At Christmas the cheese and fish which the L’Estranges often dined on were set aside and instead roast beef and turkey, venison and goose were served in quantities, enriched with capers and olives, sugar and spices. New Year’s gifts were given, haunches of venison and cuts of veal were dispatched in the hands of retainers to gentry neighbours and civic worthies. At home Sir Hamon presented seasonal tips to his servants, several pounds each to his older grandsons and a few shillings to the littlest boys. The old man might have been ageing, and his health had not been good, but he was still beautifully dressed.

As read from Anna Keay’s The Restless Republic.

A little Boxing Day entry to keep the Christmas spirits flowing.

Keay, A. (2022). The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown. United Kingdom: HarperCollins Publishers. pg 181 & 182