[Sca-cooks] REPLY: Trenchers definition--long

[johnna holloway]

I am seeking references to trenchers in both primary and secondary
sources
for a paper I am preparing.  Does anyone have any references handy?

Bear
----------------------------------------------------------------
Here's part of the definition with quotes from Middle English
Dictionary that the UM has been working on.


trenchur (n.) Also trenchoure, trencheour, trenchor(e, trenchur(e,
trencheure, trencher(e, trens(c)houre & (error) trechor; pl.
trenchour(e)s, etc. & trenchirres, (error) tryschurs.

[OF trencheor, AF trench(e)our, vars of OF trancheor.]

(a) A knife, blade; a cutting tool; (b) a platter or serving dish; a
slice of bread serving as a platter; also, a slice of bread; (c) in
cpds.: ~ bord; ~ bred (lof), stale or otherwise inferior bread used for
platters; ~ knif; ~ molde, a mold for a platter.

(a)  (1360-70) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99   175:  In j pare de trenchours
pro Priore, 12 s.  (1382) in Rymer's Foedera (1709)   7.357:  Duo magna
Paria Cultellorum, vocatorum Trencheours.  ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng
Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)   p.166:  Fulle broþely & brim he kept vp a
trencheour, & kast it at Statin..His nese & his ine he carfe at
misauentoure.  (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)   99:  Wiþ a sharp
trenchour [vr. trenshoure] kitte as þik as he can þe flesshe doun to þe
nek bone.  a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)   659/1:  Sissorium:
trenchure.  ?a1450(a1400) Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)   1328:  Þe kempe
kest hym a trenchour, & with þe same he schef hymself to þe herte.
c1450 Lestenit lordynges I you beseke (Sln 2593)   p.279:  My baselard
haght a trencher kene, Fayr as rasour, scharp and schene.  ?c1475
*Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)  129b:  Trenschowre: Secarium, Scissorium.
?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)   773/8:  Sissorium: a trenchore.

(b)  (?c1300) Sub.R.Lynn in Nrf.Archaeol.1   353:  In ij trenchurs, j
alvaz, ij s.  ?a1325 Whose þenchiþ vp (Hrl 913)   p.138:  What wol men
for þe sowle del? Corne no mel..Bot wel seld at þe mele A row3 bare
trenchur oþer a crust.  (1354) Doc.Finchale in Sur.Soc.6   p.xxxvii:
Item, ij cultelli pro trenchores faciendis.  (1392) Acc.Exped.Der.in
Camd.n.s.52   218/30:  Clerico panterie..in pane pro trenchors, v duc.
di.  ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)   471:  Take qwyte bred, and
make therof trenchours, and tost hom, and lay hom on syde.  a1450
Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)   41:  Take whyte Brede, & kytte to
trenchours, & toste ham; take þin paste whyle it is hot, & sprede it
vppe-on þin trenchourys with a spone.  a1475 Bk.Courtesy (Sln 1986)
678,681:  Moo loues of trenchirres at a brayde He settes..Two loues of
trenchors and salt þo, He settes be-fore his son also.  a1475 Russell
Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)   203:  On þe lifft side of your trenchoure lay youre
knyffe synguler & playn.  a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)   323:
Kervynge, of bred leiynge, voydynge of cromes, & trenchewre: with ij
fyngurs and a thombe loke ye haue þe Cure.  a1500 Weights in RHS
ser.3.41 (Vsp E.9)   17:  There ys a numbyr that ys called a
stoke..thereby be sold Pruse trenchers, dysshes, and platters.  (a1500)
Collect.Anglo-Premonst.in RHS ser.3.6   264:  Item, in ye buttre, ii
tabille clothis & a towelle, a bassene & an Ewere of pewder..iii dosen
tryschurs [read: trynschurs].

(c)  (1388) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)   5.37:  [A pair of table knives and a]
trenchourknyf [worth 3 s. 4 d.].  (1392) in Löfvenberg Contrib.Lex.
53:  Trenchour burde.  (1425) Doc.Brewer in Bk.Lond.E.  187/1460:  For
white brede and trencheour brede, and iij pekkes of Flour fyn..vij s. x
d.  (c1451) Doc.in Welch Hist.Pewterers Lond.  15:  Item, j qware bolle
molde iiij part ys, vij li.; Item, j Trechor [read: Trenchor] molde iiij
part ys, v li. d. qa.  (?1474) Stonor   1.147:  Item, a coberde cloþe
wyth iij towellys, and j trencher knyfe.  a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl
4011)   197:  Lay on þat arme viij louys bred with iij or iiij trenchere
lovis.  a1500 Gloss.Garland (Hrl 1002)   123:  Mensaculos:
trencher-knyvys.

Hope this helps.

Johnnae llyn Lewis