Series 2 > Household book of Lady Grisell Baillie

INTRODUCTION
Ixxiii
boxes and handkerchiefs purchased for the ladies that
snuff was used by them as well as by the men.
On p. 203 and p. 213 will be found the trousseau
accounts of Lady Murray and Lady Binning respectively,
the bridal dress of the one, ‘a sute clothes trim’d with
silver,’ costing, along with her sister’s dress and some
other items, £112, 8s. 6d., and of the other, ‘ For 25 yards
silver stuff for gown and coat,’ costing £41, 5s.
A plain suit of clothes for a gentleman cost between
£4, 10s. and £7, but of course if expensive materials were
used the cost might be anything. The accessories to the
suit, such as the lace for cravats and ruffles, often cost
more than the suit itself, on one occasion, in London, as
much as £20, 5s. being spent on a cravat and two pairs of
ruffles. A muff with its case was also a necessary part of
a gentleman’s equipment.
Wigs naturally figure frequently. We have campaign
wigs at about £l, 5s., long wigs at £2, 5s., and undesigned
wigs at £3, 5s. Then there are the concomitant nightcaps
of wool or double holland for keeping warm shaved heads.
Here also we notice Lady Grisell’s careful hand. Nothing
is thrown away that can be repaired : 4 Helping the fore¬
head of a wig ’ 5s.; 4 Helping a wig and shaving 8s. 7d.
stg.’; 4 Turning my poplin gown ’; 4 Dying red gown
green ’; 4 Making up the old floord night gown,’ etc.
X. Jerviswood’s Brothers and Sisters
When George Baillie was restored to his family estates
he became responsible for the payment of his mother’s
jointure of £102, 13s. 8d., and of the provisions made by
his father for his younger children, amounting to 43,000
merks or £2388, 17s. 9d. stg. Along with her other
accounts Lady Grisell kept an account of how this money
was paid away to, or for the benefit of, the beneficiaries,