Period Style: The Seventeenth Century, Part 1: Jacobean (an Introduction)

Welcome to the second of my Period Style guides. This one focuses on the period immediately following the Tudor era; Jacobean and Caroline. I have split the seventeenth century roughly in half, with events and architecture up to the outbreak of the English Civil War covered in part 1, and will cover the Restoration up to Queen Anne in part 2.

Before I move on to architecture and interiors of the period, I'd like to give you a brief history of England at that time.

James I of England and Ireland; James VI of Scotland

Jacobean: an Introduction

The seventeenth century was to prove an eventful period for England (and to a large extent Scotland too).  It was a century that saw two countries sharing a monarchy; high treason; civil war; a Republic England; a restored monarchy, and a great fire that destroyed much of London, among much else.

Architecture was to change too, as we shall see. The Renaissance finally came to England in this period. There were advances in art, science, music, medical research. The seventeenth century can perhaps be described as bridging the gap between the older medieval country that England was, and the country of Enlightenment and invention it was to become in the following centuries.

Houses would become more comfortable, better heated, with more light, finer furnishings and decoration (at least for the wealthy). And thanks to the Great Fire of London in 1666, the capital would be transformed (but not as much as it might have been; more on that later!!)

James I; Note the building through the window!!

The Jacobean period began in 1603, when Queen Elizabeth I died and her Scots cousin took over the throne. James VI of Scotland was the great-grandson of Henry VIII’s sister Margaret. The two countries were not yet united and James served as king of both countries. In England (and Ireland) he was James I.

The term Jacobean derives from the Latin Jacobaeus for James. Technically, the period after James I’s death in 1625, when he was succeeded by his second son Charles (his first son having died of typhoid fever in 1612), is the Caroline period, again derived from the Latin for Charles.

Anne of Denmark

 James I had married Anne of Denmark in 1589, and she came to England with her husband when he took the throne. When they arrived in England the country was still fairly isolated from the rest of Europe. Antagonistic relationships between France and Spain and religious differences with Rome meant that travel was difficult abroad, and European ideas were slow to be accepted in England. However, Scotland had enjoyed closer relationships with Europe, particularly France, and under James I’s rule the insularity between England and Europe was somewhat overturned. It became possible for wealthy English people to travel in Europe, and examine the art and architecture of the Renaissance. One such tourist was Inigo Jones, and we shall be hearing more about this gentleman soon!

The men behind the Gun Powder Plot

 James I had not been on the English throne for many years before there was a plot to assassinate him. Roman Catholics had long had their religion repressed in England, and hopes that this would ease under James I were short lived. A plot was developed to kill the king by blowing up the Houses of Parliament on the state opening of Parliament on 5^th November 1605, by a group of Catholic gentlemen.

The original letter Informing Lord Monteagle of the Gun Powder Plot

However the group were betrayed when an anonymous letter was sent to William Parker; Lord Monteagle, He, along with the Lord Chamberlain (Thomas Howard; the Earl of Suffolk), went to the Houses of Parliament on the night of 4^th November and caught Guy Fawkes with barrels filled with gun powder. The Gun Powder Plot, as it became known, was foiled; and Guy Fawkes, along with the other plotters, was tried for High Treason. The plotters were executed by the rather gruesome method of hanging, drawing and quartering. The anniversary of the discovery of the Gun Powder Plot was celebrated with special sermons in church and the ringing of church bells. The 5^th November is still celebrated in England today, with bonfires and fireworks, and you might still see the odd effigy of Guy Fawkes being set alight on the bonfire!

The gruesome end of Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators

Another long lasting legacy of James I’s reign was the Authorised Version of the Bible, completed in 1611. Also known as the King James Bible; it was to become the standard version of scripture for English speaking scholars.

The King James Bible

King James tried, unsuccessfully, to marry his son Charles to the daughter of Philip III of Spain, the Infanta Maria Anna of Spain. This arrangement went against the wishes of the English Parliament, and Maria Anna wasn’t too impressed by the prospect either. This situation was to leave a bitter taste in the mouth between the Monarchy and Parliament in England. Charles was later married to Henrietta Maria of France in 1625.

Henrietta Maria of France

1625 was also the year that James I died and Charles became King. Charles I’s reign was beset with quarrels with his Parliament. The Monarchy and Parliament had different opinions on foreign policy, and the King’s apparent sympathies with Catholicism were widely condemned in England. Charles built up large debts, and levied heavy taxes without the consent of Parliament. Charles was brought up to believe that his Royal Prerogative had been ordained by God, and could not be questioned. Many English subjects saw Charles as a tyrant and were unhappy with his taxes and religious interference with the Churches of England and Scotland. The struggle for power between Monarch and Parliament was to come to a head in 1642 when Charles attempted to overrule Parliamentary Authority.

Charles I

The Royal Family, with Prince Charles (later Charles II) by his father's knee.

The battles that followed became known as the English Civil War, where Charles and subjects loyal to the King fought with the forces of the English and Scottish Parliaments. The first battle was at Edgehill in 1642 was inconclusive, with both the Royalists (sometimes known as the Cavaliers) and the Parliamentarians (sometimes known as the Roundheads, after the helmets that they wore) claiming a victory. There were subsequent battles in 1643 and 1644 until the balance tipped in favour of Parliament at Naseby in 1645. 

Roundheads!

 However, this was not the end of the Civil War. Charles was held under siege at Oxford, until he escaped in 1646 and gave himself up to Scottish troops. The Scots delivered Charles back to the English Parliament. Charles was held prisoner in various parts of the country before ending up confined in Carisbrooke castle on the Isle of Wight, where Charles was able to draw up a bargain with Scotland.

By promising church reforms to the Scots, Charles was able to drum up support from them to invade England and restore him to the throne there. This led to the Second Civil War in 1648, culminating in a victory for Parliamentarian troops led by Oliver Cromwell, at the Battle of Preston. 

Oliver Cromwell: I think he looks like a character from the board game Cluedo in this picture!

In 1649 an Act of Parliament was passed which allowed the trial of Charles. After the first Civil War, Parliament accepted the notion that the king, had perhaps been able to justify his fight, and that he would still be entitled to limited powers as King under a new constitutional settlement. However, it was now felt that by provoking the second Civil War, even while defeated and held in captivity, Charles was responsible for unjustifiable bloodshed. His secret treaty with the Scots was considered particularly unpardonable and any further negotiations with the King were no longer supported.

The indictment held against the King was that “[he was] guilty of all the treasons, murders, rapines, burnings, spoils, desolations, damages and mischiefs to this nation, acted and committed in the said wars, or occasioned thereby.”

Charles was declared guilty and sentenced to death for High Treason in 1649. He was beheaded on 30^th January 1649 and England became a Republic, known as the Commonwealth of England. The rest of the Royal Family were forced to live in exile in Europe.

The execution of Charles I. Again, note the building behind the action.

Oliver Cromwell (so I'm told) at the coffin of Charles I

Generous Gifts From Around the World!!

Hello, I want to thank two very generous people who have recently sent me gifts from Australia and South Africa. I am so touched by their kindness, I asked if they would mind me sharing what they sent to me with you all. I would also like to show Fi and Elga their gifts placed in their new home!

Firstly, Fi sent me some beautiful little shells from Australia, all carefully wrapped in tissue paper and stored in tiny cardboard boxes that she made herself, complete with hand drawn illustrations of the shells contained inside.

The boxes in themselves are beautiful, but the shells inside are amazing, full of patterns and so tiny! I had to find something special to display them in!

I got this little display table from McQueenie Miniatures (not a kit, but available in a kit format). It only had room to store a small selection of shells, so I picked some of my favourites. The display table is now in the Library of my Georgian house.

Thank you Fi!!! xxx


Elga also sent my a very generous gift, two in fact, as I was also lucky enough to win her give away competition for the chair, with it's beautifully stitched seat cover. She also kindly gave me a miniature tall boy she had made from a white wood kit.

I was so excited when the parcel arrived! Both items had been very carefully wrapped up to keep them safe. It was like Christmas all over again! The tall boy is perfect for displaying more of my miniature blue and white china!

Here is the tall boy in place on the landing, displaying some of my china, the vase in the centre is a recent purchase, made by Murial Hopwood, and two little ginger jars.

I wanted the chair to go into a room where it would be easily seen, especially the fine needlework, so I created a special place for it in the parlour, where it sits very well indeed.

Thank you Elga!!! xxx

It's strange to think these thoughtful little gifts have travelled over so many miles.  I am so pleased with them, Thank you both once again!

much love
Andy x

Birmingham Spring Miniatura Purchases

Had a good time at the Miniatura show in Birmingham this weekend. It seemed very busy, and there were plenty of traders there, though perhaps not as many as there have been in previous years. I don't that mattered, it still took a long time to get around the whole exhibition, and I was exhausted by the end!

Pictured above is a selection of things I purchased for my Georgian dolls house. The exception being the Chinese vase by Muriel Hopwood, which I actually purchase a little while ago, not in Birmingham, but it is Muriel who organises the Miniatura shows.

The mahogany tilt-top table is by David Booth, and will replace the table currently in the drawing room, which will move to the attic space between the two bedrooms. The gentleman's shaving stand with mirror is also by David Booth.

On the table are a little trinket box and a pair of scissors, which open and close!! Both made of Stirling Silver, by Simply Silver. The large comport is not silver, it was purchase from Karen Kirby of Karen's Miniatures (www.karensminiatures.co.uk). She had one of these comports filled with a pyramid of oranges, which looked fantastic, but I thought I would like to use the comport to create some sort of floral display in the hall, we shall see!!

The books are by Ellie de Lacy. Only the one with the marbled cover is an actual book, the other four stacked up are dummy books, which I hope might fill my shelves in the library a little quicker!! As I mentioned before, I didn't actually buy the vase at Miniatura, but I wanted to show you it anyway. It's a Ming style design by Muriel Hopwood, and is one of two vases I bought recently, made by her.

 I went to the Minitura show with a clear idea of what I wanted to buy for the pub; tables, chairs, stools, glasses, etc etc. As you can see I cam home with completely different things!! I think the beauty of dolls house fairs is that you see things that you wouldn't normally see, made by specialist craftspeople. I know I can get chairs and tables anywhere, and have seen glasses available online, so it's perhaps not so surprising that I came home with more unusual items! I did buy plenty of pub related stuff, you might just be able to see the three barrels behind the bar, which I bought from Sussex Crafts, and also the beer taps to go with them! I bought some more stock too, which is now also stored behind the bar. The Chest of drawers is great, just the right size for the pub bedroom, so the owners at least have somewhere to store their clothes now, even if they haven't got a bed to sleep in yet! I saw the garden fork and had to have it, its been given just the right finish to make it look weathered and used, and goes perfectly with those muddy wellies, which I thought were great fun! Both made by Pride of Plaice.

Thees a basket of fresh garden produce too, although it does seem a little too clean to have just been dug up in the garden! The half barrels will be used as planters outside the pub, on either side of the porch, and there's also a little photo of a child to fix to a wall somewhere upstairs.

A few other little bits for the pub owners, a pair of silver (not sterling) candle sticks, a delightful fair of green Delft style candle sticks for the bedroom and a lovely cheerful jug, to go on the dresser in the kitchen. All made by Cornish craftspeople and available from Meadowcroft Miniatures (www.meadowcroft-min.co.uk).
The dominoes box will go in the pub. it has a sliding lid, but alas no dominoes at present, I shall make some from black card to go inside.

That's about it, I bought one or two other little bits, and some fabric to make future bed covers. One other thing I did buy was a second hand book from the charity stall.

It's a great book, filled with some really good miniature projects that I am determined to try! These include a tapestry rug, bed clothes, two fire screen designs, a cushion, a needlework sampler and much more!! For someone scared of a needle and thread this book comes as something of a revelation!!!

Wish me luck!! ;o)

A Blog to make you smile! ;o)

Hello, I just wanted to share a blog with you that I have been following for a while, some of you may already know of it.

It is a wonderful, whimsical blog with miniature mice, that can lift my spirits on days when I'm feeling low (like today!)

enjoy!!

http://mouseshouses.blogspot.com/

Inside The Swan: The Public Bar

Well I suppose now is as good a time as any to show you what The Swan looks like inside; there's still not much furniture inside, but enough to give you some idea of how it will look eventually. The picture above is the bar itself, which I have made using American cherry wood, which gives it a lovely warm glow. I need to get some beer barrels set up behind the bar, which will fill the space below the shelf with the mirror. I am also looking for some empty beer glasses to hang from the hooks above the bar, so I will be scouring the miniatures fair in Birmingham later this month trying to find them, although I have have seen some online. I'm not sure whether the bottles of spirits are actually true to scale, because I also have some smaller ones, but they look OK, so I've left them there.

I'm hoping that the bar soon won't look as spartan as it does right now. The bench is actually borrowed from the big house, but the chair was a lucky find and is staying somewhere within the pub. You can probably just about see the dart board on the wall. It was from Warwick Miniatures, which is now owned by Phoenix Models, I made the wooden surround for the dart board myself. I wanted The Swan to be a country pub, so am looking for suitable Huntin',Shootin', Fishin' objects to display inside. The fish trophy in a case above the fire is from Mouse House Miniatures. It looks a little cold on this side of the pub at the moment, the fire will eventually glow, and I'll look for some suitable fireside objects to liven it up too. I'm also going to tone down the stark white ends between the wooden beams on the ceiling.

This is the other side of the bar, which has a larger fireplace. In the original plans for the pub, the fireplace is deeper, but I wanted to make a kitchen on the other side of this wall, so made the depth of the fireplace a bit narrower, I don't think it looks too bad. The door is a dummy, but would lead to a corridor and kitchen I suppose if real. This side of the bar does at least have a table! I made the settle standing behind the table, again from cherry wood.

So there we go, it's still got a long way to go, but I think you get the general idea of what I want the pub to look like. It's going to be set in 1930's I think, maybe early 1950's. I don't want any fruit machines or juke boxes, and if it serves food at all it will be rabbit pie, rather than gastro-Euro-fusion stuff!! ;)

The Bird

Just in case any of you might have been wondering what the bird was that Fi mentioned in the last post, it's a little blackbird, sitting on the chimney pot. There's close up above; he looks likes he's starring in a very low budget Hitchcock 'The Birds' re-make! But I assure you he's quite tame, and unlikely to go anywhere as his feet are stuck into a blob of Blu-Tak!

My Latest Dolls House Project: Welcome to The Swan Inn

I finally feel ready to unveil the latest dolls house project that I have been working on for the past year. It's been sitting in the cellar with me for most of this winter, and I haven't done much with it for a while. It is an English country pub, based an a design plan taken from Brian Nickolls' book Making Character Dolls' Houses, the same book that I got the plans for my Georgian House from! Just like the Georgian House, I have adapted the plans slightly and made some changes that suited me.

I have enjoyed making this dolls house, and can certainly see a marked improvement in my woodwork skills between this one and the Georgian House I built first. It's neater, with a crisper finish. I chose a simple off white colour for the exterior, The colour you see is actually a second choice, as the first paint I used looked almost the same as the colour I had used on the window frames, and I wanted a bit of contrast. All the main construction of this house is now finished, it's just the details I need to work on now, a pub sign, painting the stone flags in front of the pub etc. I also want some flowers outside, Brian Nickolls' design has a small garden outside the pub, but I don't have room for one at the moment, so will maybe have some potted plants. I am also trying to make a wisteria to climb the wall outside the pub, so that might be something you'll see later. Whatever I decide, I do think the exterior needs a little more added to it to bring it to life.

This pub has appealed to me since I saw it in the book when I was building my bigger Georgian House. I love buildings like this, you find them all over the UK, vernacular buildings not designed by architects but by builders and masons, and often with regional variations, but no less attractive than much polite architecture. I have seen buildings similar to this one in Dartmoor, the windows on the upper storey are very low, almost level with the floor. The extension at the side of the pub was originally a stable on Brian Nickolls' plans, but I didn't like it, so changed the design slightly to create a kitchen area, which I have already posted back in January, it's still one of the most complete rooms inside my pub, but I will show you more of the interior in a later post.

I did think of giving my pub another name (Brian has called his pub The Swan in his book) and toyed with The Fox, or the Red Lion, but actually I quite like The Swan, and so the name stuck!