Splendid new clothes; Doublet and Singlet (part 2)

Admire the fine contrast
of burgundy and blue!

As you may recall from an earlier post I recently had a fine singlet and doublet made by Peggy's Necessities and I was planning on wearing them during the English Civil War Society's Whitehall March.

I paraded with my regiment, Sir William Pennyman's Regiment of Foote, and I was toasty and warm - and I think looked rather good too!

Wonderfully warm
wearing much wool

For the march itself I fastened the coat up (not strictly necessary for public decency but it does help to present a unified front!) but I do think that the image to the right demonstrates how well the burgundy looks with a uniform of Pennyman blue cloth.

Enjoy some other images taken of the Whitehall March; aren't we a very handsome regiment indeed?!

More images can be seen on my chum's flickr feed or in this fine blog post by the London Historians!

Splendid new clothes; Doublet and Singlet

Performing at Aston Hall;
the sleeves are too short! 

I've recently decided to expand my wardrobe of 17th Century garments which will give me a little more flexibility in how I dress - and mean that I can keep warmer (or cooler) as the weather dictates. Whilst I've had a nice linen doublet for a while it is, unfortunately a little short in the arm (and features an ink stain on the rear, which is fine as I like clothing to be a little worn in!) and is the same design as many others in my regiment (Sir William Pennyman's Regiment of Foote, the senior regiment of the King's Army of the English Civil War Society) wear so I thought replacing it with one that fits well would be good.

Visiting a couple of re-enactment faires last year I browsed wares and stalls but settled on Peggy's Necessities for a number of reasons, not least of which was that time was pressing on!

Stuart soldier, note coat worn
open over linen doublet

The doublet is a slightly different design to my older one (having small wings) and is made of a rougher linen with a different style of pewter buttons - which will help to give me a slightly (but not very) different look to others of the regiment, especially important when I'm portraying a civilian (usually the steward, or other senior servant, of the house) when there are soldiers visiting.

When portraying a soldier the addition of a doublet means that I can leave my soldier's coat undone - oddly this means that wearing an extra layer will make me cooler in warm weather. Showing bare shirt to the world is rather rude, and would be beneath the dignity of a soldier (or rather, of their officer) - it is very similar to someone choosing to go bare-chested in the sun today!

I also rather like the look of the doublet with the coat worn open over it.

Singlet worn over doublet;
both made by Peggy's Necessities

The singlet is a marvellous burgundy wool (lined with linen) and looks very fine indeed! The singlet is very similar to a modern body warmer and thus gives me a number of options - I can wear it over the doublet, which will be very useful when it's a little cold inside, and leave it like that or (as I intend to trial on Sunday) wear it over the doublet and then under the soldiers coat.

My hope is that the additional layer over my body will look good but also keep me nicely warm as the King's Army parades through Whitehall (see a splendid account, including some wonderful photographs, from the 2012 parade on the London Historians Blog!). Previous years have been rather mild but this year we've been beset with snow and whilst the weather appears to be getting milder it's still close to freezing so won't be very warm at all!

Compare the colours; natural linen, burgundy wool and
pale blue (lined with dark green) wool of the regiment

Now one thing I did try to do is to make sure the colours I've selected complimented each other - I largely think I've succeeded too! The rich burgundy suggests a more expensive wool than the rest of my soldier's clothing (the dye isn't cheap, but isn't particularly expensive - brown, grey, dark/drab blue or green would have been the cheapest and bright red, black or purple the most expensive) but it's not beyond the means of a common man and is just right for a servant in a well to do house. Also I like the burgundy - it's a lovely colour!

Hopefully this means I'll look splendid (and warm!) when outfitted as a soldier of King Charles, and be a perfectly respectable servant at other times too!

Syllabub; the breath of angels

The author sampling a marigold tart
Picture taken at Aston Hall, 2011

Syllabub is a decadent and glorious foodstuff, and one that few people believe goes well with gammon ham, shropshire biscuit (a shortbread), good cheese and red fruits but the combination is truly heavenly. Equally eaten from fresh rosemary it's very fresh and refreshing.

A syllabub in a fine dish or bowl makes a great (and spectacular) pudding for a modern dinner party with a historical edge, or served in individual bowls or glasses (a wine glass is very good) - decorate with some cinnamon or nutmeg (if you like such things) or with some finely grated lemon rind and with fresh rosemary.

Trust me - I'm a fat man who knows food!

There are many good recipes on the internet for such foodstuffs, historicfood.com is a very fine website and their page on syllabubs is very worth while, though the BBC food website has some fine ideas too!

I am sometimes asked to produce foods for splendid Tudor or Stuart feasts (most often for smaller regimental events as part of Sir William Pennyman's Regiment of Foote, part of the English Civil War Society) we usually present a high status table as the common perception is that bread, cheese and pottage isn't very nice - though it's not true as a future blog post will demonstrate).

Here then is an evolution of a syllabub, which is the one I use, and which came from a dear friend of mine (the transcription is his, and the experimentations of the original recipe to discover how best to make this marvellous dish represent the sort of sacrifices which he is prepared to make for knowledge!)

The Original Recipe; a 17th Century delight

Recipe taken from Sir Kenelm Digby's The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight Opened, p115-116

My Lady Middlesex makes Syllabubs for little Glasses with spouts, thus. Take 3 pints of sweet Cream, one of quick white wine (or Rhenish), and a good wine glassful (better the 1/4 of a pint) of Sack: mingle with them about three quarters of a pound of fine Sugar in Powder. Beat all these together with a whisk, till all appeareth converted into froth. Then pour it into your little Syllabub-glasses, and let them stand all night. The next day the Curd will be thick and firm above, and the drink clear under it. I conceive it may do well, to put into each glass (when you pour the liquor into it) a sprig of Rosemary a little bruised, or a little Limon-peel, or some such thing to quicken the taste; or use Amber-sugar, or spirit of Cinnamon, or of Lignum-Cassiæ; or Nutmegs, or Mace, or Cloves, a very little.

Modern  Recipe; a transcription of the above

Ingredients:

400ml double cream
100ml dry white wine (a Riesling would be good, according to the original recipe)
50ml sack (traditionally this was Madeira, but any fortified wine such as sherry, marsala or port will also work)
50g caster sugar
grated rind of half a lemon
ground cinnamon to decorate
caster sugar for dusting

Method:

Stir together the white wine, sack, caster sugar and lemon rind until all the sugar has dissolved. Stirring with a whisk blend in the cream and then whip lightly until the mixture becomes slightly bubbly. Pour the mixture into half a dozen large wine glasses. If you wish you can decorate with a slice of lemon at this point. Place in the fridge and serve cold sprinkled with a little nutmeg and a dusting of caster sugar.

Cheating Recipe; a very quick luxury

Even easier method – add some brandy or whatever to some double cream and whip it. Job done.