A couple of points of interest in the English. It's to be expected that Lordship should have a capital letter, but why Kitchen? Clearly this was viewed as an important room. (Germany still uses capitals on nouns, but other words don't have them here, so that's not the influence.) It's also old enough to have the 'f' in place of an 's' in 'exprefsly'.
The kitchen at Burghley is a fascinating place with fine examples of 18th and 19th century cookware displayed along its Tudor shelves. There is also a magnificent cast iron roasting range, dated 1840, and made by a London company. It was powered with charcoal and provided heat to a back boiler as well as cooking. It incorporates an elaborate spit mechanism for turning huge joints of meat as they cooked.
Perhaps his Lordship wanted to stop the house or more likely garden servants spending too long in the kitchen and distracting the kitchen staff from their work of producing the meals for the house? Maybe he didn't want the cook feeding them and letting them linger after they had delivered the day's vegetables from the kitchen garden or perhaps (heaven forbid!) forming relationships with the kitchen staff? It is such a long time since I visited Burghley, I must go back one day:)
ReplyDeleteI love Burghley house - coming from Lincolnshire I have been a few times in the distant past. I remember one or two mementos of Elizabeth the First - a jewelled Prayer Book and a beautiful sparrow if my memory serves me right.
ReplyDeleteIs it still owned by the Manners family?
...but, happy to know that the servants could read. Something was right.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment on my blog, I appreciated your comment and your visit! I am certain there must have been some lovely maids in that kitchen:)
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