Skills and Technology

Skills and Technology: [Required]: Each Applicant is given a chance to display, and demonstrate a skill or proficiency of their persona that is not covered in the other categories. Possible examples: falconry, jewelry making, herbalism, woodcarving, working knowledge of weaving: jading is done through a display and or demonstration to the judges, and a discussion between the judge and the applicant.

Applicants must inform the autocrat of any special needs at the time of application. Documentation of techniques, materials, elements to persona, may be required.

Christiana through her years from 1540 to 1593 had gained a number of skills through her husbands training. Although she could do needlework cover in section under needlework (embellishment) she did obtained knowledge from her husbands before their deaths. Christiana first marriage, made it possible to learn how to collect rents, and manage books of the collection of rents, and she also acquired the skill of a wood carver.

Women of this period were unable to obtain a master status in the woodcarving guild, but were able to practice under their husband’s ability. One must remember that a woman, usually did not own property unless they had inherited from their husband, but it was the woman that generally operated the household and was the main instigator behind the operation of most husband’s business.

Christiana also through John Willard, obtained the understanding of selling of cloth to the populace of England. During this period, and depending on your status in society would dictate, ones needs in clothing. The wealthy class, to nobility, would purchase the cloth to be used from a draper, and it would be forwarded onward to their tailor, who would make their clothing. Christiana in her later years would be involved in the selling of cloth under her husband’s watchful eyes.

In this chapter emphasize will be given to woodcarving. So to equipment needed and time frame required to carve a detail piece, it will be done prior to the Golden Swan. Celtic and Norse carvings were common in the Yorkshire, Northumberland regions of England, and were extensively used, but in the period of the late 1500s this design began to change to Linen Fold carving and detailed small carving as shown in the diagram below of a Glastonbury Chair carving diagram. I lady Christiana will have some smaller versions of carving on a chest (Tudor Rose) see photo, and a chest board. Do to transportation reasons and setup, the chest board is not made to be a large piece of furniture, but the edges are carved with oak leaves and other items.

Carving: In the carving of wood one must have sharpen tools, and in carving, the emphases is on sharp chisels. Some chisels would be custom made, by the carver and forged than temper for use in carving. Do to no forge available at this time, and certain types of carbon iron needed the chisels would be acquired from an ironmonger. Chisels that Christiana were either purchased from the ironmonger or inherited from her first husband. However the trick for carving is all chisels must be sharp at all times, using water and a wet stone, shaped to the profile of the chisel. The chisel would be sharpen with a side too side motion on a wet stone, and cleaned in the final stages, to remove any burrs with a profile stone, than finally drawn on a leather belt, to complete the sharpening process. The edge of the chisel should cut the wood cleanly.

Species of wood, primary was oak, but it is not uncommon to find carvings on maple, birch, or beech. The preference wood carving materials that Christiana love to work with for fine detail is maple, and or birch. Oak tends to be a rougher wood in grain to carve verse the maple or birch, which has a similar consistency in grain between being hard and soft. The Glastonbury chairs are made of maple.

Techniques in carving: This comes with practice and sharp tools, and knowledge of wood species and a number of years working with wood. (In mundane life, Christiana has at least 40 years of knowledge in working with woods). The pattern of the carving, which can be three-dimensional figures, to relief carving must start out with a pattern. The pattern would be drawn onto the subject wood to be carved. If carving is to be done at the event the drawing on a piece of wood will be made at Christiana’s studio because of time required to carve. The carving can take many days to complete depending on the complexity of the design, therefore, pieces for show will be done at the studio, unless otherwise, and if so will be a simple design if done at Swan. ADVANCE KNOWEST must be given at least a month in advance for preparing to do demo.

Once pattern is drawn onto wood the carving will begin. This is in relief carving; the wood around the perimeter is to be cut down with the carving chisels. Setting down is a two part process; the first involving a stop cut, which is where the chisel is suppose to stop, and then with a gouge; a woodcarving chisel with a radius carve is used to remove the unwanted wood from the carving. This process will be repeated until the required preferred depth of the ground is reached; ground is how far the background is below the surface of the relief carving. With some designs besides taking down the exterior edge of the pattern, some of the interior design of the pattern may require it to be taken down in the same manner.

Carving elements: As the carving progresses one will come to the area of where the carving overlaps itself where a stop cut is preformed, and bringing down the level of the carving about half way to the ground, so that the carvings looks like it flows through the upper part of the element as shown above.

Round the upper edge of the element within the carving is the next step. Once the radius is carved, a cut back on the bottom edge of the element is required, and clean up of the carving so that there is no chips or slivers. Running the hand over the carving is done to assure that there are no rough spots (heaven forbid that one picks up a sliver) and if it is clean to the touch, the carving is complete.

The carving is now ready for a suitable finish at this time.

Beadwork on Fabric: When Christiana lived with her uncle, she developed an interest in working with beads. Most of the beads that she worked with were wood, semi precious (pearls) or glass beads. This was done to help raise a small income when she was young, for her own amusement. Her clients would supply the beads as her clients did not have the time or bother with during their own beadwork on cloth. Christiana for her time and work may make upwards to 15 shillings a year during this work. Christiana currently does it as relaxing hobby to entertain her pastime at the manor. (See needlework)

Sale of Fabrics: Christiana in her later years also sold fabric, below is an example of pricing of fabrics from the time period she portrays.

The conversion to today’s everyday standards is complicated but according to Robin Morris, Emeritus Professor of Economics at Birkbeck College, cited by Andrew Holden in his biography William Shakespeare (Little, Brown, 2001) pg 15; the researcher simple multiplies by 50, however, The Economics History Resource web site gives the purchasing power today of 40 pounds in 1545 to be 13,012 pounds a multiplication factor of approximately 325 (http://www.eh.net/)

1550’s prices for a sample project from page 61 of Bess of Hardwick – Empire Builder by Mary S Lovell.

This list, an order for a petticoat for Bess Hardwick and gives an indication to the cost of fabric at the time for London. The project is a pretty coat, which cost two shillings and sixpence.

A nightingale                                                4/4d

An ell of cloth to make sleeves                   3/4d

Girdles; red white and yellow                       1/6d

             An ounce of satin silk to work it all                              2/-

Half an ell of cambric                                     2/6d

An once of lace for kirtle and laces               1/4d

Rental Income: For a house in Newgate n the 1550s would be approx. 4 pounds per year. The cost of the least for Marquess of Northampton for a years was 3 pounds 16 shillings and 8 pence. In retrospect for this time period one could buy a half decent workhorse for 1 pound. (pg 57 Bess of Hardwick – Empire Builder; Mary Lovell)