Holly Barnes
University of Toronto
The celebrations and theatrical presentations examined
in the Records of Early English Drama (REED) present the origins of many of the
elements that are present in the dramatic sphere of the modern age. One of
these elements is the use and maintenance of costumes utilized in the drama of
the sixteenth century. This report seeks
to examine some of the key facets of costume and apparel, specifically the
economy of costume and the maintenance and keeping of the costumes for the
players in the 1500’s. As the records
span a vast geographical space within England, as well as, in some cases multiple
centuries, this report will limit its examination of costume to Devon, Dorset/Cornwall,
Chester and Wales. Although the inclusion of Wales may be contrary to the
inclusiveness of a strictly “English” examination, I feel its inclusion is
valuable in order to locate any potential differences in costume usage in an
arguably culturally and geographically distinct area which is in close
proximity to the rest of the areas being studied.
This report will first focus on Devon, a county in the
South of England. Towns within county Devon included Barnstable, Dartmouth and
Exeter, and all three area’s chief periods of festivity and dramatic production
corresponded to yearly religious holidays, namely Corpus Christi, Michaelmas
and Christmas. [1]
Secular drama was also highly popular in these areas and the production of
Robin Hood plays are recorded variously throughout REED. What my research has shown is that in Devon,
it was the churches, not the guilds which were primarily financially responsible
for the production of these folk plays and also the procurement of the
costumes. In fact in the sixteenth century the main sources of income based on
St. Martin’s and St. Mary’s Church Warden’s accounts were not only the usual
church ales but also the Robin Hood plays.[2] In
Ashburton, another town within county Devon, the records show multiple entries
for the St. Andrew’s Churchwarden’s account between years 1508 and 1557 which
contain references not only to the payment for costumes themselves but also for
the mending and keeping of them. As the entries do not specify which plays the
costumes were acquired for, there can only be conjecture that the apparel was
for both folk and biblical or cycle productions. In the accounts of 1508-09, St.
Andrew’s Churchwarden enters that vij s vijd was “payed for the mending of
player clothys.”[3]
The next significant entry in relation to the economy of costuming is dated
1532-33, again from St. Andrew’s parish where “viij s iiij d payd to John
Wyndyett Tayler for ‘the belles coliers and for kepying of the playing clothys’”.[4]
Interestingly, there are other entries over the next four years to the same man
at the same rate for the keeping of the costumes. It is therefore apparent that in Ashburton,
there was no natural rate of increase for these services. Evidence also
suggests that there was a certain tradition in the keeping of the player’s
clothes, as one man served that role for many years. It was not until ledgers
for 1554-55 that the records show a new keeper of the costumes, William Bound,
who was paid iiij s iiij d for the “keeping of players clotheyng” in 1555-56.
Mr. Bound was still in his post in 1556-57, but at an apparent lower rate of ij
s.[5] In
Exeter, the records make no specific mention of costumes or their acquisition. The nearby county of Dorset/Cornwall, also in
the South West of England appears to have similar interests in its theatrical
engagements, as “entries in Cornish records also document the performance of
Robin Hood plays during the last half of the sixteenth century and may help to
confirm the belief that interest in Robin Hood grew during the 1500’s.”[6]
Additionally, “the accounts confirm that within a period of six years, five
different performances of a Robin Hood play were held in the same location.”[7]
Just as in Devon, folk plays then, as well as biblical cycle plays were being
performed throughout the century and it was the Parishes, rather than the
guilds that were responsible for many of the financial transactions entailed in
the acquisition of costumes: “Costumes for Robin Hood plays are mentioned in
the church warden’s accounts for St. Columb major, which indicated ownership of
various sorts of costumes that the church apparently rented to performers.”[8] In
1587-88, the Churchwarden’s account for the parish of St. Columb major
specified that it “received payment for the lont (loan) of the Robin Hoodes
clothes xviij d.”[9]
Proving that the church used these costumes as a source of income, this entry
also shows that it was less expensive to rent costumes from the church on a yearly
basis then to maintain the same trove of costumes through the use of a paid
keeper. That being said, the record above stipulates that the costumes were to
be rented for the production of one specific play, therefore the accrual of
payments for costume rental for various costumes over multiple seasons for
different plays, may in fact have been less economical.
Looking to the North of England, we will now turn our
attention to Chester. This county is known for The Chester Cycle Plays, which were performed throughout the
sixteenth century. The popularity of these plays speaks to the influence of
religion in the area as the documents within REED make no mention of the Robin
Hood plays which were so popular elsewhere. Conversely, while it was the Church
in the southern counties which retained much of the fiscal responsibility
surrounding the costumes for the players, in Chester, it was the guilds which
were in charge of the production of these cycle plays, including costuming. The
guilds though, appear to have spent many more resources on the carriage (wagon)
used for the cycle plays. Dressing the wagon it seems, may have been more
important at that time than dressing the actors. Though it was primarily the
function of the guilds to facilitate production, the church was not wholly
uninvolved and I was able to find an entry dated 1569-70 for the Trinity
Churchwarden’s accounts which stated that it: “sold 3 course vestments and a
course stremer to make players garments viiij s.”[10]
Here, we see that like in the southern counties, the church was using costume
as an income earning endeavour; in this case the church was selling material to
be used for costumes at a much higher rate than that of costume rentals.
Under the reign of Henry VIII, the Tudor monarchy
officially extended its power over Wales.[11] As
Wales did not share a long historical national identity with England in the
sixteenth century, it is not surprising then that we see substantial
differences in their handling of costume and dramatic performance. There is
actually no mention of costumes in the Wales REED Index. Indeed the REED for
Wales state that “[o]ther common English performance traditions, such as Robin
Hood plays, appear to have found no home in Wales.”[12]
Additionally, REED continues that “[c]ostume tradition varies regionally and
there does not appear to be any national standard or tradition.”[13]
As there is no specific reference to costumes in the entries or ledgers, we
have little insight in this region as to the economy of the player’s dramatic
wardrobe. However, another method of disguise, cross-dressing, is referred to
several times in the documents, in reference to performance: “[c]ross dressing
was commonly a feature of midsummer dancing activities in North East Wales,
especially after the Reformation.”[14] A
specific example tells of two performers, “William Arrowsmyth and Richard Stubbs
bothe of them in disguised apparel with naked swords in theire hands daunsing
with those that were in womens apparel…”.[15]
Cross dressing was not limited to dancing or other dramatic presentations, but
was also engaged in during public executions[16]
further adding to the spectacle for the crowd during these highly charged
occasions.
Though the scope of this report did not allow for an examination of
costume usage throughout the whole of England, certain valuable insights have
been ascertained; there was a distinct tradition of costume keeping in the
southern counties we have looked at, and while it is important to note that
these posts were long standing, yearly incremental gains did not accompany
those posts. Additionally, costume rental and fabric sales were of importance
to the church for parish fundraising, though it may have been more economically
feasible for the producers, namely the guilds, to maintain their own costume
collection and have it maintained and mended over the years as opposed to newly
purchased or rented apparel from the church. Genre of play and corresponding
costume tradition varied regionally and not surprisingly, we see the greatest
differences in Wales.
Bibliography
Clopper, Lawrence M., ed., Records
of Early English Drama: Chester. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1979.
Conklin Hays, Rosalind and C.E. McGee, eds., Records of Early English Drama: Dorset. Toronto: Brepols Publishers and University of
Toronto Press Inc., 1999.
Joyce, Sally L. and Evelyn S. Newlyn, eds., Records of Early English Drama: Cornwall. Toronto: Brepols
Publishers and University of Toronto Press Inc., 1999.
Klausner, David N., ed., Records
of Early English Drama: Wales. Toronto: The British Library and University
of Toronto Press Inc., 2005.
Merriman, John. A History of
Modern Europe: Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2010.
Wasson, John M., ed., Records of
Early English Drama: Devon. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1986.
[1] John M. Wasson, ed, Records of Early English Drama: Devon (Toronto:
University of Toronto Press, 1986), 17.
[2] Ibid. 39.
[3] John M. Wasson, ed., Records of Early English Drama: Devon (Toronto:
University of Toronto Press, 1986), 19.
[4] Ibid. 19.
[5] Ibid. 28.
[6] Rosalind Conklin Hayes et al., eds.,
Records of Early Modern Drama:
Dorset/Cornwall (Toronto: Brepols Publishers and University of Toronto
Inc., 1999) ,399
[7] Ibid. 400.
[8] Rosalind Conklin Hayes et al.,
eds., Records of Early Modern Drama: Dorset/Cornwall (Toronto: Brepols
Publishers and University of Toronto Inc., 1999) ,400.
[9] Ibid. 508.
[10] Lawrence M. Clopper, ed., Records of Early English Drama: Chester (Toronto:
University of Toronto Press, 1979), 91.
[11] John Merriman. A History of Modern Europe: Vol.
1. (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2010), pg. 179-80.
[12] David N. Klausner, ed., Records of Early English Drama: Wales (Toronto:
The British Library and University of Toronto Press Inc. 2005), xxvii.
[13] Ibid. xxvii.
[14] Ibid. 419.
[15] David N. Klausner, ed., Records of Early English Drama: Wales (Toronto:
The British Library and University of Toronto Press Inc., 2005), 419.
[16] Ibid. 413.
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