Inventory of Elizabeth I facts for kids
Queen Elizabeth I had many beautiful clothes, sparkling jewels, and fancy gold and silver dishes. People kept detailed lists, called inventories, of all these valuable items. They also recorded gifts she received on New Year's Day.
A historian named Arthur Jefferies Collins published a book in 1955 called Jewels and Plate of Queen Elizabeth I: The Inventory of 1574. This book described her jewels and silver items in great detail. Another historian, Janet Arnold, also published two books in 1988, Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlocke'd, which listed Elizabeth's clothes and some of her jewelry. These books help us understand what the Queen owned and how important these items were.
Contents
What Was the Jewel House?
In 1574, the Queen's treasures were kept in a special place called the Jewel House. It was a two-story building located next to the White Tower in London. This building held all the records of the jewels and even the materials used to pack them when they were sent to the Queen's court.
The person in charge of the Jewel House was called the Master and Treasurer. In 1574, this job belonged to John Astley. The Master earned a good salary and could also get payments from goldsmiths who worked for the Jewel House. They also received money from people who transported the valuable items. It was a very important and profitable job!
The 1574 inventory listed 1,605 items. They were organized into different groups. We'll explore some of the main categories and examples of these amazing treasures.
Queen Elizabeth's Gold Plate
The inventory started with the most precious items: gold plate. These were not just dishes, but also important symbols of the Queen's power.
- Royal Jewels of Gold
- no. 1: The imperial crown of England. This was the crown used for coronations.
- no. 2: The gold sceptre with a dove on top. A sceptre is a ceremonial staff.
- no. 3: The globe or round ball (orb) with a cross. This golden orb also symbolized royal power.
- no. 4: The queen's crown. This was likely for a queen consort (the wife of a king).
- no. 5: The queen's sceptre with a dove. Also for a queen consort. One sceptre was fixed for Anne Boleyn's coronation.
- no. 6: A pair of bracelets with six rubies and seven large pearls. They also had five smaller pearls and red laces.
- Cups and Bowls
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- no. 48: The St Agnes cup. This was a gold cup decorated with pictures. It had a crown on its lid and 61 pearls around its edge.
- no. 49: A jeweled gold cup. This was given to James VI of Scotland when his son, Prince Henry, was christened in 1594.
- no. 75: A finely made gold cup. This was given to Christian IV of Denmark in 1606.
- Candlesticks
- no. 77: Four gold candlesticks for a table. They had "H" and "R" (for Henry VIII) decorated in red enamel. Three of these were gifts to Henry VIII from Catherine of Aragon.
- Other Gold Items
The inventory also listed many other gold items like Goblets, jugs, Salt cellars, orange-strainers, trenchers (plates), spoons, forks, basins, ewers (jugs for water), and glasses.
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- no. 125: A gold basin with the arms of Jane Seymour. It had red and white roses and a bird with a ring. This was given to the Constable of Castile in 1604.
- no. 148: A casting bottle with the queen's arms. This was a small bottle for sprinkling perfume.
Queen Elizabeth's Silver Plate
The inventory also included many items made of silver, silver-gilt (gold-plated silver), and parcel-gilt (partially gold-plated silver).
- Book Covers
- nos. 152 and 153: Covers for a Bible and a Book of Common Prayer. These were made of silver and gold-plated silver.
- A Baptismal Font
- no. 159: A silver-gilt font used for baptisms. It was decorated with pomegranates (a symbol of Catherine of Aragon) and roses. It was made for Mary I of England in 1555.
- Cups and Bowls
- no. 215: An "Antique" (meaning Renaissance style) gold-plated cup with a letter "D" on its lid. It was given to Jean Grusset Richardot in 1604.
- no. 225: Two large gold-plated cups with German knights on their lids. These had belonged to the Duke of Northumberland.
- no. 356: A cup called a "colloke" made of serpentine stone with a silver-gilt lid. This was a New Year's gift in 1562. The silver part was later melted down to make coins in 1600.
- Pots
- no. 539: Two gold-plated pots with rings and angels. These were given to the Constable of Castile in 1604.
- Tankards and Jugs
- no. 872: A silver-gilt tankard decorated with cameo heads. It was given as a wedding gift in 1579.
- no. 874: A silver-gilt jug shaped like a lion.
- no. 876: A silver-gilt jug shaped like an owl.
- Salt Cellars
- no. 998: A silver-gilt basin designed by Hans Holbein the younger for Anne Boleyn. It was later sold in 1620.
- Kitchen Items
- no. 1305: A silver tool used to roast puddings and apples. This was melted down for coins in 1600.
- no. 1314: A strainer for oranges with a long steel handle.
- no. 1320: A silver and gold-plated orange strainer with two crystals.
- Perfume Pans
- no. 1322: A silver and gold-plated perfume pan with crystal pillars. It also had a gold-plated and enameled clock. This was melted down in 1600.
Other Interesting Items
The inventory also included some unique items listed under "Sundry parcelles" (various items).
- no. 1375: A gunpowder flask. This flask was taken from the body of King James IV after the Battle of Flodden.
New Additions to the Collection
The inventory also recorded new items that were added over time, either as gifts or purchases.
- no. 1398: A gold cup with a cover. This was a gift from the town of Sandwich in 1573.
- no. 1429: Thirteen silver-gilt hooks. These were used to fasten hangings in the Queen's private room.
- no. 1433: Four gold toothpicks. These were a gift from Mistress Elizabeth Snowe, a lady in the Privy Chamber.
- no. 1440: A cup made of agate stone, set with rubies and emeralds. This was a gift from Thomas Wilson.
- no. 1453: A crystal jug with silver-gilt decorations and a phoenix on top. This was a gift from Lord Henry Seymour.
- no. 1483: Three gold-plated bowls with covers. These were gifts from the town of Yarmouth in 1578.
- no. 1484: A beautiful standing bowl with a silver cover. It showed scenes from the story of Joseph. This was a gift from the Dutch church in Norwich in 1578.
- no. 1485: A silver-gilt cup with a cover. This was a gift from the town of Thetford in 1578.
- no. 1515: A silver basket. Francis Drake presented this at a banquet in 1581. It was used to clear away dining utensils.
- no. 1521: A double porringer (a type of bowl) and four silver boxes with silver-gilt covers. These were gifts from Blanche Parry.
- no. 1541: A large, gold-plated standing cup with a cover. It was decorated with "vermin" like snakes, newts, and frogs, and also showed hunting scenes. This cup was probably made in Germany and was admired by visitors to the Tower of London.
Queen Elizabeth's Jewels and Their Records
Many portraits of Queen Elizabeth show her wearing amazing jewels. These paintings can help us understand how she wore them. For example, in one portrait from around 1595, her ruff (a ruffled collar) has 25 red ruby arrows decorated with pearls.
In 1559, Elizabeth chose a group of jewels from the Tower of London for a special celebration with French ambassadors. These included diamond brooches and other sparkling pieces.
Elizabeth was very interested in how jewels were made. In 1587, she asked her goldsmith, John Spilman, to hire skilled diamond cutters, ruby cutters, and other jewel workers from England and other countries.
Elizabeth received many jewels as gifts, especially on New Year's Day, and from diplomats (people representing other countries). In 1585, Catherine Howard, Countess of Nottingham gave her a gold dolphin jewel decorated with rubies. It had a person playing a lute on its back, representing the old story of Arion.
She also received jewels during special events at country houses. For example, at the Harefield Entertainment in 1602, she was given a diamond feather and an anchor, which were very valuable.
Jewels in the Stowe Inventory
Another important list of jewels is found in the Stowe inventory. It has three main parts. The first part lists 77 items kept by Elizabeth's lady-in-waiting, Mary Radcliffe. The second part lists 19 jewels, and the third lists 32 more. These lists help us track what happened to the jewels after Elizabeth's death, as some were given to Anne of Denmark (the wife of the next king, James I) or sold.
- Examples from the Stowe Inventory:
- [3] Small gold aglets (decorative metal tips for laces), 46 pairs.
- [13] A gold jewel shaped like an Angel. Its body was made of mother-of-pearl, and its wings were decorated with diamonds and rubies.
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- [4] A gold jewel shaped like a circle of Pansies, Daisies, and other flowers. It was decorated with diamonds and rubies, and had a mother-of-pearl butterfly and a crab.
- [6] A gold jewel shaped like a Pelican, decorated with different kinds of diamonds.
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- [11] A gold jewel with two hands. One hand held a sword, and the other held a trowel (a tool for building). Both were decorated with diamonds. This jewel was a New Year's Day gift in 1587. It represents peace.
- [27] A gold jewel shaped like a Daisy with small flowers. It was decorated with diamonds and rubies, and had a small picture of the Queen on a garnet stone. This was a New Year's Day gift in 1593.
Lost Jewels
Another inventory, called the Folger inventory, lists 22 jewels that were known to be lost from Elizabeth's collection.
- Examples of Lost Jewels:
- [1] A gold button with five pearls. This was lost from her Majesty's kirtle (a type of dress) during a play at Richmond in 1595.
- [10] A diamond from a heart-shaped jewel. This was lost by the Queen in 1596.
Elizabeth I and French Jewellery
Queen Elizabeth I, like Mary, Queen of Scots, sometimes bought jewelry from Paris, France. In 1562, a diplomat named Nicholas Throckmorton sent Elizabeth a list of questions about jewelry she might want to buy. This gives us clues about the styles of jewels worn back then.
Throckmorton asked about different types of jewelry, like "borders" and "billements" (decorations for headwear). He also asked about matching sets of necklaces and girdles (belts) with pendants. He wanted to know how many items Elizabeth wanted, if they should be engraved (more expensive), or simply cast (cheaper). He also asked if they should be enameled.
These jewels might have been intended as diplomatic gifts for a planned meeting between Mary, Queen of Scots, and Elizabeth, which never happened.
What Happened to Elizabeth's Jewels After Her Death?
After Queen Elizabeth died, her jewels were carefully looked after. In 1600, some of her older jewels were valued for sale by goldsmiths. This collection included loose precious stones, fake jewels, gold rings, buttons with stones and cameos, pearls, gold chains, and even broken gold and silver pieces. Some pearls had been sewn onto Elizabeth's gowns.
When King James became the new ruler, he gave many of Elizabeth's jewels to his wife, Anne of Denmark, and other important people. Goldsmiths like William Herrick and John Spilman even reset some of Elizabeth's gems onto a new gold crown for Anne of Denmark to wear at her coronation in 1603.
In 1607, King James had more of Elizabeth's jewels refurbished. He gave Anne of Denmark a special cup made of unicorn's horn (which people believed could protect against poison) and a salt cellar with "serpent's tongues" (which were actually fossilized shark teeth, also thought to protect against poison). These items show how people thought about magic and protection in those times.
Later, more lists of jewels were made, including those that became part of the official Crown Jewels.
Images for kids
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A 15th or 16th-century coral branch with "serpent's tongues" (fossilized shark teeth). People believed these could test for poison.
