Herbs in the House

[bunnyjadwiga]

Found in Warm and Snug: The History of the Bed by Lawrence Wright:
"There were two Long Galleries at Cowdray, one on each side of the court, and int he Book of Household Rules drawn up by Lord Montague in 1595 the "Yeoman of the Wardroppe" is to

see the galleryes and all lodgings reserved for st[r]angers cleanly and sweetly kepte, with herbes, flowers, and bowes in their seasons and the beddes of such as shall hither resorte att their first cominge to be mayde and the better sortes of quiltes of beddes at any tyme to be used at nightes taken off, and Yrish Rugges layd in their places.

p. 64.

So it appears that there were herbs and flowers, either strewn on the floors, or used as decoration/air freshener, in the guest 'bedrooms'.

Comments

[stringlady.livejournal.com]

And now the textile person wonders what Yrish Rugges were. Hmmm...

[francesca-tessa.livejournal.com]

I'll second that! Nice bit of info!

[ellid.livejournal.com]

Heavy woolen bed covering with a fuzzy nap. They're more commonly associated with America, but they were used in Ireland and the rest of Britain as well; there are some references in Peter Thornton's book on early furniture, plus extant colonial examples at Historic Deerfield and the Metropolitan Museum.

[stringlady.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

It wasn't a phrase I'd encountered, and I was wondering why they were specifically Irish.

It's nice to know people who know things, and know people who know things, who in turn know people...

Of course, now I'm curious about something else. When guests arrive, you take off the better sorts of quilts and replace them with Irish Rugs. Taking off the pretty bedspread and giving you a nice cozy blanket, do you suppose? Or...?

I like that they're to be kept nice and fresh (with herbs) all the time, not just when the guests arrive.

[ellid.livejournal.com]

This reference is gold - it not only confirms the use of quilts, it confirms the use of bed rugs! Where did you find this book? *jumps up and down in glee*

[ellid.livejournal.com]

Oh, one more thing...may I post this to a couple of quilting lists? This is an exciting find!

Thanks!

Sarah Davies

Certainly!

[bunnyjadwiga.livejournal.com]

You are welcome to cross post. Have you followed up on the references in the OED?

1. a. A bed covering consisting of two joined pieces of fabric enclosing a layer of soft material (such as wool, cotton, or down) which acts as padding or insulation. Originally: {dag}one used for lying on or as a mattress (obs.). In later use: such an article used as an outer bedcover, esp. one in which the inner layer is kept in place by (decorative) stitching; a duvet; = continental quilt at CONTINENTAL adj. 2; (also) a counterpane. Also applied occas. to coverings other than for beds, as toilet-quilt n. at TOILET n. Compounds 1a. See also patchwork quilt at PATCHWORK adj. 1.
The modern quilt or duvet is often used as a replacement for the traditional oversheet and blankets (the insulation rating is measured in togs (see TOG n.1 3)).
Earliest recorded in a compound (as a surname).
1276 Close Rolls Edward I 353 Joan la Quiltemaker. c1300 Body & Soul (Laud Misc. 108) (1889) 27 {Ygh}were beon..{th}ine cowltes [v.rr. quiltes, quyltus] and {th}i covertoures? 1397 Cal. Inquisitions (1963) VI. 74 Quiltes [and] matrasse [worth 26 s. 8 d.]. a1425 (?c1350) Ywain & Gawain 751 Sho..did him sit opon hir bed; A quylt ful nobil lay {th}areon. 1477 Will in J. T. Fowler Acts Church SS. Peter & Wilfrid, Ripon (1875) 179 Unum twylt. 1489 CAXTON tr. C. de Pisan Bk. Fayttes of Armes II. xxxvi. 154 Coyltes or matrases or sacques. a1500 (?c1450) Merlin (1899) 539 Thei lay down to slepe vpon the grasse, for other quyltes [Fr. couches] ne pilowes hadde thei noon. 1560 T. PHAER tr. J. Goeurot Regiment Lyfe (new ed.) sig. Aviiiv, A coife, made of double linnen clothe, and sowed like a cotten quilt. 1574 in F. G. Emmison Essex Wills (1986) (modernized text) III. 311 My trundle bed in the chamber above, with a twylt which is wont to lie on my bed. 1616 B. JONSON Epic{oe}ne II. i. 539 And, you have fastened on a thicke quilt, or flockbed, on the out-side of the dore. a1627 T. MIDDLETON Women beware Women III. i, in 2 New Playes (1657) 135 Never a green silk quilt is there..To cast upon my Bed?

[thealiwoman.livejournal.com]

I think that makes sense, putting out/down flowers and herbs in the guest bedrooms. It's kinda the modern equivalent of vacuuming and spraying air freshener before you have guests come over. No one wants to stay in a room that smells musty; it just screams that the owners cleaned the room once awhile ago and haven't bothered to make it nice now for the guest.