Every month we feature two blogs written by volunteers, one describes an object in the Palace and one a plant from the Garden. It is a great way for us all to learn more about the Palace, if you would like to contribute there is no set format so please do send us your ideas!
The Queen’s Grapes (from item 19 in the Porteous Library display case)
This is a story from a little 1813 book with the stirring title of “An Historical and Topographical Account of the parish of Fulham, including the Hamlet of Hammersmith”. The author was Thomas Faukner who kept a booksellers and stationers shop at the corner of Paradise Row in Chelsea. He was a self-taught man. But he taught himself several languages and a fair number of the records in the book are in the original Latin.
One of the stories in the book speaks of Bishop Grindall in 1569. Queen Elizabeth I was the monarch and of course B. Grindall would have been keen to stay in favour with her. The grapes which were grown on the Fulham Manor land were very fine because of the quality of the soil and the sheltered position.
So every year from his appointment B.Grindall used to send a present of grapes to be carried to the Queen by one of his servants. But in 1569 there was a problem in the Manor house because this was one of the years in which the plague had affected London. Some of B. Grindall’s servants had been ill. In those days health and sanitation conditions were not good in London and it was not easy to know what type of illness someone had. If they died it might be thought to be the plague but it might be dysentery or any number of other diseases. No doctor knew how any diseases were spread and the general belief was that the plague was borne on the wind.
Whatever the illness at the Manor had been thought to be, the Bishop’s grapes were sent to the Queen as usual (he would not have wanted to pass up a chance to be in QEI’s good books).
The word obviously got around that the plague had affected B. Grindall’s manor house at the time the grapes had been sent. This would have put B. Grindall in fear. Who knows what the penalty would have been for putting the sovereign’s life at risk? Probably a particularly grisly form of execution.
He did what he could to clear himself of blame. On 20th September 1569 he wrote to Lord Burghley the Queen’s main advisor, treasurer and enforcer. Lord Burghley was the most powerful man in the land.
“ I hear that some fault is found with me abroad for the sending of my servant lately to the court with grapes, saying one died of my house of the plague as they say, and three more are sick. The truth is, one died in my house the 19th of this month, who had lyen but 3 days; but he had gone abroad languishing above 20 days before that, being troubled with a flux, and thinking to bear it out, took cold, and so ended his life.
But, I thank God, there is none sick in my house. Neither would I so far have overseen myself, as to have sent to her Majesty if I had not been more assured, that my man’s sickness was not of the plague; and if I suspected any such thing now, I would not hold my household together as I do. This much I thought good also to signify unto you.
God keep you.
From Fulham, 20th Sept. 1569
Yours in Christ “
This must have done the trick; B. Grindall was not arrested and brought to the Tower. But equally there is no record of a reply from Lord Burghley (there was little courtly diplomacy towards those who might have done something stupid to put the Queen at risk), B. Grindall lived out the rest of his natural life and died in his bed in 1570.
But life was perilous for all in those days. History doesn’t recount whether B. Grindall ever dared to send any more grapes for the Queen from Fulham Manor.
Roger McCarthy, volunteer
Please send your ideas for Object / Specimen of the Month blogs to rachel.bray@fulhampalace.org. If you would like some help, let us know.