kit-job-titls-msg - 9/9/09
Medieval kitchen job titles.
NOTE: See also the files: ME-feasts-msg, Med-Kitchens-lnks, p-cooks-msg, p-feasts-msg, table-manners-msg, Kentwell-Hall-art, French-Tbl-Srv-art, 14thC-Kitchen-art.
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Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2005 13:00:40 -0700
From: lilinah at earthlink.net
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Med/Ren Kitchen Job Titles?
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
I'm curious - what were the names of those who had specialty jobs in
the kitchen, or prepared certain types of food.
Examples would be boulanger/bread baker and patissier/pastry baker
and confissier/sugary sweets maker (i don't really know if that's an
SCA-period job)...
I'm not stuck with French, it's just the language i know best after
English.
--
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2005 18:02:20 -0500
From: "margaret" <m.p.decker at att.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Med/Ren Kitchen Job Titles?
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
A baker is not usually part of the kitchen staff. Where an establishment
had a baker, they normally had a bakery separate from the kitchen. If the
manor didn't have a bakery, it commonly purchased from the nearest baker.
Because of the guild structure and the legal restrictions on bakers, when
they worked for private employers, bakers were contract professionals not
subject to the control of the cook.
The various specialties you note here are a very late development beginning
in the late 16th or early 17th Centuries. Codification of these specialties
in France is, I believe, post-period and Napoleonic in origin. In fact, I
think you will find most kitchen specialties are derived from the division
of labor in a modern commercial kitchen.
Bear
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2005 19:40:24 -0400
From: Elaine Koogler <ekoogler1 at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Med/Ren Kitchen Job Titles?
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
> A baker is not usually part of the kitchen staff. Where an
> establishment had a baker, they normally had a bakery separate from
> the kitchen. If the manor didn't have a bakery, it commonly purchased
> from the nearest baker. Because of the guild structure and the legal
> restrictions on bakers, when they worked for private employers, bakers
> were contract professionals not subject to the control of the cook.
>
> The various specialties you note here are a very late development
> beginning in the late 16th or early 17th Centuries. Codification of
> these specialties in France is, I believe, post-period and Napoleonic
> in origin. In fact, I think you will find most kitchen specialties are
> derived from the division of labor in a modern commercial kitchen.
>
> Bear
I dug this up some time back when working on an article about Medieval
kitchens. IIRC, the description is based on 14th - 15th century sources.
The source for the quotation is: Hammond, P.W. /Food and Feast in
Medieval //England//./ Phoenix Mill, Thrupp, Stroud, Gloucestershire,
UK: Alan Sutton Publishing Limited, 1993.
*_ _*pp. 122-123: Organization of kitchen: King's household consisted of
between 400 & 700 people. Household divided into "offices".
Pantry—bread
(purchase, serving, etc.—later responsible for table linens and some
utensils and serving equipment). Pantry also included waferer and
laundreses. Butlery or buttery supplied ale and delivered wine to the
table. Kitchen bought, prepared and delivered the food.
Larder—responsible for meat and fish. Poultry provided poultry, while
the scullery provided pots, pans and other cooking vessles, along with
the coal and wood needed for cooking. The 'saucery' made sauces and
worked closely with the 'pastry'. The 'spicery' received spices from the
"great wardrobe' and distributed them. These departments also had
sub-departments, such as the scaldinghouse, under control of the
poultry.
As I understand it, there was a person in charge of each of these
functions, taking on the name of their area...so the Pantler was in
charge of the pantry, etc. This was also verified by Terence and Eleanor
Scully's "Early French Cookery". I don't have the exact quotation in
front of me, but remember it verifying what I found in the Hammond book.
So while some of these other terms may not have been used in period,
others were.
Kiri
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2005 23:21:04 -0400
From: Johnna Holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Med/Ren Kitchen Job Titles? long
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
MK Cooks had a discussion on this topic last winter--
Knew I had posted it someplace-- just had to find it.
This applies to at least the English aspects.
Johnnae llyn Lewis
January 12, 2005
Brears goes into the functions in All the King's Cooks and somewhat again in
the reprinted edition of The Boke of Keruynge. [the Book of Carving.]
which Faerisa mentioned.
So one has the kitchen, buttery, cellar, poultry, scullery, woodyard,
pastry, saucery, clerk of the spicery, chandlery, confectionary, ewery, wafery,
and laundry.
It occurs to me that the best place to look would be in Randle Holme's The
Academy of Armoury
or, A storehouse of armory and blazon containing the several variety of
created beings, and how born in coats of arms, both foreign and
domestick : with the instruments used in all trades and sciences,
together with their their terms of art : also the etymologies,
definitions, and historical observations on the same, explicated and
explained according to our modern language : very usefel [sic] for all
gentlemen, scholars, divines, and all such as desire any knowledge in
arts and sciences / by Randle Holme ... of 1688
which lists things like professions as well as that delightful list
of what comprises a proper Jacobean banquet.
Doing a search on butler and cook pulls up entries like this on Full
text EEBO.
So Holme lists: for instance at the Coronation of Richard III the
following people were present at the feast:
The Crowning of King Richard the third, Anno 1483.
The Order of the Feast was thus in short, at the head of the Table the
King is Seated by Himself at the lower, end of the same Table, are
placed the Embassadors of diverse Princes. Before the King stood the
Carver, Sewer, Cup-bearer, with a great number of Gentlemen-waiters,
Attending his Person; the Ushers making place to strangers that come to
behold his Person.
At the side Table on the right hand near adjoyning to the King, are
placed the Lord Chancellor, Chamberlain, Keeper of the Great Seal,
Steward, Treasurer; being the five Great Peers of the Kingdom, with
diverse other Ho|norable Persons.
At the side Table on the left hand, are placed the Lord Mayor and
Aldermen, the Treasurer of the Houshold, Secretaries of State, Serjeant
at Law, Master of the Re|vels, Kings at Arms, and the Dean of the
Chappel.
At another Table at the other side are set the new made Knights of the
Bath and others, the Master of the Game, chief Ranger, Masters of the
Houshold, Clarks of the Green Cloath, and Exchequer: with strangers to
furnish it.
At another Table over against it, are placed the Knights and Gentlemen
of the Kings House, Lieutenant of the Tower, with diverse Captains and
Commanders, both of Foot and Horse.
At a Table at the lower end of the Hall, are set the Butler, the
Panther, Clarks of the Kitchin, and diverse o|thers of the Kings House,
furnished throughout with the Kings Guard, and at every course or mess,
the Trumpets with other Musick, are to sound.
But to lay a side the formality of the Kings and Queens passage from the
Pallace to the Abby (being a part of Marshalling, or Triumphal
Progressions) is more proper for another place, the which I shall have
occasion hear|after to treat off, in lib. 4. chap. 11.
-------------------
For another feast , Holme listed it this way:
The Officers of the said Feast
á The Earl of Warwick Steward.
á The Earl of Bedford Treasurer.
á The Lord Hastings Controller.
á The Lord Willoughby Carver.
Sir Iohn Buckingham Cup-Bearer.
Sir Richard Strangways Sewer.
Sir Walter Morley Chief Marshal of the Hall, with eight other Knights
Marshals, besides Esquires and Grooms.
á Sir Iohn Malvery Panter.
á Serjeant of the Kings Ewry, the Ewer.
á Iohn Graystock and Iohn Nevill, Keepers of the Cubbord.
á Iohn Braynock Surveyor through the Hall.
--------------------
The common Servants to each Hall or Colledge in the University are
these; the Porter, Scrape Trencher, Cook and his under Servants, Butler,
Gardener, Brew|er, Baker, Sweepers of the Hall, Bed-makers and
Chamberlains, &c.
-----------------
Officers of State and Domestical belong|ing to the Earl of Chester, with
their Fees.
his officers include:
Houshold Servants, as Controller; Steward of the House; Chamberlain;
Vice Chamberlain, or Sub Chamberlain; Keeper of the Wardrobe; Gentlemen
of his Chamber; Master of his Horse; Groom of the Stable; Pages;
Captain of his Guard; Almoner, or giver to the Poor; Chaplain 2 0 0;
Master of the Hospital 4 11 0; Pentions in Alms of the said Earldom of
old 61 6 0; Porter. Janitor. Door Keeper 6 1 8; Cook and Scullions;
Caterer. Purveyer; Butler. Brewer. Baker. Milner. Huntsman.
Fisher.Falconer. Fowler. Gardiner 4 11 3;Artificers several ; Carpenter
9 12 6; Mason 8 12 6; Plummer;Surveyor of the Works 6 1 8.
------------------
Officers in a Monastery.
The Abbot.
* The Prior, three in Number.
* The Dean.
* The Priest or Deacon.
* The Steward.
* The Confessor.
* The Overseer of the Church.
* The Sexton to keep the Church clean.
* The Library Keeper.
* The Reader chosen Weekly to Read all the time of the Refection.
* The Provost, or Praepositus.
* The Porter.
* The Admonitor.
* The Sacrist or Keeper of the Vestments, or Sub|prior.
* The Visiter of the Sick; or Overseer of the Sick.
* The Almoner, or giver of Alms.
* The Butler, Sellar keeper, or under Butler, or Drawer.
* The Cooks in number three, Overseers of the Kitchin.
* The Refector, or Usher of the Dining Room.
* The Controller.
* The Monks or Friers to such a Number.
* The Brewer.
* The Baker.
* The Miller.
* The Keeper of the Wardrobe.
* The Instructor, or Mr. of the Novices.
* The Skullion of the Kitchin to make Fires, and wash Dishes, three
in number.
* The Oversee (gap: 1 letter) of the Works.
* The Chamberlain to see the Chambers kept clean.
* The Careter, o (gap: 1 letter) Purveyer: that buyeth and provides
Meat.
* The Novices or Schollars, such as lately come into the Abby.
* The Coajutor, or fellow helpor either in Spiritual, or Temporal
things.
I especially like his
Observations of Husbandmen.
The way to Thrive, is to get a good Housewifely and careful Wife.
Careful Husbands are at Labour when others Sleep, and spend according to
their getting and income.
It is a Blessing to have a good Land-lord, for under a bad, a Man shall
never thrive.
In Bargains of Buying and Selling be careful and wise.
Unthriftiness, Slothfulness, Carelesness and Rashness in Business, are 4
Beggars that must be Lasht from the Door.
The Officers of a good Husbands House, is Mo|ney the Drudge, Work the
Servant, Wisdom the Controller, good Order the Clark, Provision the
Ca|terer, Skill the Cook, and Steward of all is Pen, Ink and a Book,
Hunger the Physician, Thirst the Butler, the Masters Eye the Usher, and
Bolt and Lock the Porter, Husbandry the Bayliff to provide a|broad, and
Housewifery the Master and Mistress to guide all daily at Home.
So here we have it--- men will not profit without a good and careful
wife.
Johnnae llyn Lewis
Later then in February I posted this link---
We were discussing the set-up of the household servants
earlier in the winter of 04-05.
Came across this document online in February 2005--
The Royal Household and Wardrobe Before 1660 Domestic Records
Information 26 contains
a handy chart for the royal household.
http://www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=91
Johnnae llyn Lewis
Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2005 23:42:29 -0400
From: "The Sheltons" <sheltons at sysmatrix.net>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Duke of Savoy's Kitchen Job Titles
To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
A 1428 inventory from the Duke of Savoy's accounts lists the following staff
who were to receive a new set of livery:
Henri de la Fleschiere - Maestre de la cuisine [household steward in charge
of all kitchen finances]
Gillet de Rumillie & Collet- Cuisiniers [cooks for the Duchesses' household]
Mestre Chiquart Amiczo - Cuisinier, Maistre queux de bouche [personal cook
to the Duke and his family/guests]
Mestre Pierre Sailler - Cuisinier [cook for the rest of the Ducal household]
Jehan Manget - Rotisseur [rotisserer]
Jehan Roulet - Lardonnier [larder]
Guichard - Pollalier [poulterer]
Antoine & Gillet - Forniers [bread bakers]
Michelet - Carronnier [butcher]
11 Solliars [scullions]
There were also 2 "Masters of the Hall" who supervised the serving of dishes
on the dining table, 3 pantlers, 2 butlers, 2 wine stewards, and 2
spicers/apothocaries.
This info came from Scully's translation of "Du fait de cuisine."
John le Burguillun
Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2005 09:21:01 -0500
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Med/Ren Kitchen Job Titles?
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
The Royal Household represents a very special case in size and organization.
Most households ran between 40 and 200 people and included only those people
who travelled with the lord or lady (couples often maintained two households
which joined to be a single household when they were together. Permanent
staff at a manor were not part of the household unless the lord or lady was
in residence.
Cooks and bakers and their apprentices were contracted retainers, but much
of their help would be manor staff or hired labor. Pantlers and butlers
were more likely to be lesser nobles in the service of the lord or lady.
All of these offices were responsible to a clerk (the Wardrobe) who
accounted for their expenditures. Specialties such as sauces, pastries and
wafers were more likely to be handled by the cooks and bakers or a local
specialist might be hired on a job rate (as Menagier's carver).
A good source is Woolgar, The Great Households in England in the High Middle
Ages (IIRC). I'm may be remembering the title incorrectly.
Bear
> I dug this up some time back when working on an article about Medieval
> kitchens. IIRC, the description is based on 14th - 15th century
> sources.
> The source for the quotation is: Hammond, P.W. /Food and Feast in
> Medieval
> //England//./ Phoenix Mill, Thrupp, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: Alan
> Sutton Publishing Limited, 1993.
>
> *_ _*pp. 122-123: Organization of kitchen: King's household consisted of
> between 400 & 700 people. Household divided into "offices". <snip>
>
> Kiri
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:14:50 -0500
From: "Kingstaste" <kingstaste at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] A question sure to cause controversy
To: "'Cooks within the SCA'" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
<<< Do people prefer Chef de Cuisine (or some version thereof) or is
Feast-o-crat okay?
Shoshanna >>>
I am a holdout, I like Feastcrat (with no added 'o' - never liked that
much). There are lots of other options used these days though.
I refer you to a few below:
Archimagirus, [Greek/Latin] a chief cook, Juv. 9, 109
Cocinero, ( Ruperto de Nola, Libro de Guisados, 1529) the cook, who prepares
the food (presumably with the aid of underlings).
Cook - in charge of food preservation, preparation, and supervision of
kitchen staff. (C?caire - Gaelic) (Coquus - m, Coqua - f, Latin) (Kokke -
Norwegian) (Cuoco - m, Cuoca -f, cuciniere - Italian)
Coke - 1362 - an archaic form of cook.
Cuisinier, (Fr., Chiquart - events described occurred ~1405, written ~1425)
Responsible for the hiring and paying of the staff, the procurement of the
food as well as the kitchen equipment, the coordination of visiting cooks,
the obtainment of the linen, the menu, the wine, the firewood, the spices,
the candles for the hall and everything else as well as overseeing the
actual production of meals.
Koch(St?ndebuch, German, 1568) ?The cook prepares excellent rice,
vegetables, fowl, fish, and pickled food for the gentry; for farmers and
workers he makes millet, barley, lentils, peas and beans, sausages, soups,
turnips and cabbage.?
Viander, from "The Forme of Cury", which was compiled in 1383 by 'the chief
master cooks of King Richard the Second... the which was accounted the best
and royallest viander of all christen Kings'
Christianna
Old School Feastcrat ;)
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:22:49 -0500
From: "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius" <adamantius1 at verizon.net>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Viander, was Re: A question sure to cause
controversy
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
On Feb 19, 2009, at 11:14 AM, Kingstaste wrote:
<<< Viander, from "The Forme of Cury", which was compiled in 1383 by 'the chief master cooks of King Richard the Second... the which was accounted the best and royallest viander of all christen Kings' >>>
Isn't that a reference to the cookbook, and not the cooks? As in, Le
Viandier de Taillevent? And "the which was accounted the best and
royallest viander of..." being in the singular and all...
Adamantius, Unrehabilitated Serial Kitchener
<the end>