library, whither they may be followed. Only six months later than the above list there were more garments ordered for Jane, (See Calendar of Charters and Rolls in the Bodleian, W. H. Turner; see also p. xviii.) In the account for 1 and 2 Philip and Mary, 10th April, at Hampton Court, we find:
Item for furring of a gowne (for William Sommer our foole) with gray jennets tayles, with a peere of sleves and a caape of jennets tailes to the same gowne, and fourtie white lambskynnes.
Item for furring of a gowne of grene figured Vellat (for hym) with sixtene white hare skynnes and fourtie and sixe white lamb skynnes.
Item for furring of a jerken (for hym) of the same Vellat, with seven white hare skennes and twenty whyte Lamb skynnes.
Item, for furring of a gowne of the same Vellat with sixe white hare skynnes for Jane our foole.
Item, for thirteen dosen and a haulf of round silke buttons of sundrie collours (for the saide William Sommer), two loupe buttons of silke, and two dossen buttons of grene silke and silver, five ounces of black stitching silke, sixe peire of Lemon hoosen, twelve shirts of Holland Cloth, and twelve Handkerchens of Holland Cloth.
Item, for eight paire of black knit hoosen (for the said Jane) seventeene ounces and a haulfe of Frenge of divers collors of fine Spanish silke, for the frenging of a gowne and a cappe of divers collors one peece[96] of green poynting Ribande for a gowne of grene satten and striped with golde, and for the making of two cappes, the oone with frenge, the other with Armiens.
Item, for thre yerdes of red cloth to make him a coate and two yerdes of Vellat to garde the same for lining, making, and embroidering of our letters.
Item, for 12 peire of shewes for the said Jane.
The account of six months later, also preserved at the Bodleian, continues the story (1st October 2 and 3 Philip and Mary, Greenwich):
Item for making of a loose gowne of greene vellat for Jane our foole, tyncelled with golde of our store lined with blacke cotton, the fore sleeves lined with friese and bagges and staye for the same.
Item for making of a Douche gowne of Fustian of Naples edged with frenge, the plaites lyned with buckram and cotton, the bodyes and sleves lined with frise, the collor lyned with stiff buckram.
Item, for making of a Kirtle (for her) of striped unwatered Chamblet with bodyes, the nether parte lyned with blacke cotton, and the bodyes and placarde lyned with Lennen clothe.
Item, for twelve peire of shewes for the said Jane.
Item, for making of two Grene coates for the saide William Sommer, the one garded with Vellat, the other playne and lyned with cotton.
Some other accounts seem to have vanished altogether. Jane appears to have been in trouble again, as among the lists of New Year’s gifts for 1556 are two:
Geven to a woman dwellyng at Burye for healing Jane the Foole her eye, oone guilt salt with cover.
To Maistres Ager for keping the saide Jane during the time of the healing of her eye, two guilt saltes.
The relative handsomeness of these gifts seems to show Mary’s appreciation of her Woman Fool. A later account at the Record Office (427, 18 Exchequer Accounts, 27th March, 6 Mary, Greenwich) shows continued liberality:
Item thre yerdes of blacke Satten geven to Mʳ Barnes, being Jane Foole her Valantyne.
Item, for making of a petycoat for Lady Jane Seymour of Scarlet garded with crimson vellat, &c....
Item for making of a Dowch Gowne for Jane our foole of blew fustyan of Naples, the pleights lyned with cotton and buckram, the bodyes and sleeves with fustyan, the upper sleeves with fryse and for making of a kyrtle for her of striped mockado, lyned with cotton, the bodyes and placard with lynnen clothe. And for making of another dowche gown for her of wrought fustian of Naples, the pleights lyned with cotton and buckram, the bodyes and sleeves with fustyan, the upper sleeves with fries and the collor with paste buckram and also for making of a kirtle for her of striped Russet lyned with cotton the bodyes and placarde lyned with lynnen cloth.
Item for three yerdes of Russet Clothe to make a gowne for William Sommers his sister....
Item, delivered to the saide Lady Jane Seymour six peces of blak jeane poynting ribande four peces of hollowe lase, one pece of girdling and thre ownce of crimson sylke in graine.
Item, delivered for the said William Somer eyght dossen of round silke buttons, thre ounce thre quarters of sylke, twelve shirtes of Holland cloth, twelve handkerchers of holland, fowre peyre of woollen hose, sixe peyre of lynnen hose, also two peyre of black buckram hose.
Item, delivered for the said Jane foole thirty one ounce thre quarters of frenge in collours for frenging of the said two gownes and cappes of fustian of Naples, and for making of the same cappes And for thirteene peyre of black knit hoose.
The next item is a long list of velvet shoes for the Lady Jane Seymour—so long, indeed, that one must think she had to supply the other ladies of the Chamber.
Item for twelve peire of shewes for the saide Jane Foole.
Item, for the said Thomas Perrye for furring of a gowne of clothe for the said William Somer, with thre tymber of Callake(?) and thyrte & eighte white lambe skynnes.
Item to the saide Mary Wilkenson, for four elles of Holland delivered to the said William Somer, etc.
The special feature of handkerchiefs in the wardrobe of William Sommers is noticeable. Other retainers do not seem to have had similar grants. He had apparently had this year a visit from his sister, whose relatively humble position is implied by the material of her garment. It may be remembered that Armin in his “Nest of Ninnies” gives a delightful account of the visit of William Sommers’ uncle to Court in Henry’s days. But we hear nothing further of the sister.
It is difficult to decide which “Mʳ Barnes” was Jane’s Valentine this year.
Then comes the last account of all, which becomes touching when we remember how Mary, crushed with ill-health, and the neglect of the husband for whom she had risked so much, with the loss of Calais, with long-continued “evil weather,” with the disaffection of her subjects, and the shrinking of her income, gave up all gaiety and expense.
Yet Mary, about to die, does not limit her expenditure upon her Court Fools, faithful among many faithless. (Exchequer Accounts, 31st October, 6 Mary 427, 18.) St. James:
Item, for furring of a gown of red fustian of Naples for Jane oure fole, with a here collored furre....
Item for William Somer our fole, seven ounce and a haulf of silke, one gross of buttons with stawlkes, eyght tassels of grene and yellow silke, two elles of Holland clothe, tenne peyre of Lennen hoose, fyve peire of Buckram hoose, haulfe a dossen of Handkerchievers, and thre dossen of round buttons.
Item for the said Jane our foole, thirteen ounce and a haulfe of silk freenge to frenge a gowne and two cappes, for making of the saide two cappes, and for thre ounce of grene silke for another gowne of grene damaske, one pece of crimson ribande and twelve pair of woollen hose....
Item, for making of twelve peire of lether shewes for the said Jane our foole....
Item to Richard Tysdale Taylor, for making of two grene coates for William Somer our foole thone garded with Vellat, and thother plaine, both lined with cotton, for making of two canvas doublets for him lyned with Bockram, and for making of a gowne of grene damaske garded with yellow vellat, and for making of a jerkin of same damaske lykewise garded with yellow Vellat.
And then the end came. Doubtless Mary’s two fools, after the way of their kind, knew more of the heart of their liberal mistress than many of her retainers. They do not seem to have offered their services to her successor, or to have been invited to her Court, though William Sommers had some payments made to him early in her reign. He apparently gravitated eastward from the Court, to the neighbourhood afterwards so famous for players and jesters, and he was buried in St. Leonard’s parish church in the Liberty of Shoreditch on 15th June 1560.
But there is no further word of Jane—she disappeared on the death of her royal mistress. I did not know of the name of “Beden” when I went through the registers of many London parishes; and though I have gone through the printed registers of others, I have as yet seen no record of the burial of any “Jane Beden,” or even of “Jane, a woman,” as was sometimes a clerk’s way of expressing the identity of the defunct. It is possible that through the suggestion of the patronymic some future worker may find some more details of the life of Jane, Queen Mary Tudor’s female Fool.
“Athenæum,” 12th August 1905.