The kechyn daybooke at Astley, the howse of Sir Iohn FitzHardye
kept by Margaret Wodd, kechynesse, for the springe quarter, beinge Lent and Eastertide of this present yere.
Mondaye in the first weke of Lent.
- br., viij manchets fr. ye bake-hous · al. ij galons fr. ye brewinge of last tysdaye
- fysshe, samon iij lb. fr. ye Severne man, iijd · master at hys table, ye chapleyn ill abed
- to a younge man fr. ye priorie of S. Helene at Wenlock, who brought a basket of redde wortes & a writte note: br. and al. at ye dore. ye basket noted in ye larderer's book, not in mine.
Wednsedaye, the same weke, beinge ye ember Wednesdaye.
- br., vj manchets · vj loues for ye women's borde · byef, j syde fr. ye home herd, killed Mondaye and hangd
- at evyn, John Breame ye carter cam to ye kechyn dore with a small cofre of woode bound with iron, wrappd in russet cloth & corded once, no more then a foote in lengthe, & light for its bignesse. he was waterd, gyven al. j pott and a manchet at ye dore; he wuld eate no byef, beinge ember-dayes, which was well of him.
- master cam frome ye yarde & tooke ye cofre in him selfe to ye privie parlor, not to ye buttrye nor to ye plate. no entrie in ye plate booke. no entrie in ye larderer's book niether.
- iiijd to Breame at master's hande, of which jd frome my purse, master in my debt for ye same.
Thursdaye following.
- br., viij manchets · ele ij lb. fr. ye fyssh pond, dressed with butter & verieuyce
- at ye morninge, vpon ye long table in ye kechyn, the wrappinges of ye cofre of last evyn: a square of redde velvett ye breadthe of two handes, a tag of corde of a colour I knew for priorie corde, & a wisp of strawe. ye strawe smelled of incence and not of stable, whiche I noted but did not speke of. ye velvett to ye rag bag. ye corde to ye corde basket. ye strawe to ye fire vnder ye gretest pott.
- master not at table this daye but at his ridinge.
[the booke continues with the routine of Lent: bread, ale, fysshe, eggs put by against Easter, the master at table or not. nothing ferther of the cofre vntill — ]
Frydaye in the iiijth weke of Lent.
- br., vj manchets · fysshe, pyke j lb. dressed.
- before vespers, master alone in ye kechyn halfe an howere with a small clampe & a chisel of mine. he tooke also a peece of clene linnen frome ye drawer. when he was gone, ye chisel was vpon ye long table; I sett it backe to its box.
- after collacioun, master spake in ye kechyn & sayd ye kechyn was to be emptie of all handes after compline & ye fire to be heaped highe with charcoal of oke ouer & beyonde ye nede for ye morrowe's bake. I was to ley the bake ye comyng morne at iiij of ye clock & not before. he tooke ye keye of ye kechyn dore frome me, & gaue it backe at matins.
Saterdaye.
- br., none baked at iiij — ye herthe held more ashes than a dayes burnynge giveth, vp to a foote depe.
- amonge ye ashes vpon ye lefte ende, with ye rake, I tooke out a lompe of greye matter ye bignesse of a hen's egge, somwhat melted & almost rounde, heuy in ye hand, & not of yron. I sett it vpon ye windowe sille thinkinge it ye botom of a pott broken belowe in ye fire.
- ye steward, Iohn Hawte, cam to ye kechyn at vj of ye clock & tooke ye thinge frome ye sille, saying — that is none of yours. he put it in his sleue. I sayd nothinge.
- br., viij manchets bak'd late. master sayd not a worde of ye latenesse. to ye steward, broth at viij of ye clock, he beinge pale.
Mid-Lent Sondaye.
- procession to ye stone crosse. all of ye howse at ye chapell. ye kechyn fire bankd lowe & not stirrd by my hande.
- after, master sat at ye long table & wrote a letter, & sealed it with his owne waxe & not ye steward's.
- Memo: the corde basket emptied this daye by ye laundresse, who sayd ye priorie corde was good for nothing & burnt it.
[the booke continues through Eastertide and Whitsone-tyde without further such entrie. routine bread, ale, fysshe, ye egges at Easter, ye lambe killed on Easter Mondaye, &c.]
— Margaret Wodd, hir hande.