Tudor Tailor research – how can you help?

Current documentary research

The Tudor Tailor team is busy trawling documentary sources for details of dress from 1485 to 1603. These will make their way into new publications in the coming years. Transcribed wills and inventories are of particular interest. Some parts of the United Kingdom are represented by many volumes of relevant documents.

The two counties offering the most data so far are Derbyshire for which the years 1485 to 1600 are covered (together with details for Chesterfield from 1521 to 1580) and Lancashire over two eras (1485 to 1520 and 1561 to 1603). Essex, for example, has benefited from the work of F G Emmison for the second half of the Tudor period. Local history groups, such as the Derbyshire Record Society, have encouraged the publication of transcribed wills, which is hugely helpful. Some diligent transcribers whose work remains unpublished have been kind enough to loan their findings too. However, there are many counties and earlier decades of the period for which the research team has not found much information.

Ninya and Jane would be glad to know of any transcriptions of wills and inventories from those parts of the United Kingdom which are less well represented in their data so far. Click here for a list of less well-represented counties. Any information about wills, inventories or similar for any of these will be gratefully received.

Please do circulate our appeal to relevant organisations and send any useful references or contact details to: jane@tudortailor.com

Current pictorial research

Jane and Ninya are photographing as many church effigies as time and resources allow. A large number of photographs are available for detailed study at tudoreffigies.co.uk. This database was funded by the Centre for Textile Conservation & Textile Studies and the Pasold Research Fund.

A transcript of the will of Edmund Lewkenor (1541) of Tenterden, Kent kindly lent by Judith Shaw

Ninya studies the effigies of Francis Copledyke, his wife and children in St Mary's Church, Harrington, Lincolnshire

Jane (and assistant Dotty) record details of the effigies in St Nicholas's Church, South Ockenden, Essex.

The Tudor Tailor has many photographs awaiting formatting and uploading – and more funding – before they can be made available to a wider public. However, this is not holding back the photography. If you know of effigies in a church near where you live or you find interesting church monuments when visiting any part of the United Kingdom, please consider taking photographs for the database. There is a guide available which explains the shots required and how to gather relevant published information about church monuments for proper identification of the people represented. If you are keen to contribute to this project, please check by email that the church has not already been included in the Tudor Tailor survey. Contact jane@tudortailor.com for more information. One of the key benefits of contributing to this project is the close proximity of attractive tea rooms and/or traditional pubs to lovely churches!

Please do circulate this request to relevant people and organisations. Send any useful references or contact details to: jane@tudortailor.com.