Affabel Partridge was a London goldsmith who served

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

. He is thought to have marked his work with a hallmark of a bird.

Career

Partridge was an apprentice of Richard Crompton. He worked at the sign of the Black Bull in Cheapside. On 25 July 1554 ( her wedding day),

Mary I of England Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, and as "Bloody Mary" by her Protestant opponents, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain from January 1556 until her death in 1558. Sh ...

ordered some of the jewels in the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...

to be delivered to her goldsmith "Affabel Partriche". With

Robert Brandon Robert Brandon (died 30 May 1591) was an English goldsmith and jeweller to Queen Elizabeth I of England.Masters, p. xxxii–xxxviii A prominent member of the Goldsmiths' Company, Brandon was elected Chamberlain or treasurer of the City of London i ...

, he became a goldsmith to Elizabeth I on her accession. They were joined by Hugh Keall in 1577. Brandon and Partridge supplied hundreds of pieces of plate which Elizabeth distributed as New Year's Day gifts, and as gifts on other occasions. They also repaired tableware. In September 1560 Partridge and Brandon received 4000 ounces of silver plate scrapped from the

Jewel House The Jewel House is a vault housing the British Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, Crown Jewels in the Waterloo Block (formerly a barracks) at the Tower of London. It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994 and refurbished in 2012. Regalia ...

as unfit to serve at the queen's table, to be melted down and made into new objects. Partridge established himself on

Cheapside Cheapside is a street in the City of London, the historic and modern financial centre of London, which forms part of the A40 London to Fishguard road. It links St. Martin's Le Grand with Poultry. Near its eastern end at Bank junction, where ...

at the "Sign of the Black Bull". On 25 July 1560, Partridge was employed to repair and reset old jewels from the

into a "better fashion" for Queen Elizabeth to wear from time to time, meet and suitable for her occasional use. The pieces for refashioning were "fifty tablets of sundry fashion tied upon a string whereof diverse have

pomander A pomander, from French ''pomme d'ambre'', i.e., apple of amber, is a ball made for perfumes, such as ambergris (hence the name), musk, or civet. The pomander was worn or carried in a vase, also known by the same name, as a protection against inf ...

s within them", and broken nether and upper habiliments (the jewelled bands which were worn at the forehead of a

French hood The French hood is a type of woman's headgear that was popular in Western Europe in the 16th century. The French hood is characterized by a rounded shape, contrasted with the angular "English" or gable hood. It is worn over a coif, and has a bl ...

), with

aglet An aglet ( ) or aiglet is a small sheath, often made of plastic or metal, attached at each end of a shoelace, a cord, or a drawstring. An aglet keeps the fibers of the lace or cord from unraveling; its firmness and narrow profile make it easier ...

s and their laces and pins. Partridge was to pay attention to the enamelling. The aged

Marquess of Winchester Marquess of Winchester is a title in the Peerage of England that was created in 1551 for the prominent statesman William Paulet, 1st Earl of Wiltshire. It is the oldest of six surviving English marquessates; therefore its holder is considered ...

was ordered to deliver the jewels to the goldsmith. Partridge and Brandon were permitted to collect base money for refining at the royal mint in October 1560. Partridge sued Edward Baeshe of

West Coker West Coker is a large village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated south west of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. History The name Coker comes from Coker Water ("crooked stream" from the Celtic ''Kukro''). Artifacts from early ...

for the value of a garter set with rubies and pearls in 1565. Baeshe had paid for a gold flower set with diamonds and pearls. "Aphabelle Partridge" subscribed to a general lottery in 1568, and wrote this verse: :If hawk do soar and partridge springs, :Then shall we see what luck he brings, :But if he soar and partridge flit, :Then hawk shall lose and partridge hit. In 1576 Partridge supplied three gilt salts with "a cover of the French making". "Affabell Partrydge" signed the vestry minutes of

Stepney Stepney is a district in the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The district is no longer officially defined, and is usually used to refer to a relatively small area. However, for much of its history the place name appl ...

parish twice in 1583 and probably died in that year. Partridge lent money to a goldbeater Robert Mabbe, a son of the goldsmith John Mabbe, taking as security a share of the Tabard Inn, Southwark. Partridge and Brandon were succeeded as royal goldsmiths by Richard Martin and

Hugh Kayle Hugh Kayle or Keale or Keall (died by 1598) was a London goldsmith who served Elizabeth I. He was a son of John Keale, also a goldsmith. Hugh Kayle was a churchwarden of St Mary Woolnoth in 1574 and 1575. Kayle marked silverware supplied to the ...

Family

He is said to have married (1) Anne Fildus, (2) Margery Gilbard. His third wife was Denise or Dionise, the widow of John Owtred who held land in

Havering The London Borough of Havering () in East London, England, forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 259,552 inhabitants; the principal town is Romford, while other communities are Hornchurch, Upminster, Collier Row and Rainham, London ...

. His children included: * Thomas Partridge * Ellen Partridge, who married Thomas Berthellet, perhaps the Thomas Bartlett who Partridge owed money to in 1578. * Mary Partridge, daughter of Margery, who married Thomas Wadnall, their daughter Jane (died 1616) married Robert Mabbe * Dionyssus Partridge, who married the goldsmith Stephen Mabbe, a son of the goldsmith John Mabbe who served

. * Stephen Partridge, a goldsmith, who christened his daughter "Dennis" in March 1590 at

St Peter upon Cornhill St Peter upon Cornhill is an Anglican church on the corner of Cornhill and Gracechurch Street in the City of London of medieval, or possibly Roman origin. It was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and rebuilt to the designs of Sir ...

.''A Register of Saint Peeters Cornhill'' (London, 1877), p. 34.

External links

Reliquary or salt cellar with the hallmark of Affabel Partridge, 1551, V&A

Cup with the hallmark of Affabel Partridge, 1568/9, V&A

Salt with the hallmark of Affabel Partridge, 1572/3, RCT

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Partridge, Affabel English goldsmiths 16th-century English people Material culture of royal courts