MATTRESSES, BOLSTERS AND BEDLINEN
– at a Manor House in 1758

Behind and under the often luxurious bed-curtains and quilted silk bedcovers, the finest linen sheets as well as the simpler more practical everyday mattresses, bolsters and pillows were mainly kept out of sight. These bedclothes of the Swedish nobility may almost be regarded as ordinary and even if differences existed, designs and colours were quite similar compared to the town burghers’ and better-off farmers’. Warmth, usefulness and overall a good comfort were the most important qualities for down stuffed woollen or linen bolsters, whilst in particular various cotton fabrics and linen from Holland demonstrated the family's position in society. In this context, a handwritten household Inventory which listed a multitude of textiles for the bedrooms, form a glimpse into everyday life in one of the wealthy Piper family’s manor houses.

The province of Skåne in southernmost Sweden, dating from a decade prior to the 1758 Inventory. In the right-hand corner of this map, ‘Andrarum’ is clearly visible. A place-name which referred to Andrarum manor house [and alum works/village], later re-named Christinehof manor house after the death of Christina Piper (1673-1752), like a token of gratitude for her foundation of the Piper Family estate in tail. (Map from: Linnaeus, Carl…1749).

The historical household document listed 36 beds in total, but only 19 mattresses, so maybe some beds were not in use or various large bolsters served this purpose or if some servants slept on simple straw. These mattress qualities were named as ‘Parcum' (4), ‘linen’ (6), ‘woollen’ (3), ‘cotton’ (2) or ‘mattress’ (4) only. However, in some cases various stripes were mentioned, like for instance ‘blue and white’, ‘green and white’ or ‘yellow stripes’. Most bolsters were described as ‘linen long bolster’ (18) and a smaller number as ‘bolster’ (3) or ‘linen bolster’ (2). Marking of these textiles seem to have been rare, due to that as little as two examples included the embroidered letters ‘G u S’ respective ‘B. C.’ – unknown to who that referred.

Another group of bedclothes was the ‘small bolster’, more in the shape of large pillows. These were made of ‘Parcum’ (2) or ‘linen’ (6) or mentioned as a ‘small bolster’ (6) only, whilst the predominating textiles were pillows and pillowcases in a total of circa 70 examples according to the Inventory in 1758. Divided into:

• 18 ‘Parcum pillowcases’.
• 19 ‘woollen pillowcases’.
• 7 ‘linen pillowcases’.
• 10 without any material or shape mentioned.
• 9 ‘head pillows’.
• 8 ‘linen pillows.

From this somewhat later French Encyclopaedia, detailed drawings of ‘Four-poster bed, Duchess bed and Roman-style bed’ (Plate VI) may be compared to beds listed in the Inventory from Christinehof manor house. Even if not on display here, behind the silk curtains of such imposing beds, the often simple striped cushions and bolsters were important for warmth and comfort alike. (From: ‘Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences – Les Arts et Métiers, Tapissier’, Plates vol. 9, Paris 1771).

All the ‘pillowcases’ listed in the bedrooms of Chistinehof manor house, appear to have included a pillow and some beds were fitted with more than one such textile. In the Countess’ Bedchamber on the first floor for instance, ‘6 red striped Parcum pillowcases from Helsingland’ and ‘1 ditto small bolster’. The geographical name referred to the linen manufacturer Flor in Helsingland province and the Parcum quality was a typical manufacture woven linen, or sometimes with cotton warp and linen weft. These fabrics were designed with stripes, just as the ones registered at Christinehof, which after the weaving was napped on one side to become softer and more comfortable for bedclothes. Fabric of this sort could not only be bought in Stockholm at Flor’s linen shop or directly via the manufacturer in Helsingland, but also more locally. This may be exemplified from one require of payment (as part of a collection of letters) from September in 1755, preserved in the Piper Family archive. In this document, fabrics were listed as ‘Parcum’ and ‘cotton’ amongst other everyday goods, purchased from the shopkeeper Anders Fischerström in Kristianstad, located about 30 kilometres from the manor house.

Samples of fabric from the manufacturer Elias Brandell (probably Stockholm) in 1751. The two blue and white striped fabrics can be compared to the quality Parcum as listed in the Inventory of 1758 – a coarse fabric of linen or cotton/linen. Notice that the one at the bottom had been napped with teasels to be softer. (Collection: The National Archive (Riksarkivet)… ‘Kommerskollegium årsberättelser 1751’). Photo: Viveka Hansen, The IK Foundation.

The manor house storage of linen was kept in ‘the large cloth cupboard in the Chamber opposite the Footmen’s Chamber’ on the ground floor – which included sheets and pillowcases, together with table linen (to be looked at more closely in the next essay of this series). All bedlinen were listed in groups, usually two sheets and two pillowcases together as a set. Furthermore, the qualities were divided into the finest ‘Holland linen’, ‘linen’ only and the coarser ‘linen tow’. The Holland linen was probably primarily used by the count, countess and prominent guests, totalling 10 sheets and 20 pillowcases. These were imported linen, desired for its superior quality by the nobility and others who could afford such luxury. Even if the Holland linen was a large-scale production, woven in a manufacture environment, the weaving width was still narrow in mid-18th century. Evidenced from the Inventory among other sources, the sheets were noted to be ‘2’, ‘2 1/2’ and even ‘3’ widths, which had been measured and cut in proper lengths for a bed and stitched together with fine seams to form one large sheet. In one case the listing also revealed the town where such linen was sold: ‘2 fine Holland linen sheets, purchased in Ystad in 3 widths and two pairs of pillowcases marked C 57’. The port town Ystad is located on the southernmost coast of Sweden, at a convenient distant of 35 kilometres by horse-drawn carriage from Christinehof manor house.

However, the ordinary ‘linen’ was most frequent in the linen cupboard with a total of 38 sheets and 37 pillowcases. Bedclothes which had been purchased or transported from one of the other family manor houses in 1754, 1757 and 1758 – marked as ‘C 54’, ‘C 57’ and ‘C 58’. Weavers for such linen may have been the earlier mentioned linen manufacturer Flor in Helsingland, repeatedly listed throughout the written document for all sorts of linen, or by some of the long-established weavers in Malmö about 100 kilometres from Christinehof manor house. The professional Malmö weavers formed a local guild who had the privilege to sell their fine linen over quite an extensive geographical area, in particular to town burghers and the wealthy nobility in the province of Skåne. Some of the active weavers in the 1750s were named Pål Flesinski, Jakob Gällberg, Lorens Nyman and Magnus Lindquist.

‘Lady Getting out of Bed’ painted almost twenty years later (1776), gives an unusually detailed picture of bedclothes. A blue and white chequered linen mattress, linen sheets and pillows and a yellow cover [probably silk] edged with blue shiny silk ribbons. Overall this gouache on paper by Niclas Lafrensen (1737-1807), demonstrates a wide range of interesting comparisons of daily life within wealthy Swedish homes during the second half of the 18th century, even if the painting most probably depicted a Parisian upper-class home, while the Swedish artist Lafrensen lived here in the years 1774 to 1791. It may be observed however, that the Swedish taste was strongly inspired by French fashions in clothing, interiors, luxury consumption, language etc – due to a long-lived exchange of people who went to France for reasons like years of education, Grand Tours, work purposes or pleasure. Many wealthy individuals, like young men of the Piper Family stayed for several years in the country. Goods, influences and new-learned knowledge were transported or sent back home in form of physical objects and news travelled via correspondence to friends and relatives. (Courtesy of: National Museum, Stockholm, Sweden, NMB1405, Wikimedia Commons).

The linen tow quality was a third and coarser type of cloth used for sheets (29) in this household Inventory, but no pillowcases were listed of this sort. These textiles were probably used by servants too, but such sheets were in no way looked down at, as marked with ‘C’ and a year and an additional note gives further information – ‘6 linen tow sheets marked with C and 59, in 1766 one was lost’. The great care taken by the housekeeper to always check and count the linen, make evidence for the value of the tow sheets. An even simpler quality – most probably of worn-out linen – was finally noted as ‘Four 3/1 twill sheets marked with C.S. 57. for the stable’. That is to say for the use of the farm-hands and stable-boys who had their living quarters in the stables, situated quite close to the manor house.

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This is the eleventh essay based on an Inventory dated 1758 at Christinehof manor house. Quotes from the original documents are translated from Swedish to English. Notice that none of the listed objects – mattresses, bolsters or bedlinen – are kept at Christinehof today. Objects may have been moved over the many years to some of the Piper Family’s other properties, but it is unknown to where and even if some of these particular textiles still are preserved up to present-day.

Sources:

• Christinehof manor house, Sweden (research visits, from the late 1980s to 2016).  
• Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences – Les Arts et Métiers, Tapissier, Paris 1771.
• Fischer, Ernst, Linvävareämbetet i Malmö och det skånska linneväveriet, Malmö 1959.
• Hansen, Viveka, Inventariüm uppå meübler och allehanda hüüsgeråd vid Christinehofs Herregård upprättade åhr 1758, Piperska Handlingar No. 2, London & Whitby 2004 (pp. 29-30 & 38-62).
• Hansen, Viveka, Katalog över Högestads & Christinehofs Fideikommiss, Historiska Arkiv, Piperska Handlingar No. 3, London & Christinehof 2016.  
• Historical Archive of Högestad and Christinehof, (Piper Family Archive. Inventory 1758: no D/Ia & Main Archive. Collection of letters: E/1 6).
• Linnaeus, Carl, Skånska resa, på höga öfwerhetens befallning förrättad år 1749, Stockholm 1751 (pp. XIV-1).
• Mannerstråle, Carl-Filip, Nya huset i Andrarum Anno 1741, Piperska Handlingar No. 1, Christinehof 1991.
• The National Archive (Riksarkivet) in Stockholm, Sweden. (The document ‘Kommerskollegium årsberättelser 1751’, including fabric samples. Research visit in 2014).