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Servais de Condé or Condez (employed 1561–1574) was a French servant at the court of
Mary Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...
, in charge of her wardrobe and the costume for
masque The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment that flourished in 16th- and early 17th-century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio (a public version of the masque was the pageant). A mas ...
s performed at the Scottish royal court.


Varlet of the Wardrobe

He was usually referred to as Servais or Servie in Scottish records. Although he is sometimes described as Mary's chamberlain, records call him a varlet, "virlote in her grace chalmer". He was also paid for his role as a "varlet of the wardrobe", and managed the queen's stock of rich silks and fabrics used for costume and
interior decoration Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. With a keen eye for detail and a creative flair, an interior d ...
. The other varlets were Toussaint Courcelles and John Balfour. Angell Marie was a varlet of wardrobe in 1565. Soon after Mary's arrival in Scotland, in September 1561, Servais de Condé worked in Holyrood Palace lining a cabinet room for the queen with 26 ells of a fabric called "Paris Green". The Italian cloth merchant and financier Timothy Cagnioli advanced £500 Scots for the project. The English diplomat Thomas Randolph mentions this cabinet as a space to which he was not admitted, where the queen withdrew to write letters and to weep. Randolph instead met the queen and her council in her bed chamber. Servais made furnishings for the bedchamber, including black cushions, a black tablecloth, and a suite of seat furniture in black velvet in November 1562. According to Randolph and Bedford's description of the murder of David Riccio, the cabinet was 12 feet square, furnished with a reposing bed and a table seating three. In September and November 1561 Servais made inventories of Mary's wardrobe and the goods of
Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from 1538 until 1542, as the second wife of King James V. She was a French people, French noblewoman of the ...
with her lady-in-waiting Mademoiselle Rallay. These inventories were later annotated by Mr John Wood, the secretary of
Regent Moray James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (c. 1531 – 23 January 1570) was a member of the House of Stewart as the illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland. At times a supporter of his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, he was the regent of Scot ...
. Servais made an inventory of the altar cloths and vestments from the Chapel Royal at
Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits atop an Intrusive rock, intrusive Crag and tail, crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill ge ...
in January 1562, which had been transferred to his keeping at Holyrood along with a parchment Missal and an Antiphonal. Servais was made keeper of Holyroodhouse by privy seal letter on 20 January 1565 during Mary's intended journey to Aberdeen taking responsibility from Giovanni Francisco de Busso, an Italian who was supervisor of royal buildings. Busso had joined the household of
Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from 1538 until 1542, as the second wife of King James V. She was a French people, French noblewoman of the ...
in 1554. In September 1566, Servais sent costume to Stirling as a wedding gift for Nichola or Nicholas Wardlaw, known as Madame Torrie, one of the queen's gentlewomen. The list of materials survives in French and in Scots, the gown was made of 11 French measure ells of "violat velvote" or ''vellours viollet''. Her white satin sleeves and skirt front, the ''grand manches'' and ''davant'', were decorated with narrow gold braids, ''petite natte d'or''. Servais was involved in the decoration of
Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits atop an Intrusive rock, intrusive Crag and tail, crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill ge ...
for the baptism of Prince James. He kept a memoir written in French of silk textiles and other fabrics used by Mary or given as gifts, which runs from 1 September 1561 to May 1567. It includes details of colour and fabric. He supervised the dismantling and refashioning of beds confiscated from
Huntly Castle Huntly Castle is a ruined castle north of Huntly, Scotland, Huntly in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where the rivers River Deveron, Deveron and River Bogie, Bogie meet. It was the ancestral home of the chief of Clan Gordon, Earl of Huntly. There hav ...
. Servais wrote a note of the things destroyed in the explosion at the Kirk o'Field, where they had been sent for the use of
Lord Darnley Lord Darnley is a noble title associated with a Scottish Lordship of Parliament, first created in 1356 for the family of Stewart of Darnley and tracing a descent to the Dukedom of Richmond in England. The title's name refers to Darnley in Scot ...
in February 1567. These included a suite of tapestries from Huntly Castle. The servant known as "French Paris" helped Servais at the Kirk o' Field, and the day after Darnley's death came to queen's bedchamber at Holyrood to hang the bed with mourning black and light candles in the "ruelle", a space between the bed and the wall. Servais's note of the furnishings at the Kirk o'Field is frequently quoted by historians to comment on the chain of events leading up to the murder, some arguing that the lodging was furnished in a hurry, or with
George Buchanan George Buchanan (; February 1506 – 28 September 1582) was a Scottish historian and humanist scholar. According to historian Keith Brown, Buchanan was "the most profound intellectual sixteenth-century Scotland produced." His ideology of re ...
inferring the queen's guilt from the substitution of a lesser green bed for a bed with rich black curtains.


A queen deposed

On 10 July 1567 Mary's opponents, the Confederate lords, ordered him to surrender to silverware in his keeping for coining to the Master of Mint John Acheson. This included a silver gilt nef or ship for the queen's table. On 25 July Servais was asked to produce the crown sceptre and sword, the
Honours of Scotland The Honours of Scotland (, ), informally known as the Scottish Crown Jewels, are the regalia that were worn by List of Scottish monarchs, Scottish monarchs at their Coronation_of_the_British_monarch#Scottish_coronations, coronation. Kept in the ...
for the
coronation of James VI James Stewart (1566–1625), son of Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587) and Lord Darnley (1546–1567), was crowned King of Scotland by Adam Bothwell, Bishop of Orkney, in the Holy Rude Kirk at Stirling on 29 July 1567. Abdication of Mary, Queen ...
following Mary's abdication. Subsequently, Servais sent clothes and sewing thread for embroidery to Mary in her prison at
Lochleven Castle Lochleven Castle is a ruined castle on an island in Loch Leven, in the Perth and Kinross local authority area of Scotland. Possibly built around 1300, the castle was the site of military action during the Wars of Scottish Independence (1296–1 ...
. On 3 September 1567 Mary wrote to Robert Melville to ask Servais, her "concierge" to send silk thread and sewing gold and silver, and two pairs of sheets with black thread for embroidery, and needles and a mould (cushion) for net-work called "rasour" or "réseau", from the royal wardrobe, with dried plums and pears. Some of the request was fulfilled by new purchases by
Regent Moray James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (c. 1531 – 23 January 1570) was a member of the House of Stewart as the illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland. At times a supporter of his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, he was the regent of Scot ...
in October. Servais, described in the accounts as "the Quenis grace chalmer child" made clothes, or supervised the making of clothes for Mary, especially linen shirts called "sarks" and also other items made of velvet. A memorandum written in French of further textiles and thread sent to Mary at Lochleven, Carlisle and Bolton is associated with Servais by historians including
Margaret Swain Margaret Helen Swain ( Hart; 13 May 1909 – 27 July 2002) was an English embroidery and textile historian. Trained as a nurse in London, she began a career as a historian after noticing no history about Ayrshire whitework embroidery in books f ...
, but does not feature his name. Servais packed and transported two beds from
Linlithgow Palace The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are located in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, west of Edinburgh. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland in the 15th and 16th ce ...
to James VI at Stirling Castle in November 1567. When English soldiers came to Scotland in 1570,
William Maitland of Lethington William Maitland of Lethington (1525 – 9 June 1573) was a Scottish politician and reformer, and the eldest son of poet Richard Maitland. Life He was educated at the University of St Andrews. William was the renowned "Secretary Lethington ...
and
William Kirkcaldy of Grange Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange (c. 1520 –3 August 1573) was a Scottish politician and soldier who fought for the Scottish Reformation. He ended his career holding Edinburgh castle on behalf of Mary, Queen of Scots and was hanged at the c ...
ordered Servais de Condé to transport the tapestry and furnishings of Holyroodhouse to
Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. There has been a royal castle on the rock since the reign of Malcol ...
for safe keeping. Mary wrote from Sheffield Castle on 18 July 1574 to the
Archbishop of Glasgow The Archbishop of Glasgow is an archiepiscopal title that takes its name after the city of Glasgow in Scotland. The position and title were abolished by the Church of Scotland in 1689; and, in the Catholic Church, the title was restored by Pop ...
, recommending her old and faithful servant Servais de Condé, who was not paid his due from her French estates, and she made an order for his pension to be paid. She wanted Servais to go to Scotland and take inventories of her furniture and discover its current keepers. She would like to maintain his son-her-law in Scotland, meaning probably Benoît Garrouste (see below).


Masque costumes and mummery in Scotland

On 15 November 1569 Servais handed the library of Mary Queen of Scots, cloths used in her chapel, and masque costumes called "dansyne cleiss" and "maskeine cleis" to Moray's agents. At the Scottish court masques with music and dancing were performed in elaborate and unusual costumes at the weddings of leading courtiers, like that of James Stewart, 1st Lord Doune and Margaret Campbell, sister of the
Earl of Argyll Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ''countess'' is used. The titl ...
at
Castle Campbell Castle Campbell is a medieval castle situated above the town of Dollar, Clackmannanshire, in central Scotland. It was the lowland seat of the earls and Duke of Argyll, dukes of Argyll, chiefs of Clan Campbell, from the 15th to the 19th century, ...
on 10 January 1563. The masque involved courtiers and musicians disguised as shepherds in white silk taffeta. The last event of the wedding celebrations for Agnes Keith and the
Earl of Mar There are currently two earldoms of Mar in the Peerage of Scotland, and the title has been created seven times. The first creation of the earldom is currently held by Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar, who is also clan chief of Clan Mar. Th ...
in February 1562 was a supper in Cardinal Beaton's palace at the corner of the Cowgate and Blackfriar's Wynd, and afterwards the young men of the town came in procession, in "convoy" to greet her, some in masque costume in "merschance" or "mumchance", a Scottish form of mummery. They escorted the bride back to Holyroodhouse. Some masque costume for the ladies of the court in red and white taffeta was prepared by the queen's tailor, Jacques de Soulis. The tailor Jehan de Compiegne made costumes from orange "changing" or shot taffeta for a masque in February 1564 at Holyrood, with a smaller costume in the same fabric for a young girl at court. The English ambassador Thomas Randolph said these Shrove Tide banquets were great as those given at a royal wedding. The queen ladies wore white and black at one banquet, and verses were recited as the courses were brought in by gentlemen wearing black and white. A unicorn horn was displayed on the sideboard. The French ambassador
Rambouillet Rambouillet (, , ) is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region of France. It is located beyond the outskirts of Paris, southwest of its Kilometr ...
was entertained at
Holyrood Palace The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly known as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood has s ...
on 11 February 1566 by Mary, Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley in "maskrie and mumschance" during which the queen and her ladies were dressed in men's apparel. The queen's tailor Jehan de Compiegne made six costumes decorated with flames made of cloth of gold reused from old cushion covers. During the masque the queen's ladies presented 8 Scottish dirks or daggers to the French guests, with embroidered black velvet scabbards. Such frivolity was subsequently denounced by
John Knox John Knox ( – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgate, a street in Haddington, East Lot ...
, and the poet
Richard Maitland Sir Richard Maitland of Lethington and Thirlstane (1496 – 1 August 1586) was a Senator of the College of Justice, an Ordinary Lord of Session from 1561 until 1584, and notable Scottish poet. He was served heir to his father, Sir William Mai ...
of
Lethington Lennoxlove House is a historic house set in woodlands half a mile south of Haddington in East Lothian, Scotland. The house comprises a 15th-century tower, originally known as Lethington Castle, and has been extended several times, principally i ...
wrote against skipping in the street and "merschance" or "mumschansis" as likely to damage a young woman's reputation. In January 1582 an Edinburgh teacher John Gilleis was forbidden to "pass in mumschance after supper to make plays or use suchlike vanities". A poem copied by Lilias Murray mentions "The masked mumchance of mischief."
James IV of Scotland James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James I ...
had a "mummyng gown" in January 1506, of grey cloth bordered with fox fur. Mary, Queen of Scots and her ladies also wore costume as a disguise, as the wives of ordinary burgesses of Edinburgh, women of lower status, on Easter Monday 1565, or as men. Servais' list of masque clothes, which exists in two versions, includes several "coats" meaning the lightweight costumes called "play coats" at the Scottish court, and mentioned in the accounts of
James V James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV a ...
in January 1540. One was of blue satin decorated with "toig" or tinsel stars, five of crimson satin, three of green velvet trimmed with yellow with yellow sleeves and bodices, with two other pairs of green and yellow coats, two coats of white taffeta with blue sleeves and bodice, six coats of yellow satin lined with silver, and several other coats. There was also a hood of red and white taffeta, sewn with "shakers". Servais' wife had taken two of these coats, one of red, the other of black chamlet, possibly as gifts from the queen. This inventory may represent the costume from several masques, which involved pairs of dancers, and larger groups, dressed alike in teams. Servais' wardrobe account also mention masque costumes for two French courtiers or royal servants, Michelet and Mernard. The masques at the
baptism of James VI The baptism of James VI of Scotland was celebrated at Stirling Castle in December 1566 with a masque, fireworks, and a staged assault on a mock fortress. The entertainment was devised by George Buchanan and Bastian Pagez. Prince James James VI an ...
at
Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits atop an Intrusive rock, intrusive Crag and tail, crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill ge ...
in December 1566 involved fireworks and mock sieges. Costumes for the soldiers were bought by John Chisholm. Four Highland men's costumes were made from goat's skins. Outfits were made for four German soldiers or landsquenets, four Africans noted as the "Morres", four horsemen, and three devils, who fought with the Highland men. A tailor in Stirling modified the play clothes to fit the soldiers.
James VI James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...
continued this masque tradition, having a masque at Christmas time in 1579 when his violers were dressed in red and yellow taffeta, with "touke of silver", and play swords and daggers. James VI and
Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I. She was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and List of English royal consorts, Queen of Engl ...
attended and performed in masques at weddings in the early 1590s, appearing in lightweight taffeta costume with gold and silver "tock" at the weddings of Lilias Murray and John Grant of Freuchie at
Tullibardine Tullibardine is a location in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, which gives its name to a village, a castle and a grant of nobility. The village of Tullibardine is a settlement of approximately forty dwellings about southwest of Perth. It lies in the ...
, and Marie Stewart and the
Earl of Mar There are currently two earldoms of Mar in the Peerage of Scotland, and the title has been created seven times. The first creation of the earldom is currently held by Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar, who is also clan chief of Clan Mar. Th ...
at
Alloa Alloa (Received Pronunciation ; Scottish pronunciation /ˈaloʊa/; , possibly meaning "rock plain") is a town in Clackmannanshire in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It is on the north bank of the Forth at the spot where some say it ceases to ...
. Special lightweight clothes of taffeta and satin were also worn by those fighting their accusers in public single combats, in December 1596 Adam Bruntfield and James Carmichael, son of
Sir John Carmichael Sir John Carmichael (died 16 June 1600) was a Scottish soldier, the Keeper of Liddesdale, a diplomat, and owner of Fenton Tower at Kingston, East Lothian. Career He was the son of John Carmichael and Elizabeth Somerville, a daughter of Hugh Somer ...
, fought in single combat on
Cramond Island Cramond Island (Scottish Gaelic: ''Eilean Chair Amain'') is one of several islands in the Firth of Forth in eastern Scotland, near Edinburgh. It lies off the foreshore at Cramond. It is long and covers .Wilson, Rev. John ''The Gazetteer of Sc ...
, one dressed in blue, and one in red, with an audience of 5,000.


Family

Servais' family was involved in practical textile work in the royal wardrobe. In September 1570 the passment (trimming) worker Benneth Garrust described as Servais' nephew completed a canopy called a "paile" for
James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
to use during the visit of the English ambassador. Benneth Garrust, known at the "Frenche pasmentier", became the keeper of the Scottish Royal tapestry collection in Edinburgh castle. In March 1567 Benoist Garroust was the executor of a French bookbinder working in Edinburgh, Jhonn du Moullings. In the household list of that year, he was described as a "gens de mestier: passmentier". Servais' wife's name is not recorded, although she worked in the wardrobe at Holyroodhouse. Mary gave her an old black velvet cloak and a black damask gown lacking sleeves that had belonged to
Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from 1538 until 1542, as the second wife of King James V. She was a French people, French noblewoman of the ...
in July 1565. In 1573 James Sandilands, 1st Lord Torphichen described how she and Benoist had furnished a room for him in Holyrood Palace with some tapestries and a bed recovered from
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...
. Servais and his family returned to France, as Mary's letter of 1574 suggests. As late as July 1579 the Privy Council became aware of a chest in the possession of George Lord Seton containing clothes, textiles and two beds belonging to Mary which Servais had entrusted to him.''Register of the Privy Council of Scotland'', vol. 3 (Edinburgh, 1880), pp. 194-5.


References

{{Reflist Scottish people of French descent Court of Mary, Queen of Scots French expatriates in Scotland Theatre in Scotland Material culture of royal courts Material culture of Mary, Queen of Scots