Stirling Castle - Court Life - Katherine Bellenden

Katherine Bellenden

Working in royal service since 1537 as a seamstress and then lavender (laundress). Her first role involved repairing royal clothing, the making of shifts and shirts and from the time of the royal births the upkeep of swaddling and tail clouts (nappies).

As lavender her role would have been more administrative making sure the redshanked (bare legged) girls of the laundry were cleansing and pressing the cloth of the court including the royal table linen. The treasurer would give her a set fee for the year she would be expected to buy wash tubs, black soap and also pay wages from this. Katherine would marry three times; each marriage bringing her money and status which would have been reflected in her dress.

Her first two husbands were provosts of Edinburgh and the last a favourite of the King James V. Despite her aspirations the sumptory laws on clothing dictated what she was allowed to wear. Only royalty was allowed to wear purple, with materials like velvet and silk being restricted to the high born of society.

Stale human urine was a common cleaning agent of the 16th Century.

Stale human urine was a common cleaning agent in laundries of the 16th Century, possibly why the laundry was taken out of the court to a site at the bottom of the castle hill.

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