The Sheldon Tapestry Maps, c.1590s
- thedudleywomen
- Apr 12, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 7
From 1574, cartographer Christopher Saxton (born c.1540, in Dewsbury, Yorkshire), began a survey of England, commissioned and funded by Thomas Seckford, a landowner, lawyer and member of Elizabeth I's court, supported by William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, Lord High Treasurer. Over the course of three years, and using his skills which he likely developed back in Dewsbury, when employed by the town's vicar, who was also involved in surveying and map-making, Saxton produced twenty-two maps; these hand-drawn and coloured maps depicted notable buildings (including palaces, castles and cathedrals), settlements (cities, towns and villages), bodies of water and forests (Gardham, 2002). Following completion of the counties of England, Saxton then repeated his survey in Wales in 1577, producing a further seven maps of the thirteen Welsh counties. A total of thirty-five county maps were compiled, which were printed separately until the full survey was completed. After being issued with a licence granting him exclusive publication rights, the maps were published in 1579 as the 'Atlas of England and Wales', this being the first comprehensive atlas of the two countries, which remained the benchmark for surveyors and cartographers over the next century (Gardham, 2002).
Listed in an inventory of Leicester House, one of the magnificent Tudor mansions that lined The Strand, within the City of Westminster, taken in July 1580, it was recorded that the house's owner, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, was in possession of "a mappe of the counties of Oxon, Bucks...and Barks, in clothe" (Owen, 1980, p.204). From the description given, it is highly likely that this was a copy of Saxton's 1574 map of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire (see image). This particular map was later used as a reference guide in the manufacturing of the 'Sheldon Oxfordshire Tapestry Map' (University of Oxford Podcasts [1], 2024). John Dee, the famed Elizabethan mathematician, astrologer, necromancer and 'magician', had been one of the scholars who provided Robert Dudley and his brothers, including older brother Ambrose, a well-rounded humanist education. Despite being taught multiple languages (Latin, French, Italian) and classical literature, Dudley clearly expressed a preference for mathematics, influenced and inspired by Dee; it was through his interest for mathematics that he went on to develop similar interests in engineering, navigation and cartopraghy (French, 1972; Paul, 2022). These interests are clearly demonstrated in Dudley's 1580 inventory, as a collection of 'cardes or mappes' are noted, including "a mappe of the northe parte of Englande in vellum", as well as "a globe of all the world standing in a frame" (Owen, 1980, p.204).
In the late 1580s, Ralph Sheldon (1537-1580), a wealthy landowner living in Warwickshire and Member of Parliament, commissioned a set of tapestries to decorate his newly-built 'Weston House', located near Long Compton, a village in Southern Warwickshire, close to the border of Oxfordshire (Our Warwickshire, 2024). The Sheldons had long been associated with the Dudley family: Ralph's father William Sheldon had remarried Margaret Whorwood, daughter of Sir William Whorwood, Henry VIII's Attorney General, after the death of his first wife. Following her own father's death in 1545, Margaret's and her half-sister Anne's wardships had been granted to Robert Dudley's father, John Dudley, with brother Ambrose marrying Anne in 1549 (Barnard, 1936; Paul, 2022).
Prior to this commission, there had already been an interest in tapestry making within the Sheldon family; in the 1560s, Ralph's father William set up his own tapestry business and workshop at his home at nearby Barcheston, Warwickshire, utilising the skill of Flemish weavers, brought to England at his own expense. The business continued after the elder Sheldon's death, as in his will written in January 1570, Flemish tapestry maker Richard Hyckes was granted the ongoing use of the workshop. Hyckes had a long history with the Sheldon family, having travelled with the young Ralph on the continent around 1555, appearing to introduce him to Flemish and Dutch weavers (Barnard, 1936; Our Warwickshire, 2024). Parish records from Barcheston show that Hyckes appears to have moved to the area around 1567, confirmed the baptism of his three youngest children - Alse, William and Edward. By the end of 1570, Hyckes was employed by the Royal Household, holding responsibility for the maintenance of the tapestries, predominantly in London, and having a large workshop based down there. However, there are further baptism and burial records for Hyckes' children in Barcheston up until 1571, confirming his ongoing residence in the area (Find My Past, 2024).
Four large tapestries were created, each one individually depicting the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, as well parts of the surrounding counties. Each tapestry was produced from wool and silk, and was approximately 20ft wide by 13ft high; the large proportions were commissioned as the tapestries were initially designed to be hung from an 80ft wide wall at Weston House, depicting one large map, as the borders were added at a later date, in the 17th century. Whilst scholars have not been able to verify the location or the workshops who manufactured these tapestries, Richard Hyckes' involvement cannot be disputed, as his name is woven into the hangings ('Ric Hyckes'). Given his experience in tapestry-making by the 1590s, and his previous contact with the family, it is felt that Hyckes likely supervised the project, which, given the size of the project, would have taken approximately one year per tapestry to complete (Out Warwickshire, 2024; University of Oxford Podcast [2], 2024).
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