Michael Pearce
@michaelpearce.bsky.social
History, Scotland. Probably writing about material culture, costume, household accounts, letters, recipe books, and the fine grain detail of Scottish royal revenue.
Apparently, this carved stone with a castle at Inch House was brought from Bridgend Farmhouse in the 19th-century. Picture from the Inch House Community Centre facebook page
February 8, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Apparently, this carved stone with a castle at Inch House was brought from Bridgend Farmhouse in the 19th-century. Picture from the Inch House Community Centre facebook page
20 May 1619, Whitehall Palace, porcelain, Pericles, and the late queen's music: to the Queenes pryvy chamber, where French singinge was by the queenes musitians: after in the queenes bedd chamber, they hearde the Irish harpp, a violl, and Mr Lanyer, excellently singinge & playing on the lute
February 8, 2026 at 2:57 PM
20 May 1619, Whitehall Palace, porcelain, Pericles, and the late queen's music: to the Queenes pryvy chamber, where French singinge was by the queenes musitians: after in the queenes bedd chamber, they hearde the Irish harpp, a violl, and Mr Lanyer, excellently singinge & playing on the lute
'Item to a man in France callit Nicolas ?Langlois for the defuncts sones buird fourtie franks extending in Scottis money to xxx li', will of John Hunter, merchant in Flemish goods and French canvas, 1581, CC8/8/9 p. 176.
February 3, 2026 at 11:38 PM
'Item to a man in France callit Nicolas ?Langlois for the defuncts sones buird fourtie franks extending in Scottis money to xxx li', will of John Hunter, merchant in Flemish goods and French canvas, 1581, CC8/8/9 p. 176.
Sleeve detail from a Flemish crucifixion, eBay: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30671424...
February 3, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Sleeve detail from a Flemish crucifixion, eBay: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30671424...
Russian diplomatic gifts of fur for Philip & Mary looted from a shipwreck at Pitsligo in December 1556, from Richard Hakluyt, Principall Navigations, p. 325: archive.org/details/cihm...
February 3, 2026 at 2:02 PM
Russian diplomatic gifts of fur for Philip & Mary looted from a shipwreck at Pitsligo in December 1556, from Richard Hakluyt, Principall Navigations, p. 325: archive.org/details/cihm...
A Harbour Scene attributed to William Smeall, Edinburgh City Art Centre
February 2, 2026 at 11:05 PM
A Harbour Scene attributed to William Smeall, Edinburgh City Art Centre
Morrison's Haven
February 1, 2026 at 11:27 PM
Morrison's Haven
The new Miscellany of the Scottish History Society XVII is out! I am grateful to the editors for this opportunity to write about the fat goods of Mary, Queen of Scots
February 1, 2026 at 1:48 PM
The new Miscellany of the Scottish History Society XVII is out! I am grateful to the editors for this opportunity to write about the fat goods of Mary, Queen of Scots
Blanche Swansted, 'perruquière' to Anna of Denmark in 1619
January 30, 2026 at 1:09 AM
Blanche Swansted, 'perruquière' to Anna of Denmark in 1619
Robert Woodhouse, an English bookbinder in Edinburgh, named his son Barthilmo, after Barthilmo Kello who was married to Esther Inglis, famous for making little books, 23 April 1600
January 28, 2026 at 10:02 AM
Robert Woodhouse, an English bookbinder in Edinburgh, named his son Barthilmo, after Barthilmo Kello who was married to Esther Inglis, famous for making little books, 23 April 1600
Reminds me of tansy cake, - 'how to make a good tansie'
January 27, 2026 at 10:51 AM
Reminds me of tansy cake, - 'how to make a good tansie'
And a double M monogram seal with two $, used by Mary Mildmay Fane, Countess of Westmorland
January 26, 2026 at 4:51 PM
And a double M monogram seal with two $, used by Mary Mildmay Fane, Countess of Westmorland
The Countess of Moray's Jumbles: a spoonfull of seck, a spoonfull of creame, and mak past of it, and mold it of leters and knottes, and so baik it
January 23, 2026 at 11:13 AM
The Countess of Moray's Jumbles: a spoonfull of seck, a spoonfull of creame, and mak past of it, and mold it of leters and knottes, and so baik it
Surprised to find that disputed bills from Elizabeth Brydges' embroiderer in 1590s were printed in The Academy (5 February 1876), p. 125: archive.org/details/sim_...
January 22, 2026 at 4:24 PM
Surprised to find that disputed bills from Elizabeth Brydges' embroiderer in 1590s were printed in The Academy (5 February 1876), p. 125: archive.org/details/sim_...
When James, 3rd Earl of Home, died in London (February 1633) his mother shipped the body to Dunbar for burial at Dunglass, and sent four men and blacksmith to Dunglass Castle in April to lock up the best furniture in a chamber.
January 20, 2026 at 11:18 PM
When James, 3rd Earl of Home, died in London (February 1633) his mother shipped the body to Dunbar for burial at Dunglass, and sent four men and blacksmith to Dunglass Castle in April to lock up the best furniture in a chamber.
This may be a similar example for comparison; women weeders attending four weeks in July in a knot garden for Henry VIII
January 20, 2026 at 2:34 PM
This may be a similar example for comparison; women weeders attending four weeks in July in a knot garden for Henry VIII
A very close union with the entire renowned nation and name of Denmark, which we have decided to maintain perpetually and inviolably. James VI to the Council of Denmark, Holyrood, 25 May 1590
January 17, 2026 at 6:50 PM
A very close union with the entire renowned nation and name of Denmark, which we have decided to maintain perpetually and inviolably. James VI to the Council of Denmark, Holyrood, 25 May 1590
There are quite a few of these panels around, and two probably from the same piece of furniture recently sold
January 16, 2026 at 5:11 PM
There are quite a few of these panels around, and two probably from the same piece of furniture recently sold
New wooden Tudor friend
January 16, 2026 at 4:57 PM
New wooden Tudor friend
Masque of Blackness, by repute, the rest wearing "buskins all to be sett with jewells, with a wave of the sea as it weare very artificially made and brought to stage by secrett ingines cast forth of a scallop shell to performe the residue of the devise of dansing etc. Which I saw not." SP12/14 f28.
January 13, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Masque of Blackness, by repute, the rest wearing "buskins all to be sett with jewells, with a wave of the sea as it weare very artificially made and brought to stage by secrett ingines cast forth of a scallop shell to performe the residue of the devise of dansing etc. Which I saw not." SP12/14 f28.
Here is an interesting print seen on eBay, 'Iuventa', after Abraham Bosse, Youth, from the Four ages of man, Les quatre âges de l'homme
January 12, 2026 at 11:55 PM
Here is an interesting print seen on eBay, 'Iuventa', after Abraham Bosse, Youth, from the Four ages of man, Les quatre âges de l'homme
Marzipan sweetmeats for the funeral of Henri II, master household's roll for 9 August 1559. Bit gloomy I know, but I was pleased to identify L'appo[ticai]re in this
December 28, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Marzipan sweetmeats for the funeral of Henri II, master household's roll for 9 August 1559. Bit gloomy I know, but I was pleased to identify L'appo[ticai]re in this
Best wishest and fondest recollections of Whittle & Griffiths, Consumption & Gender (2012), 118
December 28, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Best wishest and fondest recollections of Whittle & Griffiths, Consumption & Gender (2012), 118
Prompted by Xmas reading about the portraits of James VI, a link to a transcript of a curious and little known document in the National Library of Scotland contrasting his potential brides Catherine de Bourbon and Christine de Lorraine: www.researchgate.net/publication/...
December 28, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Prompted by Xmas reading about the portraits of James VI, a link to a transcript of a curious and little known document in the National Library of Scotland contrasting his potential brides Catherine de Bourbon and Christine de Lorraine: www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Catherine de Medici's butler (premier maître d'hôtel) was from Modena and had worked for her brother Duke Alexander, but was he J-B Seghiro, Seghizo, or Seghiso?
December 6, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Catherine de Medici's butler (premier maître d'hôtel) was from Modena and had worked for her brother Duke Alexander, but was he J-B Seghiro, Seghizo, or Seghiso?