Arming Patletts and Arming Bolsters

[Sean M]

Blair p. 139 says that "from early in the (sixteenth) century there are references in documents to arming bolsters and arming partlets. The former was athickly padded roll worn round the hips to take part of the weight of the cuirass and the later a quilted collar."

DuckDuckGo lead me to Charles Relly Beard's Historical Dictionary of Arms, Armour & Fashion which cites a document from 1513 referring to Henry Percy the Earl of Northumberland who died in 1527. Beard does not know of any other sources which would be why I have not heard these terms.

Armyng patletts for my Lorde. First, ij armyng pateletts of white satten, quilted and lyned w/ lynnen cloth, for my Lorde to vere vnder his harnes.

Arming boulstres for my Lorde: First, a trusyng boulster of white fustian for my Lord to were abowt his myddell vnder his harnes for berryng vp of the curresse.

Hossyn for my Lorde: First, iij p'e of white armyng hose with lapes for my Lorde.

What do you make of these terms? Blair imagined that the bolster was like a 17th century hip roll worn with baggy hose to help them stand away from the hips https://www.facebook.com/themodernmaker ... 2126933133 But the fashions in 1513 were different. patelett or partlet is not a word I have seen before, but "a collar worn under the collar of plate like John Smythe recommends" seems as good a guess as any.

"Equippage of the Right Hon. Henry Earl of Northumberland, at the Siege of Turwin, in France, temp. Henry VIII" The Antiquarian Repertory : a miscellaneous assemblage of topography, history, biography, customs, and manners ; intended to illustrate and preserve several valuable remains of old times (1807) vol. 4 pp. 345-373 https://archive.org/details/antiquarianreper04ingros/

This document has other weirdness like a helmet called an armet (I thought armet and close-helmet were 19th century collector's terms for what medieval people called a helmet or elmetto) and two arming doublets of satin "with a French styche" and two other arming doublets of satin "quilted" or "quilted logenwise" (in lozenges?)

[John Vernier]

These are all new to me as well, but I have come across partlet as an item of womens' dress in the 16th century. I could see how a garment of this basic form might have some use for adjusting the fit of a difficult harness. The "boulster" about the middle also seems to be about improving the fit of a cuirass that's just too big at the waist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partlet

[Sean M]

These are all new to me as well, but I have come across partlet as an item of womens' dress in the 16th century. I could see how a garment of this basic form might have some use for adjusting the fit of a difficult harness. The "boulster" about the middle also seems to be about improving the fit of a cuirass that's just too big at the waist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partlet

I suppose that the partlet might be the same as Sir John Smythe's "vnder Collars of Fustian conuenientlie bombasted to defende the heueth and poise of their armours from the paining, or hurting of their shoulders and necks." Its weird to think of someone who packs 400 almain rivets and a whole piece of purple cloth of gold having badly fitted armour, but maybe he lost some weight and when Henry VIII decided to invade France all the armourers were busy.

[Sean M]

The only other uses of the term "arming partlet" which Google knows is in some trade books published this century:



"On 1 February 1505, he (Henry VII of England) ordered a new set of clothes for the prince: an arming doublet of black satin, with fashionable detachable sleeves, and with it an arming partlet or under-collar, pairs of arming spurs and arming shoes, and two dozen silk points or laces." (Thomas Penn, Winter King, Penguin 2012, p. 189)

I don't have energy to figure out the actual source (I might try the Oxford English Dictionary).

I asked the Tudor Tailor folks if they have any idea about "French stitch" on a doublet.

[Sean M]

From Ninya Mikhailya of The Tudor Tailor (UK):

I suspect it ("French styche") refers to courtepointe or point contre-pointe which, according to Beck’s Draper’s Dictionary (Internet Archive) means “stitch against stitch, denoting something sewn on both sides alike. This method was used when bed coverings were stuffed with some warm material and were sewn through and through to keep the wadding in place”

Since these doublets were presumably stretched over canvas, and not quilted like the other two, I'm not quite sure ... maybe they had padding in strategic places.

[Ernst]

Partlett collars seems to be a common description.
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/searc ... %20&title=