The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Tudors for Teachers
History Resource Pack
KS2
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
History Resource Pack 1
The Geffrye Museum has inspired visitors for nearly one hundred years and
is a rich source of ideas and stimulation for teachers and students alike.
This guide (the first of a series) is intended to help primary-school teachers
to use the collection at the Geffrye Museum to support the History
Curriculum with cross-curricular links. This resource pack supports students’
research skills, knowledge and understanding in order to make their
classroom work more meaningful and contextualised.
Tudors for Teachers
This resource is intended to enhance your trip with pre- and post-visit
activities but can also be used independently in the classroom.
You may wish to visit the museum to enjoy one of our facilitated sessions,
where students will have the opportunity to see a period Tudor Hall and
touch artefacts from our handling collection of high-quality replicas.
The following themes have been chosen so that you and your students
can use them to explore the Geffrye Museum’s collection further, following
the visit.
■
Domestic life
■
Heating and lighting
■
Furniture and objects
■
Materials and style
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
1
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Resource bank
The following photographs are included with this resource pack,
to be used in conjunction with the classroom activities:
Fig A
A Tudor Hall 1580–1630
Fig B
The Geffrye Museum
Fig C
Cutaway drawing of a Tudor home
Fig D
Court cupboard, c.1630
Fig E
Andirons, 1600–1650
Fig F
Tinder box (replica)
Fig G
Rushlight (replica)
Fig H
Draw-leaf table, c.1620
Fig I
Oak armchair, c.1620
Fig J
Water sprinkler (replica)
Fig K
Maiolica plate, 1575 –1625
Fig L
Horn beakers (replica)
Fig M
Pewter plate, pre-1735
Fig N
Herb burner (replica)
Fig O
Pewter candlestick (replica) with tallow candle
Fig P
Pewter candlestick (replica) with beeswax candle
Fig Q
Fireplace in Tudor Hall, 1580–1630
Fig R
Corner of Tudor Hall, 1580–1630, showing casement windows
Fig S
Pewter candlestick (replica)
Fig T
Clay candlestick (replica)
Fig U
Venetian glass (replica)
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
2
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Worksheets
The following worksheets are included with this resource pack, to be used
for pre and post-visit classroom activities:
Worksheet One
My Living Space worksheet
Worksheet Two
Court Cupboard worksheet
Worksheet Three
Tudor Chest worksheet
Worksheet Four
My Herbal
Worksheet Five
Complete the design
My name is Sam and
I’m the Geffrye mascot.
Do you like my Tudor ruff?
Tudor artefacts
The museum’s Tudor handling objects are available as digital images from
the resource bank which can be downloaded by students or used on the
whiteboard in your own lessons.
When considering an object, students may wish to use our Mystery Object
question sheet to develop their critical thinking and analytical skills.
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
3
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Mystery Object question sheet
By answering the questions on this sheet you may be able
to work out what your object was used for and all sorts of
other interesting things about it …
What does it look and feel like?
What colour is it?
Does it feel warm or cold when you touch it?
What is it made of?
Is it made from a natural material?
Is the object complete?
Does it show signs of wear and tear?
Does it make a noise?
Does it smell?
How was it made?
Is it hand or machine made?
Was it made in one piece or several pieces put together?
If it is made of several pieces, how have they been
joined together?
Do any of the pieces move?
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
4
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Mystery Object question sheet continued
What was it made for?
Do you think the object has a use?
Has it been used?
How long ago do you think it was made?
Who might have owned it?
Which room do you think it would have been be used in?
Is the object well designed?
Do you think it would do its job well?
Were the best materials used?
Is it decorated? How is it decorated?
Do you like the way it looks?
Would other people like it?
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
5
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Mystery Object question sheet continued
What is it worth?
To the people who made it?
To the people who used it?
To the Geffrye Museum?
To you?
To a bank?
What else would you like to find out about your object………..?
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
6
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
The National Curriculum:
Tudor for Teachers supports History at Key Stage Two, QCA unit 8:
What were the differences between the lives of rich and poor people in Tudor times?
Cross-curricular links:
Geography
Examining domestic life and artefacts from the Tudor period is an excellent
way to gain an understanding of London at this time. The quality and variety
of domestic objects reflect the fact that London was a prosperous and
increasingly cosmopolitan city.
Art and Design
Using the museum and its collection is a great starting point for a variety
of art and design projects. It can link in with the study of ‘containers’,
‘chairs’, ‘objects and meanings’ and ‘buildings’ but also as a primary source
for observational drawing and sketchbook work when ‘visiting a museum
or gallery’.
Citizenship
Many of these themes link to citizenship topics such as local and national
identity. The discussions also foster citizenship skills such as developing good
relationships and respecting the differences between people.
Science
The Tudor home is an excellent subject through which to consider different
materials and their properties.
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
7
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Resources
1
Class discussion
What does home mean to you?
2
Home learning task
Pre-visit activity
Worksheet One
3
Discussion / activity
View Geffrye Website
Practical information for your visit
4
Visit to the Geffrye Museum
Tudor Home Life
or
Herbs and Tudor Home life (April–Oct)
5
Recap / discussion
6
Theme one – Domestic life
Discussion / activity
Visit
Worksheets Two and Three
7
Theme two – Heating and lighting
Discussion / activity
8
Theme three – Furniture and objects
Discussion / activity
Post visit activity
Worksheet Four
9
Theme four – Materials and style
Discussion / activity
Worksheet Five
10
Plenary
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
8
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 1
Class Discussion
‘What does home mean to you’?
Objective:
● To explore the theme of ‘home’ through discussion
This is a short class activity to set the scene for your project.
Ask the class the question ‘what is a home’? Brainstorm ideas and write
them on the whiteboard.
Introduce the project, explaining that pupils will explore the theme of Tudor
Home Life by thinking carefully about what our homes are like today and
comparing this to homes in Tudor times.
Set the children to work with a ‘talk partner’ to discuss the following points:
■
Do you live in a flat or a house?
■
What is your neighbourhood like?
■
Do you have neighbours close by?
■
What sorts of jobs do people do in your area?
■
Who lives in your home?
■
What sorts of things do you do in your home?
■
What do you like about your home?
■
Which is your favourite room?
Bring the class back together and collect their thoughts;
set the home learning task (worksheet one).
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
9
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 2
Worksheet one – My living space
Home Learning Task
Draw your main living space at home on the next page.
Label the following:
Use your ruler to draw a line from each object and
write the labels around the outside of the picture.
■
Lighting
■
Heating
■
Entertainment
■
Where I relax
■
Storage area
■
Special object or piece of furniture
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
10
My Living Space
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 3
Discussion / activity
Preparation for the visit
Objective:
● To introduce the theme of the Tudor Home life and prepare for the
visit to the Geffrye Museum
Write the following on the whiteboard:
■
What names do you have for your living space?
Lounge / living room / front room / sitting room etc.
■
Why do we have these names?
Suggests a place to relax, to sit, to be informal or to be formal, denotes the
room’s position in the house etc.
Show Fig A on the whiteboard – (Hall from 1580–1630)
■
Collect initial ideas from the class about the function of the main living
space in the past and today.
■
How have they changed?
■
What is the focal point of the room?
Fig A
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
12
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 3 continued
Pre visit information:
Show Fig B – The Geffrye Museum building
Fig B
Explain that the Geffrye is the Museum of the Home and that it shows living
rooms from different times in history.
The first of its living rooms dates from Tudor times.
It may be useful to view the website in advance of the visit.
Children can view the museum website during their IT session, or it can be
viewed on the whiteboard with the whole class.
If you are not able to visit the museum, you could substitute this part of
the resource by viewing Life in the Living Room – The 17th Century
http://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk/collections/thematics/
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
13
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 3 continued
During the Tudor Home Life session children will:
■
learn to ‘read’ a room and discover the stories behind the objects in order
to increase their understanding of domestic life in Tudor times
■
study the unique collection of furniture and artefacts displayed in context
■
develop their knowledge of the period using high-quality replica objects
from the Geffrye’s handling collection
■
make close observational drawings from the historic interior and furniture
During the Herbs and Tudor Home life session children will:
■
see how herbs are planted according to their use in Tudor times
■
be encouraged to touch the plants and use a pestle and mortar to crush
herbs and release their aroma
■
record their work through close observational sketches
A pupil’s
drawing of
the Tudor
fireplace
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
14
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 4
Visit to the Geffrye Museum
The Geffrye Museum charges for its Curriculum-based facilitated school sessions with one of our
highly experienced learning staff or specialist teachers. For a full list of charges, available discounts
and terms and conditions please visit our website www.geffrye-museum.org.uk or contact the
Education Department to discuss your requirements: [email protected]
Tel: 020 7739 9893.
Teachers wishing to book the Tudor Home Life session must first attend INSET so that they can
familiarise themselves with the museum and the handling collection. Please see bookings for more details.
■
On the day of your visit, please arrive no sooner that 5 minutes before your appointed time
■
A Geffrye Teacher will greet you at the front desk of the museum
■
All our sessions for schools are facilitated, so there is no need to prepare anything or to
bring worksheets, pens or clipboards. Everything for your session will be provided
Please find useful information for the visit below:
Please see http://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk/visiting/schools/ to download a generic
risk assessment. However, please note that teachers are responsible for carrying out their
own risk assessments.
Contact details:
Telephone: 020 7739 9893
Fax: 020 7729 5647
Website: www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
E-mail: [email protected]
Travel Information:
Buses: 67, 149, 242, 243, 394
Overground: Hoxton Station, 2 minutes walk
Underground: Liverpool Street, then bus 149
or 242 from Bishopsgate
Old Street (exit 2) then bus 243 or 15 minutes
walk
British Rail: Liverpool Street
Parking: Very limited meter places available in
neighbouring streets. Parking for disabled
visitors is available in front of the museum for
up to 3 hours between 10.00am and 4.00pm.
Coach Drop Off: There is an area in front of
the museum where coaches can drop off and
pick up pupils.
Shop: School parties are able to pre-order
‘Geffrye goody bags’. Please speak to our
Bookings Officer for more details.
Alternatively, classes may visit the shop after
their teaching session. Please ensure pupils are
in groups of no more than 6 and are
accompanied by a teacher or adult helper.
Access: All main displays are located on the
ground floor. Entrance and gardens are ramped
and accessible for wheelchairs. Facilities
include: accessible toilets, lift and induction
loop in Lecture and Education Rooms.
We regret that school groups are unable to
look around the museum unaccompanied.
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
15
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 5
Recap / discussion
Objective:
● To recall experiences from the visit (or ‘virtual visit’ if you were unable
to get to the museum)
Fig C
Show Fig C – (Cutaway of a Tudor House) – on the whiteboard
Discuss what the children have learned about the Tudor home on the actual
visit or virtual visit.
Prompt questions could include:
■
Did you see the house of a rich person or a poor person?
■
What sort of job did this person do?
■
Who lived in the house?
■
What was the main living area called and where was it in the house?
■
What were the streets of London like at this time?
■
What materials did you see in the room?
■
Which objects were expensive?
■
Which was your favourite part of the visit / virtual visit?
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
16
Session 5 continued
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Show Fig A – (Hall 1580–1630)
Hand out the worksheets which the children completed as their home
learning task in Session 2.
■
How does your living space compare to the Tudor Hall?
(What is different / what is the same?)
■
What developments have their been in 400 years?
(Technology / materials / the way we use our space)
■
Why are there so few Tudor houses left in London?
(Link to the Great Fire of 1666)
Fig A
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
17
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 6
Domestic life
Objectives:
● To take an in-depth look at a single theme
● To extend the learning from the museum visit / virtual visit and to apply
knowledge to a creative activity
Teachers’ notes:
Merchants, businessmen and professionals were known as the ‘middling sort’
at this time.
A moderately wealthy ‘middling’ household – such as the period room
displayed at the Geffrye – could include lodgers, servants and apprentices as
well as the family.
Much of the family and social life would revolve around eating and drinking
and informal visiting.
Activities at home:
The family would have gathered in the Hall for informal meals, sometimes
with friends, and to engage in domestic activities such as sewing, music making,
reading or playing with children. The hours of natural daylight controlled the
occupants’ activities to an enormous extent and domestic activities were
greatly restricted after sunset.
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
18
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 6 continued
Eating
The whole household, including apprentices, journeymen and other employees,
sometimes took meals together in middling households. Dinner was the
main meal, taken at around midday. The Geffrye’s period room display shows
the room just as it is being prepared for the midday meal: linen and pewter
plates and other objects are being brought in to the main table.
Fig M
Fig L
Housework
Women were generally responsible for the day-to-day household
management. Most households on middling incomes employed one or two
servants for heavy work such as cleaning the house and doing the laundry
and other chores. Most of those working in the house were employees, but
some might have been pauper apprentices or single relations.
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
19
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 6 continued
Food shopping and herbs
The housewife organised all the domestic work including shopping for
provisions and food, which was considered a skilled activity, not one which
servants would be capable of doing efficiently and economically. In addition,
the woman of the house would normally possess significant knowledge of
herbs, which enabled her to make a full range of remedies and products
necessary for keeping the family well and the house clean and hygienic.
Herb recipes, or ‘receipts’ as they were
called, were passed verbally and in written
form through generations from mother to
daughter. They could also be obtained from
books called herbals, which contained
traditional information about a wide range
of herbs and their medical properties, as
well as recipes for remedies and instructions
for various domestic and culinary uses:
These books were valued possessions.
Fig N
Class discussion:
Using Geffrye Fig A (Hall 1580–1630)
and Fig D – (A court cupboard)
■
Why is there linen on the table?
■
What time of day do you think it is?
■
Where did the family keep their
most valued possessions?
Fig D
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
20
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 6
Activity A:
Worksheet Two
■
Which valued possessions did the family keep in the
‘Court Cupboard’?
■
What would you keep in your cupboard? Discuss with
your talk partner
■
Draw and label your precious possessions inside
the cupboard
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
21
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 6
Activity B:
Buy the class some potted herbs from a supermarket.
Recap – how did the Tudors use herbs (eg For eating, health and hygene).
‘My Herbal’
Complete the worksheet on the next page.
■
Look at one of the herbs in the classroom
■
Design a recipe including the herb and write a sentence
describing what is in your recipe
■
Draw the herb and label the different parts
■
What would the recipe would be used for?
Would it be for medicine, cooking or cleaning?
For more information see our virtual tour of the Herb Garden
on the web.
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
22
How would my herb be used?
or
What would my herb be used for?
Name:
My Herbal
Worksheet Three
MY RECIPE
Draw a herb here:
Label the different parts.
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 7
Heating and lighting
Objectives:
● To take an in-depth look at a single theme
● To extend the learning from the museum visit / virtual visit and to apply
knowledge to a creative activity
Teachers’ notes:
Heating
The fireplace was the focus of the hall, both decoratively and in a practical
sense. It was the only source of heat and also an important source of light.
It could feature a large amount of ornamentation and might be constructed
in costly materials such as stone and /or oak, often elaborately carved.
The hearth tended to be large and equipped with ‘andirons’ to prevent the
logs from rolling out and a cast-iron fire-back, which threw heat back into the
room and protected the wall behind the fire. Andirons, which were used to
support logs above the ground and ensure a good draught, were made of iron
but were often decorated with brass.
Fig Q
Fig E
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
25
Session 7 continued
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Fuel
Wood was the main source of fuel at this time but over the next 100 years
coal became more widely used in London. It gave off more heat and took up
less space than wood. Domestic equipment necessary for tending the fire
included shovels, tongs and bellows.
Daylight
Natural light was admitted through leaded glass windows, although the
amount of light which came in from outside was not great by today’s
standards. Although the windows themselves could be quite large, panes of
glass were small and these were fixed by lead strips which obscured the light.
The glass itself, even in some quite grand houses, was greenish, not crystal
clear as we have today.
Fig R
Jetties
London houses were built with ‘jetties’. This is the name given to the
construction of upper rooms overhanging the lower floors. For this reason,
rooms could be quite dark; the light provided by the fire and candles was
needed to increase visibity, even during daylight hours.
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
26
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 7 continued
Lighting
There were three types of lighting available, apart
from that given by the fire:
■
Beeswax candles
■
Tallow candles
■
Rushlights
Wax candles were expensive and would have been
saved for special occasions. Tallow candles, which
were made from melted animal fat, were cheaper
but smelled, smoked and could spit. An even lesscostly alternative was the rushlight, essentially a
piece of dried rush dipped in tallow. This was the
cheapest but the least effective form of lighting.
Fig G
Tinder box
Matches were not invented until the early
19th century and therefore all forms of Tudor
lighting and heating were lit with a tinder box.
This was a pewter box which contained a piece
of tinder (dry wool or linen), an iron striker
and flint and a lid which kept the contents
secure and dry.
Fig F
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
27
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 7
Activity C:
Look at the images in the resource bank.
Children will become ‘merchants’ and the classroom will
resemble a Tudor street market as pupils ‘sell’ to the rest of
the class a form of period lighting or object from the home.
■
Divide the class into talk partners
■
Give each pair one of the photographs (eg, tallow candle,
pewter candlestick)
■
Allow five minutes for pupils to prepare their ‘pitch’
■
Take turns to listen to each pair as they tell the rest of the
class why they should buy their goods or services
■
Take a class vote on the best object or form of lighting!
Fig S
Fig P
Fig G
Fig O
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
Fig T
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
28
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 8
Furniture and Objects
Objectives:
● To take an in-depth look at a single theme
● To extend the learning from the museum visit / virtual visit and to apply
knowledge to a creative activity
Teachers’ notes:
Wood
One of the most popular wood used for furniture in the 16th and 17th
centuries was oak. Chests, cupboards, boxes, chairs and stools were
decorated with carving and turning, inlay or paint. Carved detail was an
important part of the decoration and could take the form of natural leaf and
flower forms as well as geometric patterns.
Unpainted furniture was sometimes waxed and polished to a honey
coloured gold, quite unlike the dark treacle colour we see today which has
been created by age, frequent use and grime. This aging of the wood often
gives the false impression that Tudor furniture was very dark.
Fig A
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
29
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 8 continued
Court cupboard
One of the most important items of
furniture in the Geffrye’s period room is
the court or livery cupboard. Its purpose
was to store table-linen and food and also
to display household and prized
possessions, such as silver, pewter or
other precious metals or objects.
Fig D
Tables and Chairs
Another important piece of furniture was a draw-leaf, or ‘drawing’ table,
which could be made larger by extending the ‘leaves’.
At family gatherings, the head of the household, most usually a man, would
often have occupied the most important seat known as ‘the great chair’.
Such a chair was a symbol of status and wealth. The Geffrye’s example is made
of oak; the back is inlaid with contrasting woods in a geometric pattern –
a technique called parquetry.
Most members of the household would have sat on
stools or backless benches.
Fig H
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
Fig I
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
30
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 8 continued
Textiles
Textiles were amongst the most costly items of domestic furnishing. Textiles
in the Tudor home included cupboard cloths, chest cloths, rugs and cushions
but all of these are often associated with chambers (bedrooms) than halls.
Curtains on windows are mentioned in most inventories (legal documents
which list and value household possessions), probably for privacy as much as
warmth. The colours of fabrics are sometimes described; green was very
common and, in richer households, blue and crimson were found. Common
wool cloth was called say, which had a diagonal weave.
Household objects
Other objects common in the hall included lockable boxes, used to keep
papers, correspondence and books safe. They were often beautifully carved.
A room of this quality would have probably contained a bible and perhaps
a few other books and possibly a selection of pictures.
Floors could be covered in matting made from plaited rushes, although
bare wooden floorboards were also common in middling households. An
earthenware sprinkler containing scented herbs could be used to dampen
down rush matting to stop it becoming brittle and to keep dust at bay.
Carpets were costly, hand-made imports, which were more frequently to be
found on tables than on floors.
Fig J
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
31
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 8
Activity D:
Create a ‘Tudor Chest’ using the template
on the next page – Worksheet Four
■
Photocopy and enlarge the net onto card
■
Cut out the net
■
Fold along the dotted lines
■
Look at Fig A, the Tudor panelling for inspiration
■
Decorate using felt tips / sticky paper
■
Glue the shaded areas to complete
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
32
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Make a Tudor Chest
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
33
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 9
Materials and Style
Objectives:
● To take an in-depth look at a single theme
● To extend the learning from the museum visit / virtual visit and to apply
knowledge to a creative activity
Teachers’ notes:
Many of the objects in the Geffrye’s Tudor Period room were produced in
England; however, there are several which show clearly the influence of
foreign styles.
Some of the objects were made abroad and imported to this country. In a
merchant’s house, like the one on display at the Geffrye Museum, some of the
luxury goods may have been imported by the merchant himself.
Italian Renaissance styles were popular from the 15th and 16th centuries
and brought to England a mixture of classical, or ancient, Greek or Roman art
and architecture. The wine and bottles were made in the German States (now
Germany).
Fig K
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
34
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Session 9 continued
Materials
The predominant material in the room is oak wood; the popular image of the
Tudor interior, with exposed structural beams, is, in fact, misleading. The
timber, lath and plaster structure of the house was usually covered up,
either by plaster, wooden panelling or fabric hangings.
In the Geffrye’s period room, the walls are panelled in oak from floor to
ceiling and finished with linseed oil. The brick-lined fireplace has a wood
surround.
Wooden panelling was popular since it effectively insulated rooms and was
also decorative. The oak panelling and even furniture could be embellished
with cloth hangings, which also provided an extra layer of insulation.
The ceiling is plastered, plain with a white limewash finish. The room includes two leaded
casement windows. Although the windows
themselves were quite large the panes of glass
were small and these were fitted with lead
strips which obscured the light. The glass
itself even in some quite grand houses was
greenish, not crystal clear as we have today.
The furniture was made by a ‘joiner’. Joiners
were makers of furniture whereas carpenters
were essentially builders of timber framed
houses. Joiners use joints and glue and
carpenters used nails. The furniture made
by joiners was solid and robust enough to
withstand heavy wear; stools for instance were
frequently moved around the room and even
stored, or ‘parked’ under the draw-leaf table
when not in use.
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
Fig U
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
35
Session 9 continued
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Sometimes the hard wooden seat of such a chair or stool could have been
made more comfortable by a cushion, possibly with a needlework or
embroidery cover.
The floor of the Geffrye’s Tudor Hall is covered with rush matting.
The rushes were not always plaited together as mats; they could simply be
scattered or spread loosely on the floor. Rushes and rush matting dried out
quickly and could be refreshed with water to slow this process. The matting
was sometimes ‘strewn’ with herbs.
There are several different types of candlestick in the Geffrye’s handling
collection; these are a good illustration of the different materials available for
small household objects.
Candlesticks varied according to their use and cost. Silver and brass
candlesticks are recorded in inventories but were seen most commonly in the
wealthiest households. Brass was a popular alternative for many homes of
fashion. Clay, iron, pewter (a mixture of tin and lead) and wood were the
most economical versions and were commonly used in middling households.
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
36
Session 9
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Activity E:
Worksheet Five
Complete the Maiolica plate to your own design.
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
37
The Geffrye
Museum of the Home
Plenary session
What do we know about the Tudor Home?
Use the image bank to prompt discussion on what the class have learned
about the Tudor home.
Activity F:
Split the class into talk partners or small groups.
Give each group one of the following questions to answer:
■
I was surprised to find that…
■
The bit I liked best was… because
■
The bit I liked least was… because
■
I would like to find out more about…
■
I was good at…
■
I didn’t know that museums were…
■
I didn’t know that the Tudor home was…
Take it in turns to listen to each group’s answers.
THANK YOU for using
the Geffrye Resource pack.
To give feedback or request further information, please contact
the Education Officer for Schools and Formal Learning.
Come and visit the Geffrye again soon!
HISTORY RESOURCE PACK 1 Tudors for Teachers
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
38