Compiled by Katherine Rowberd.
"Soe as the King's house, which is requisite to be the myrrour and example of all others within this realme, may be furnished of mynisters and officers, elect, tryed, and picked, for the King's honour, as to good reason and congruence doth apperteyne."
In 1536, Henry VIII caused to be published a set of household ordinances describing the smooth running of his household. This webpage lists the roles named in those ordinances, to give an indication of the range of jobs performed in a great household in Tudor England.
Orders by department
Descriptions of the duties of the staff of each department make up much of the content of the household ordinances. The following job titles/roles are mentioned in this section of the ordinances:
- Bake-house
- Serjeant of the bake-house
- Clerke of the bake-house
- purveyors
- bakers
- miller (external to bake-house, but mentioned in the ordinance)
- Pantry
- Serjeant of the pantry
- Yeoman Breever
- Groome Breever
- officers of the same
- Cellar
- Serjeant of the celler
- Gentleman of the celler
- Yeoman of the celler
- Groome-Reciever
- Groome-Grobber
- officers of the same
- purveyors of wynes
- purveyors of ale
- Butlery
- buttlers of ale
- purveyors of ale
- Spicery
- clerkes of the spicery
- Chaundry (where candles are kept)
- Serjeant of the chaundry
- officers of the same
- Eurye
- Serjeant of the ewry
- officers of the same
- Confectionarie and Wafery
- officers of the confectionarie and wafery
- Kitchen
- chief clerke of the kitchen
- two under clerkes of the same
- master cookes
- cookes
- boylers
- Larder
- Serjeant of the larder
- Clerke of the larder
- officers of the same
- Acatry (where meat and fish is kept)
- Serjeant of the acatry
- Clerks-Comptrollers
- two purveyors of the same office
- Sea-Fisher
- purveyor of see-fish
- Pultrey
- Serjeant of the Pultrey
- Clerke of the Poultry
- purveyors of the same
- Squillery (scullery)
- Serjeant of the squillery
- officers of the same
- Pastry and Salsery
- Serjeant of the Pastry
- Clerke of the Pastry
- Yeoman of the Pastry
- officers of the same
- Marshalls and Ushers of the Hall
- marshalls of the hall
- Serjeant of the hall
- other officers of the same
- sewers of the hall
- serveyors of the hall
- Porters
- Serjeant Porter
- officers of the same
- Amners
- Amners of the King's household
- Stable
- King's Avenor
- two clerkes of the said office
Miscellaneous orders
There are many miscellaneous orders, describing such things as how the King is to be woken up in the morning by his servants, or how many servants each courtier is allowed to bring along with him to court. The introductory section preceding the department listing is also included under "miscellaneous orders" for the purpose of this list. The following roles/jobs are mentioned in these miscellaneous orders:
- Lord Steward
- Treasurer
- Comptroller
- Clerkes of the Greencloath
- Cofferer
- Lord Chamberlayne
- Vice Chamberlayne
- groom-porters
- gentlemen ushers
- yeoman ushers
- keeper of the house
- Knight-herbinger
- Yeoman herbingers
- captain of the guard
- guarde
- laddes or symple servants (one or two of them serving each of the guard; but the order in question says that the King won't support them)
- yeomen of the Crowne (retired/reserve guards, no duties)
- porters
- serjeants at armes
- heralds
- pursuivants
- messengers
- mynstrills
- falconers
- huntsmen
- footemen
- clerkes of the King's signett
- clerkes of the King's privy seale
- persons to keep their [nobility and gentility residing at court] chambers
- scolyons (scullions) in the kitchens
- serjeant of the hall, officers of the same
- Knight Marshall, and his officers and deputyes
- Clerke of the Markett
- pages of the King's chamber
- servants of the esquires for the body
- yeoman ushers
- yeoman wayters
- 3 servants for the Lord Chamberlyne
- 2 servants for the Vice-Chamberlyne
- 1 servant for the captain of the guard
- the King's barber
- groomes of the King's chamber
- master of the children (associated with the chapel)
- officers of the vestry (chapel)
Bouche of court
Bouche of court refers to the allowances of bread, ale, firewood, candles, etc allowed to those living at court. This section of the ordinances is broken down by rank, and the following roles are mentioned. Numbers in parentheses indicate how many of them there are, if they happened to be enumerated in the ordinances.
- Lord Chamberlyn
- Queen's Lord Chamberlain
- Treasurer
- Comptroller
- Secretary (3)
- Vice Chamberlyns
- Gentlemen of the Privy-chamber (18)
- Cofferer
- Master of the Household
- Clerkes of the Green-cloth
- Clerkes Comptrollers
- Clerkes of the Kitchen
- Cup-bearers (3)
- Carvers (3)
- Sewers (3)
- Surveyors (2)
- Master of the Jewells
- Squires for the body
- Queen's Chancellor
- Queen's Secretary
- Almoner
- Queen's Gentlewomen
- Serjeants and Gentleman Officers
- Apothecary
- Groomes of the Privy Chamber
- Gentlemen Ushers of the Privy Chamber (2)
- Gentlemen Ushers Dayly Wayters (4)
- King and Queene's Phisicions
- Clerkes of the Spicery
- Queene's Maides
- The Compting-howse (general accounting staff, presumably)
- Wardrober of the robes and bedds on both sides (i.e. King's and Queen's)
- Officers of the Household
- Queen's Laundresse
References
Household Ordinances and Regulations Society of Antiquaries, 1790