The household below stairs: Laundry 1660-89

Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837. Originally published by University of London, London, 2006.

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Citation:

'The household below stairs: Laundry 1660-89', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837, ed. R O Bucholz( London, 2006), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp513-518 [accessed 26 November 2024].

'The household below stairs: Laundry 1660-89', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837. Edited by R O Bucholz( London, 2006), British History Online, accessed November 26, 2024, https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp513-518.

"The household below stairs: Laundry 1660-89". Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837. Ed. R O Bucholz(London, 2006), , British History Online. Web. 26 November 2024. https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp513-518.

In this section

Laundry 1660–89

The laundry was responsible for washing the royal table linen. In 1660 the establishment of the laundry consisted of a yeoman, two grooms, four pages and two laundresses, appointed by lord steward's warrant. The yeoman was reduced to supernumerary status in 1662 with wages of £5 and board wages of £18 5s. The office was abolished on the death of its incumbent in 1665. (fn. 1) Two grooms were appointed in 1660. In 1662 these were reduced to supernumerary status with wages of £2 13s 4d and board wages of £18 5s, temporarily reduced to £15 between 1664 and 1668. They were abolished in 1685. (fn. 2)

Four pages seem to have been appointed in 1660. The Establishment of 1 December 1662 reduced these servants to supernumerary status at £2 in wages and £18 5s in board wages. Board wages were reduced to £10 in 1664, then raised to former levels in 1668. There is a evidence of a page in ordinary 1667–1668. The establishment of 1685 named two supernumerary pages at £16 apiece. The place was finally abolished on the Establishment of 1699. (fn. 3)

At the Restoration there was a laundress for the King's board and a laundress for the Household. The Establishment of 1664 lists two laundresses at £20 wages apiece. By 1674 three laundresses were established, one each for the King's table, the Queen's table and the Household, the first two at £20 per annum each, the last at £18 5s. In 1685 the laundress to the household table received £120 per annum. There was also a supernumerary at £14 per annum. In 1689 the laundress made £20 in wages and £40 in board wages per annum but in 1699 the old stipend of £120 was restored as £20 in wages and £100 in board wages. The laundress of the board to the Queen was abolished in 1685. The laundress of the course linen was appointed by the clerks of the green cloth on rotation. She made £30 per annum. The office was left unfilled at the death of the last holder in 1775. The laundress at Carlton House made £109 per annum. (fn. 4)

Yeoman 1660–1662

1660 22 Aug. Bigg, T.

Supernumerary Yeomen 1662–1665

1662 1 Dec. Bigg, T.

Grooms 1660–1662

1660 22 Aug. Bryan, J.
1660 28 Aug. Richardson, H.
1662 8 Oct. Barnaby, H.

Supernumerary Groom 1662–1685

1662 1 Dec. Bryan, J.
1662 1 Dec. Barnaby, H.

Pages 1660–1685; 1686–1699

[1660] Williams, H.
[1660] Stephens, J.
1660 23 Aug. Malachine, J.
1660 18 Nov. Barnaby, H.
[?1661] Spicer, E.
1661 25 Feb. Richardson, G., [sen.]
1661 23 Aug. Bishop, G.
1661 9 Oct. Falkner, W.
[1662] 8 Oct. Draper, R.
By 1667 Richardson, G., [sen.]
1667 14 Mar. Richardson, G., [jun.]

Supernumerary Pages 1662–1685; 1686–1688

1662 1 Dec. Bishop, G.
1662 1 Dec. Draper, R.
[1662 1 Dec.] Falkner, W.
1662 1 Dec. Richardson, G., sen.
1668 1 Oct. Richardson, G., jun.
1686 1 Feb. Falkner, W.

Laundresses to the Table and Household 1660–1837

1660 11 Aug. Massonet, A.
1669 23 Feb. Bishop, M.
1672 3 Apr. Jennings, S.
1685 29 Apr. Robson, M.
1689 22 Feb. Potter, J.
1698 12 Feb. Potter, M.
1699 1 Oct. Wolf, M.
1702 3 July Gunthorpe, E.
1715 1 Feb. Gunthorpe, J.
1727 1 July Phillips, D.
1755 12 Apr. Gibson, M.
By 1760 Stukely, M.
1790 18 Nov. Willis, S.M.

Joint Table [or Household] Laundress 1760–1770

1760 15 Dec. Pavanarious, A.
1760 15 Dec. Redecker, E.
1769 1 Apr. Robinson, A.
1764 4 Feb. Gale, M.

Laundress of the Household 1770–?1812

1770 16 Jan. Gale, M.
1771 2 July Willis, H.
By 1810 Willis, E.
1810 16 Mar. Willis, E.
By 1833 Harding, S.

Extraordinary or Supernumerary Laundress of the Table Linen 1682–1685

1682 17 July Cardin, M.
1685 1 July Bishop, M.

Laundress 'of the Board' [to the Table and Household] in Extraordinary 1684–1685

1683 13 Feb. Hewton, I.

Laundress at Carlton House 1812–1830

1812 12 Feb. Satchwell, M.

Laundress of the Board to the Queen 1662–1685

1662 ?20 Mar. Leigh, M.

Laundress of the Board to the Queen in Extraordinary 1684–1685

1684 14 July Lamb, M.

Laundress of the Coarse Linen 1727–1775

1727 1 July Vaule, M.
1749 1 Jan. Voyce, A. M.

Collector, Deliverer and Examiner of the Coarse Linen 1782

1782 2 Apr. Gardner, R.

Footnotes

  • 1. LS 13/31, f. 16v.
  • 2. Ibid.; LS 13/34, f. 25; LS 13/35, f. 19v; LS 13/38, f. 14.
  • 3. MS Carte 59, f. 123v; LS 13/31, f. 16v; LS 13/34, f. 25; LS 13/35 f. 19v; LS 13/38, f. 14; LS 13/39, p.29; LS 13/40, p. 27.
  • 4. HMC Ormonde MSS. N.s. III, 3; LS 13/34, f. 12v; LS 13/35, f. 15v; LS 13/38, ff. 11v, 14; LS 13/39, p. 20; LS 13/40, p. 20; LS 13/44, f. 12v; LS 13/49, p. 38; LS 2/39.