Mistris Wodd's reckoninge booke — ye kytchen of Astley House, Salop, Lent A.D. 1538
kept by Margt Wodd, kechynesse to Sir Iohn FitzHardye, knight, of Astley in ye countie of Salop. for ye dayly reckoninge of ye fastes, of viandes & herbes receyved into ye kytchen, & of ye dressers sent vp to ye Hall & to ye chamberes of ye howse.
Frydaye in ye firste weke of Lent.
- Receyved in at ye kytchen dore, of a boye from ye priorye of Wenlocke, a basket of redde-wortes — gyfte from Dame Ione Frankleyn, cellaresse there, to myselfe Margt Wodd, for ye dressyng of Sir Iohn's fasts. ye basket weighed xj lb. by ye gardener's scale at ye dresser. ye wortes whan layde out & sorted weighed v lb. & a half. ye gardener's scale is true; I have provd it agayn ye standard weights in ye still-room.
- iijd in ye boye's hand for hys rode, fr. my purse. dyned in ye kytchen, sett to ye dresser ende standing; gyven a peece of cheese & a manchet. wuld eate no flesshe of his owne wil; sayd it was Frydaye. asked of no thinge but ye carrot-pitt at home.
ad fastum hujus diei (to ye fast of this daye) —
- pottage of redde-wortes & lentyls, herbes fr. ye stilroom; v messes. sent vp to ye chamber of Sir Iohn at xj, & ye rest to ye Hall.
- panis trencher iiijo. pin. cervis. ten. ad mensam Sir Iohn, iijo.
charged to ye Saturdaye sum — wortes none, as gyfte; lentyls j lb. ½ fr. ye drye-store; salt fr. ye salt-howse; herbes fr. ye gardener.
[in ye same hande, smaller & slower, at ye foot of ye recto:] ye boye sett out at iij of ye clock with a peny vpon him, well content; sayd ye wortes wer well receyvd & wuld carrye ye worde home. ye basket itself I retayned, ye wykker bein' worth ye repayre. layd in ye cupbord agaynst ye chymney wall.
— Margt Wodd hir hande, ye same Frydaye in ye evenynge, by ye lampe at ye kytchen counter.
[at ye foot of ye recto, ye next morninge — Saturdaye — in ye same hand:] ye cupbord agaynst ye chymney wall I have opned this morn & founde ye basket vnempted of itts wykker lyninge; ye lyninge layd backe close, ye contents nott removed. I leave them. ye cupbord is myne owne kytchen presse & nott ye chappelle. M. W.
— verso —
[Maundy Thursdaye, in ye margyn of ye verso, in lead-pencil over ye ink, ye onely pencil in ye booke:]
iiij times sett out, iiij times returned. ye basket goes nott. ye lyninge stayes.
Dame Ione's note vnder ye seale saide cum custodia ligni. I doe not write what is held. ye kytchen is ye kytchen & ye chappelle is ye chappelle. M. W.
[at ye foot of ye verso, in ink agayn, undated, ye hand fuller, perhaps ye summer:]
ye baskett I burnt this daye in ye kytchen fyre, ye wykker bein' rotted at ye binding by ye damp of ye chymney corner. ye lyninge I removed first & layd it betwixt two boards in ye press of ye still-room, with ye herball & ye reseyts. it weighed in my hande lesse than v lb. & a half. it weigheth ye same thys daye.
[& in ye same hand, much smaller, ye last entry of ye booke:]
ye still-room is ye still-room.
— Margt Wodd, kechynesse, hir hande.