The Seton Cap

By repute, wrought by Mary Stuart, Mary Queen of Scots (d.1587) or Mary Seton, sister of George, Lord Seton;

Presented in 1589 to Robert Lord Seton, by King James VI of Scotland (James I of England), 1566-1625;

Through family descent.

Mary Stuart, ‘Mary Queen of Scots’ (1542-1587), daughter of Marie de Guise of France (1515-1560) and James V of England (1513-1542)

She was a pawn in a complex political struggle over power within the Scottish and English courts. She led a peripatetic life between France, Scotland and England, and even being treated with some reverence being a Queen, of Scotland and past Queen of France, her life was nevertheless restricted and controlled, and much of it, even in royal residences such as Holyroodhouse, Stirling Castle, Linlithgow and Falkland palaces and Lochleven Castle, and Carlisle, Bolton, Tutbury and finally Fotheringhay Castles, was a life of confinement. Mary Seton was an ever faithful member of Mary Queen of Scot’s constantly reduced household. Mary Seton (Scottish family: 1541-1615) was the daughter of George Seton, 6th Lord Seton, from his second wife, Marie Pyeris (a French-born woman of Rank, and Lady in Waiting to Marie de Guise, Queen Consort of King James V of Scotland. She accompanied her during her extended imprisonment from 1567 onwards. The Seton family were loyal supporters, and by 1583 Mary Seton, the only one of the Queen’s immediate circle to have remained unmarried and at her side, retired due to ill health to spend her remaining time in the convent of St. Pierre at Reims, at which Mary’s aunt was abbess. The Seton family archive has an ‘Annotated Inventory of the Family Portraits, Relics and some Articles of Furniture at Mounie’, together with some notes on other things of the same description that are interesting to the family from historical associations, although not in their possession, 1844 and revised in 1860, Relics: Cap given by King James VI to Robert 9th Lord Seton, p.28, Entry No. I, An embroidered cap presented in to Robert Lord Seton, …by King James VI of England and James I of Scotland (1566-1625: only son of Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley), in 1589. Noted that the tassel was removed by a member of the family (80/90 years before this entry, therefore 1770/1780).

Daughter of James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise having been educated as a child in the French court, in preparation for her eventual short lived marriage to her first husband, Francis II, King of France (1544-1560), the exuberant French court culture had a great impression on her. It was on her ascendancy to the Scottish throne that Mary went to Scotland. Due to complex political situation Mary had to escape to England from Scotland in 1568, aged just 27 and was placed in the custody of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury (c.1522-1590) and stayed at Hardwick Hall until 1584. She occupied much of her time there with very elaborate embroidery and needlework in exclusive materials, and spent much time in the company of Bess of Hardwick, wife of the Earl, and one of the richest women in England. There are important remaining emblematic needlework panels undertaken by them both, known as The Marian Hanging (so called as largely relates to Mary), The Cavendish Hanging, and the Shrewsbury Hanging, 1570-1585 (on loan from the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, to Oxburgh Hall (Inv. Nos.T.29, 30 & 31.1955), worked by Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury (Bess of Hardwick). Numerous smaller needleworks in silks and metal threads, known as The Oxburgh Hangings, circa 1570, and depicting all manner of animals, were worked by both Mary and Elizabeth, originally all for placement on a larger velvet panel, along with many small shaped needlework panels have also survived and are in the V&A (one example being The Elephant: T-33GG-1955) and others are on permanent loan at Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk.

From a very young age, girls from all social classes were taught to sew. The church having been heavily involved as the most important patron of embroidery. There were professional embroiderers and amateurs of which many were producing technically very accomplished works. Aristocratic women were involved with this past time and although it is recorded that Mary spent a great deal of time in this pursuit there are not many pieces that can be proven to have been worked by her still in existence. This nightcap for a man could have been the work of Mary’s group, for one of the men known in their social circle, and Mary Seton was one of her loyal and no doubt ‘embroidery’ companions.

Mary had professional embroiderers within her household, her last being Charles Plouvert. There are records of her having had to beg for clothes and having to constantly ask for more assistance and more of the silks and pins needed for the work to be done, by her and her staff, which ranged in quality from items such as a beautifully detailed white satin chasuble, with polychrome silks and silver threads, attributed to Mary Queen of Scots (Blairs College, Aberdeen), to simpler handkerchiefs and personal wear. Mary is known for having preference for smaller needlework and embroidered items. Many items were given as gifts. In addition it is possible that when she was moved on from castle to castle, and particularly during her escape from Lochleven castle, that items that she could not take, were taken by other women or given to them.

For Mary embroidery and needlework was an important means of expression. Many of her items were gifted and as her letters were constantly checked, it was vital to her that she could present some messages. The motifs, emblems and cyphers became increasing secretive, subversive and held significant meanings, beyond their initial appearance. They went beyond the naturalistic representations such as flowers with symbolic meanings. For example ‘A Catte’, the needlework ginger cat playing with a mouse, from the Holyrood Oxburgh panel, could have reflected Mary’s feeling about her treatment by Elizabeth I. 

The typical type of embroidery that was used extensively on the clothing of British royalty and the aristocracy during this time, was naturalistically rendered plants and foliage, inspired by the illustrations from contemporary herbals and prints as they were perfectly suited for use for transposition into needlework or embroidery. Notable print books ‘herbals’ were available in Augsburg, Cologne, Antwerp, and France and Italy followed. Along with the many books that came to London, initially from Germany they were eventually published in England by Huguenot refugees and others. Motifs used by Mary have been identified from Conrad Gesner’s, Icones Animalium, first published in Zurich, 1555 and his Plantarum, which was published in London in 1524 and Claude Paradin, Devises heroiques, Lyon, 1551. Flowers and roses (eglantine five pointed roses) with their Persian origin were always favourites, and a motif found on much of the blackwork and embroidered clothing designs. 

This naturalism was also used on home accessories and clothing, on velvets and linen with metal threads highlights and found on the embroidery embellished items such as shirts, smocks, nightcaps, coifs, collars and bags. Blackwork (sometimes red or green which were both less common than the black) was a technique used for its striking appearance, particularly on clothing. For English Tudor women the red and white roses were badges of the York and Lancaster families. Strawberries, grapes, pansies, honeysuckle (with trailing foliage), carnations, primroses, daffodils, violets, daisies, peascods, cornflowers, lilies, snowdrops, violets, bluebells and marigolds were all popular. Linen stitched with silk, linen or metal-thread came into prominence in England during the reign of Henry VIII and it is thought that the lighter garments worked in blackwork, was a technique known for its Moorish and Persian qualities as represented by the strapwork designs. These were contrasted with the curvilinear designs found on costume and household furnishings. 

To provided some background to the embroidery produced and its importance in England at the time, there are some further details below. 

Embroidery

Embroidered clothing was expensive to commission and to make, in materials and in time. Waistcoats were worn by all women in Elizabethan England. They appeared in the wills and inventories of women from the 1570’s onwards. Using silks for the embroidery along with metal thread for detailing were the more expensive materials, as opposed to wool threads. It is important to remember that garments were often refashioned and materials re purposed over time. Even smaller items could have their uses changed.

Woman’s waistcoat (fitted bodice with long sleeves, like a modern day jacket), linen blackwork embroidered with black wool, England, 1615-1620, The Vaughan Family Trust, Fashion Museum, Bath and North-East Somerset Council (BATMC 1.03.136 - loan). The overall repeat pattern is and abstract floral motif with running stitch infill, a simplified variation of ‘speckling’ stitch, and naturalistic patterns of the early 17th century. Another example of a waistcoat, worked in dark red wool is in the Victoria and Albert Museum (T.843-1974). 

A significant quantity of painted imagery from this period has been lost, and it is those depicting portraits of high profile court sitters which have survived, painted by English artists (sometimes Dutch or Flemish trained or influenced) or Continental artists. They show a marked interest in accurately capturing the detail of pattern and design of the clothing and jewellery. Embroidery on Tudor and Elizabethan clothing had stitch work of technical brilliance and charm that has never since been equalled on clothing. Having the portraits with the overall designs and garments is a valuable visual source. As blackwork was a popular choice and it highlighted anything light next or against it, together with the effect of enhancing the sitter’s social standing. Men are also known to have had this technique used on their collars and nightcaps. The clothes the sitters were depicted in cost far more than the painted portrait. The clothing depicted was often reused and refashioned over time, and these garments survive in small numbers in their original condition. The Small items such as nightcaps and coifs, will have been well used and therefore become worn. Many of the examples that have survived have faint outlines of the embroidered work, due to constant handling. 

To illustrate the types of fine blackwork embroidery worn and depicted within portraits, see the following examples: 

Blackwork embroidered garments

Head coverings:

There is a portrait of Thomas Neville, Master of Trinity College Cambridge, shown wearing a black doublet/robe, white linen collar and an embroidered nightcap with upturned brim, decorated with scrolls and flowerheads. A similarly worked night cap, circa 1600, in blackwork, can be found in the Manchester Art Gallery (2006.61), and other late 16th century mens’ black nightcaps in the Glasgow Museums Collection (Acc.No.29.136) and another, circa 1575-1560, Art Institute of Chicago

For a woman’s blackwork coif, with similar decoration and techniques used, of fitted and shaped form, see Victoria and Albert Museum, London (T.27-1975).

Other blackwork garments: 

Portrait of Queen Mary I (1516-1558), unknown artist, 1597-1618, National Portrait Gallery, London (NPG 4980-16), shown wearing black garments, and a blackwork floral decorated standing collar;

Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, circa 1590, unknown artist, Jesus College, Oxford, and another of similar date attributed to John Bettes the younger, unknown location, showing the radiant queen with exuberant sleeves worked in blackwork with large roses and carnations, simulating block prints, and could likely have been an actual textile as opposed to painted textiles with a semi-political commentary in the painting but never in existence in a textile.

Portrait of Mary Cornwallis, Countess of Bath, by George Gower, circa 1575, Manchester City Art Gallery, depicts exuberant sleeves with blackwork scrolls with large leaves and flowerheads, and a petticoat with different blackwork design of interlaced strapwork enclosing a repeat pattern of smaller flowerheads (rose) and leaf motif (of Moorish/Persian inspiration). Another portrait by George Gower, of Lady Elizabeth Kytson, circa 1573, again shows very clear scrolling and floral blackwork decorated sleeves, Tate Gallery (NO 6091).

Portrait of Elizabeth Talbot (‘Bess of Hardwick’), Countess of Shrewsbury (1527?-1608), Netherlandish emigre working in style of Hans Eworth, circa 1560, Hardwick Hall, National Trust (Inv. No. 1129165), with the elite member of society and the close court circles shown wearing a redwork shirt and high collar with ruffed edge, with overall geometric design of trellis enclosing knots.

Portrait of Esther Kello, nee Inglis (1570/1-1624), artist unknown, 1595, Scottish National Portrait Gallery Edinburgh (PG 3556). This is a portrait of a young girl, who was a calligrapher and daughter of French Huguenot emigres, who fled persecution in 1569 and settled in Edinburgh. Esther lived in Edinburgh and London and was therefore influenced by society in both cities. The portrait includes an entwined single carnation with honeysuckle flower, common in marriage portraits. In 1596 she married a Scottish minister. Esther produced around fifty-nine manuscripts between 1586 and her death, many of which were for elite court patrons including Elizabeth I, Duke of Lennox and Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury. The elegant and distinctive portrait shows Esther dressed in black and and white which was popular at the time, for men, women and child Erne, with black waistcoat (jacket), petticoat (skirt) and high brimmed velvet hat, the white being her large ruff and her white kid gloves, and a very decorative white and floral blackwork waistcoat (jacket), worked with gentle scrolls, flowers, leaves and acorns. 

Portrait of Joan Alleyn, unknown artist, 1596, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London (DPG 444) shown again wearing black (waistcoat, petticoat (skirt) and high brimmed velvet hat) and white (laced edged ruff, gloves), and a white and blackwork waistcoat (jacket) worked with repeat pattern of leaf motifs, and possibly sycamore pods.

Portrait of Sir Henry Lee, by Anthony’s Mor (1516-75/6), 1568, National Portrait Gallery, London (NPG 2095), commissioned when Lee was in Antwerp, is a powerful portrait, depicting a blackwork shirt, elaborately worked with emblems.

The polychrome scrolling and floral designs are found in surviving examples of men’s nightcaps (of conical form with upturned brim), women’s coifs and on waistcoats (jackets) worn by women.

For women’s comparables from the 17th century there is a rare combination of a portrait showing an embroidered polychrome waistcoat (jacket), which still exists as a constructed textile garment, Victoria and Albert Museum, London. The portrait is of Margaret Laton, circa 1620, and shows the petticoat (skirt) waistband covering the tabs along the lower edge of the jacket which are on the garment. The embroidery is in polychrome threads showing scrolls enclosing floral and foliate motifs. In the portrait a small flat lace edged crown head covering with a feather, shows similar polychrome embroidery. The polychrome worked scrolling floral design is similar to that of the jacket depicted in the portrait of Elizabeth Vernon, Countess of Southampton, unknown English artist, c.1595-1600, The Buccleuch Collection, Boughton House, Northamptonshire.

RELATED LITERATURE

Cooper, Tarnya (ed), Elizabeth I & her people, National Portrait Gallery, London, 2013, pp.13, 18, 102-103, 167, 178-179.

Lynn, Eleri, Tudor Textiles, Yale University Press, in association with Historic Royal Palaces, New Haven and London, 2020, pp.57-59, 63-71, 165.

Levey, Santina. M., An Elizabethan Inheritance: The Hardwick Hall Textiles, National Trust, London, 1998, Chp. Three, Embroidery, Needlework and other techniques, pp.41-75, 79-80.

Slocombe, Emma., The Embroidery and Needlework of Bess of Hardwick, in Adshead, David., Taylor, David.A.H.B., (eds.), Hardwick Hall: A Great Old Castle of Romance, Yale University Press, New Haven, 2016, 110-132., pp. 118-19.

Swain, Margaret, The needlework of Mary Queen of Scots, Ruth Bean Publishers, Bedford, 1986, Chp.8, Little flowers on canvas, pp.54-60.