The
Garret
In the seventeenth century when this part of the house
was built, the garret was probably used for storing
food like beans, peas, apples, pears, onions and grain
over the winter as the room would be cool and dry.
I
t is the only room in the house
without a fireplace so instead of
having a hotspot by the fire, the
temperature throughout the whole
room would be relatively constant.
It is likely that this room is also
where any female servants would
have slept – away from the
male servants who would sleep
downstairs!
The priest hole in this room was
probably added when Selly Manor
was moved here. The religion
of the Setterford/Pritchett family
who lived in Selly Manor when
priest holes were in use is not known.
However, it is recorded that several
members of the family are buried
about three and a half miles away in
St. Lawrence’s Church, Northfield.
Religion
Selly Manor dates from around 1476, when England
was a Catholic country. In the fifteenth century, life was
thought to be preparation for death and many people
were very religious; they went to church regularly, and
even those that did not go every Sunday, would attend
festivals such as Easter and Christmas.
What happened to the soul after death was a
big concern for many Tudors. It was hoped that
the soul would go to heaven, a state of supreme
happiness. If the soul was not judged to be pure,
it went to purgatory, a state where the soul
waits until it has paid for its sins. If the soul was
thought to be very sinful it would go to hell, a
state of eternal punishment.
T
o shorten a soul’s wait in
purgatory, prayers could
be said, and rich people
paid priests huge amounts of
money to hold masses and pray
for their souls. Money would also
be paid to the church for holding
christenings, weddings and burials
on consecrated ground.
People were also obliged to make a
donation of money at the end of a
church service. It was thought that
these payments were essential for
the soul to go to heaven and avoid
hell. As a result, across Western
Europe, the Catholic Church was
very rich and incredibly powerful.
B
y the sixteenth century,
change was on the horizon.
The Catholic Church
was accused of being corrupt.
One of the issues that caused
an outcry was the selling of
‘indulgencies’ which promised
forgiveness from sin for anyone
living, or believed to be in
purgatory. This practice meant
that people were being promised
entry into heaven no matter what
they had done, or were about to do.
In 1517, a German
monk and theologian
called Martin Luther
published a document
called 95 Theses,
which challenged the teachings
of the Catholic Church and
attacked the selling of indulgencies.
Luther’s teachings helped shape the
Protestant religion and opened an
intense religious debate.
Debates about religion raged
in King Henry VIII’s court too.
Henry was a devout Catholic,
but he wanted to divorce his
first wife, Katherine of Aragon
and marry his new love,
Anne Boleyn.
Catholics were not allowed to
divorce, and the Pope,as head of
the Catholic Church made it clear
to Henry that there were no
special cases.
The other problem with the
Catholic Church from Henry VIII’s
point of view was that they were
far too powerful, and a challenge
to his authority.
The monasteries...
were the richest institutions in the
land, and they were a reminder of
the power of the Catholic Church,
so Henry VIII set about destroying
them. Over a four year period, over
800 monasteries were closed.
Their manuscripts, treasures and
land were sold or destroyed, as
were any building materials from
the monasteries themselves.
The money helped pay for
Henry’s expensive wars with
France and Spain.
A
fter years of wrangling,
Henry VIII passed the Act of
Supremacy which made the
monarch head of both the Church
and the State. As head of the
Church, Henry of course got
his divorce and he was free to
re-marry. It also meant that:
• The monarch had an enormous
amount of power.
• It was now treason to support
the Pope over the Church of
England; supporting Catholicism
could now be punishable
by death.
• As Head of the Church of
England, the King could take
charge of its wealth.
The closure of the monasteries were devastating for
the monks and nuns who had devoted their lives
to them, but it also had huge consequences for the
average Tudor:
• Hospitals that were part of the
monasteries disappeared.
• There was less help for the poor.
• Ordinary Tudors that worked for
the monasteries lost their jobs.
• There were fewer opportunities
for education.
• There were fewer safe places for
pilgrims and travellers to stay.
One of the other consequence was
the huge amount of land that had
belonged to the Church was sold
to the gentry, which in time, meant
that of the gentry amassed even
more wealth.
W
hen Henry VIII died,
his nine year old son,
Edward VI inherited
the throne. Edward carried on
with the changes started by his
father. Edward died at the age of
fifteen. His sister Mary then became
Queen Mary I. Mary was a Catholic
and she changed the religion in
England back to Catholic. When
Mary died only five years later, her
sister became Queen Elizabeth I
and she changed the religion back
to Church of England. As practising
a religion other than that of the
monarch at that time could be
punishable by death, it meant that
for many Tudors, it was a confusing
and dangerous time.
Crime and
Punishment
Homeless people posed a threat
to the social order as they often
moved from place to place. Due to
this, punishments were extreme;
homeless people could be whipped,
or even hung if they were repeat
offenders.
ver knew
I ne
W
that • ell
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There was no police force in Tudor England,
local issues were dealt with by local noblemen.
Noblemen would usually appoint a constable who
enforced the law, arrested and guarded criminals.
Crimes were harshly punished, the theory was
that severe punishments would deter others from
committing crimes.
T
heft was considered a
serious crime. For any item
valued at less than five
pence, thieves could be branded
with an F on their cheek using a hot
iron or have their ears or hands cut
off and their nostrils slit open. For
items valued at over five pence, the
penalty was death by hanging.
ever knew
In
From Pillar
to Post
This means going to and
fro, or moving from one
place to another.
P
oaching, the act of catching
animals illegally, was
common especially as many
people were desperately poor and
struggling to feed their families.
It was legal for landowners to shoot
at poachers or set mantraps to
catch them. Poaching was treated
as theft, with poaching at night
considered to be more serious than
poaching in the day time.
It is thought to refer to
early punishments when
you could be sent from
the pillory (like stocks) to
the whipping post for
your punishment.
O
ther acts that were
considered criminal in Tudor
times seem strange to us
now. For instance, not going to
church, playing cards on a holy day
or quarelling in the street were all
punishable crimes.
Many crimes were punishable by
death in Tudor England.
Murderers could be sentenced to
death by being burnt or boiled alive,
and harbouring a murderer was
punishable by hanging.
Public executions were common
and viewed as entertainment by
many who went to see them.
In the event of a beheading, the
heads were often displayed on
poles as a warning to others to
behave themselves.
Witchcraft
People accused of witchcraft were
placed on trial and tested. The most
frequently used test was to tie the
suspect inside a sack then throw
this into a pond or river. If they
floated they were thought to be a
witch, but if they sank and drowned
they were innocent.
T
udor England, was a
superstitious place, and
magic was believed in
alongside religion. It was thought
that magic was practised by
witches, and that good
witches did good deeds
and bad witches evil
deeds. Misfortune, illness
and death were often
blamed on bad witches.
Helmets
The helmets on display at Selly Manor are known as
zischagge helmets. They feature a large peak, nasal bar
and ear flaps at either side.
A
ver knew
I ne
W
that • ell
• Wel
that
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Practising witchcraft
was a crime. It tended
to be women that were
persecuted, although
there were a few men
too. The punishment for
being a witch was death
by being burnt alive.
In this room,
don’t miss the…
ever knew
In
Pitched Battle
Nowadays this means a vigorous argument, often
planned, as you know when you are going to
fall out with someone.
A pitched battle was actually a battle that
took place on a planned and prepared site.
As opposed to a skirmish where soldiers come
across each other accidentally.
t the back of the helmet is a
stepped guard sometimes
referred to as a ‘lobster tail’
which consists of four broad and
curved plates fixed to one another.
This type of helmet originated in
Eastern Europe, although these
examples are thought to be Dutch.
A helmet with similar shape is also
on display. It is often referred to as
an English pot helmet.
The main difference between the
two is the face guard which in
this example is constructed with
three bars that form a type of
visor with a pivoting peak. Whilst
made for use in England during the
mid-seventeenth century, large
quantities like this were made by the
Dutch and imported for use during
the English Civil War.
Boarding Pikes
Crossbow and Stonebow
Long pikes were used by infantry in land
warfare but this type of short pike was
developed for use at sea, specifically to
fight back people attempting to unlawfully
board a ship.
The early eighteenth century crossbow at Selly Manor
came with a steel loading crank, or ‘goat’s foot lever’.
The hooks of this lever pulled back the bowstring
as it was drawn towards the stock to place it on the
catch, ready to fire. The stirrup, fixed to the head of
the stock, was used by the crossbowman who would
place his foot into the stirrup to hold the weapon in
place whilst he drew the loading crank.
T
hese Georgian
boarding pikes have
a wooden shaft, and
a metal head. The head is
fixed to the shaft with a metal
socket base which has two
long straps which run along
the shaft and are fixed with
screws. The head is a ‘pickstyle’ with a triangular cross
section designed for thrusting
as opposed to a ‘leaf-style’
head which included a sharp
edge and could also be used
for cutting.
The pikes measure over
two metres and would be
classed as half-pike sized.
A shortened length was
necessary to allow for use
within the confined space
of a ship. The butt of the
shaft has a metal collar
and protruding from this
is a wooden end, which
prevented damage to
a ship’s deck when the
pike was grounded.
Typically, boarding pikes
would be stored vertically
around the mast in racks to
ensure they were to hand
when required.
Two of these boarding
pikes have a painted
emblem of the King’s
cypher. The design
features a crown and
letters GR in intertwined
gold lettering and
was repainted on the
instruction of Laurence
Cadbury in 1965 after
traces of an original
design were found.
T
he bowstring is now missing
from this crossbow but
originally may have been
made of hemp or sinew, and
attached to the steel bow, or prod,
with a loop at either end. The bolt
would be fired when the trigger, or
tickler, released the catch on the
stock which in turn released the
bowstring, projecting the bolt along
a groove towards its target. The flat
sided stock of the crossbow is made
of walnut and features decorative
inlay of bone or horn, a common
but in this case modest feature of
central European crossbows.
T
he stonebow is lighter
and smaller than the
crossbow. First used in
the medieval period, stonebows
have a reduced range, typically
of around 20 metres. This walnut
and steel stonebow dates from
the mid-nineteenth century and
would predominantly be used
for hunting small game. On
occasions it was favoured
over the gun, because it was
light and silent, making it a favourite
amongst poachers.
The Mantrap and Spring Gun
Breton Chest
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
poaching became a huge problem for landowners.
Keen to protect their game, and to prevent
trespassers profiting from their illegal gains, methods
were sought to discourage poachers. These methods
could be brutal but were supported by the law so long
as the landowner provided adequate notice, usually a
sign stating their presence.
This substantial oak cupboard was originally built as
a chest, with the contents accessed from the top. It
stands over 1.2 metres high, so accessing items this
way was awkward; a stick was used to prop open
the lid, then a young boy climbed inside to retrieve
the items. At some point, it was converted into a
cupboard with front opening doors, presumably to
make access easier.
T
T
he mantrap at Selly Manor is
a grim piece of equipment.
Measuring over one metre
long the central portion is made
up of two large jaws, each with
seven spiked teeth. Once the
concealed trap was
set, the intruder
could trigger
the mechanism by stepping on the
footplate. The jaws would snap
shut trapping, and no doubt badly
injuring, the unfortunate victim.
This type of trap was outlawed in
1827 to be replaced by a ‘humane’
version lacking the teeth.
S
pring guns were another
method employed to keep
out poachers and could cover
a greater area. Trip wires were
set up in the area which needed
protecting, and were linked to the
gun. If a wire was tripped the spring
gun would swing by means of an
iron rod which in this case pivoted
in a wooden block to face the
victim. The pull on the wire would
activate the trigger and then fire a
shot. This spring gun has a double
barrel and a flintlock mechanism for
firing, often just a foot or two above
the ground causing great harm to
the recipient.
he chest was made in about
1665. The front is dominated
by two rectangular panels,
each with a border of stylised halfflower motifs, known as lunettes.
Within the panel a second border
of moulded framing surrounds a
central face. The face is a common
design in Breton chests and often
has wings, draped cloth or scrolls of
leather on each side of the head. It
is possible that this face represents
a cherub or angel, although some
have referred to them as sphinxes,
a popular emblem in French
Renaissance decoration.
Another common feature on Breton
chests is an interlocking guilloche
or scroll pattern. On this chest it can
be seen in the centre of the front
panel, around a pattern of stylised
acanthus leaves.
Spanish Table
Sillon de Fraileros
The striking large centre table was made in Spain
using walnut. Its journey to Selly Manor was via
France, according to a pasted label which is stuck to
the underside of the drawers and states that the table
was shipped from Boulogne-sur-Mer.
The two large walnut armchairs with leather seats and
backs are sometimes known as sillon de frailero, or
friar’s chairs, and were made in Spain.
D
ating from the late
seventeenth century, the
top is a single massive
walnut plank. The distinctive
decoration to the front of the
drawers is created with a curved
chisel which gouged out sections of
the wood. In this table the gouged
carving is arranged in rows and
blocks, with iron drop handles.
Between each drawer are shaped
buttresses. The legs splay away
from the top and are turned. At
the base the legs are finished with
turned feet and joined by stretchers.
T
he first armchair was
probably made in the late
seventeenth century and is
rather plain, with flat arms, square
section legs and simple stretchers.
The thick leather seat and back are
fixed with large brass nails.
The second armchair is slightly
later in date and is more decorative
with ribbed finials and arms which
terminate in neat scrolls. The front
stretcher has skilfully pierced and
carved strapwork. The back section
of leather is elaborately adorned
with a rectangular motif broken
into four quadrants, within each are
intricate patterns of scrolls and fleur
de lys. This type of decoration was
often created using a metal plate in
a press or using heated hand tools.