Book of Accompt of the Clerk of the Kitchen ("ex parte clerici coquine") of Edward...

Book of Accompt of the Clerk of the Kitchen ("ex parte clerici coquine") of Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, 1 Oct. 31 Hen. VIII. [1539]-30 Sept. 32 Hen.VIII. [1540], the Earl residing at Sheen, 1-16 Oct., at Beauchamp Place, 17 Oct.1539-7 Jan.1539-1540, and at Sheen again 8 Jan. - 30 Sept. 1540.

The entries include the provisions, with prices, for each day's dinner and supper, together with the names of the guests at each meal. A summary is given at the end of each week and each month, and at the end are given "Thexpenses of the hoole yere.... for meate, drinke, woode, cooles, wax and white lightes", amounting in all to £686.15.7¼.

While the Earl was at Beauchamp Place, "my Lorde Beauchampe" and "the young ladis with my olde Ladye Semour" [the Earl's mother], remained at Sheen and their weekly expenses are included.

On Sunday, 7 Dec. 1539 (f.44), besides "my Lorde and my Lady", there were present at supper "the Kynges hyghnes", the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, the Duchess of Richmond, the Earl of Surrey, and numerous other "straungers", the day's expenses amounting to £7.19.8; and on 19 June, 1540 (f.161) "my lady Elisabethe grace", with others, came "after dener", the princess being seven years old at the time.