8 o 
A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND 
London merchant, at 6d. the piece.” These “ beestes ” or 
carved animals holding “ vanes,” and the brass dials, seem to 
have been put in every part of the gardens and orchards ; and, 
although other gardens of this date probably had such decora¬ 
tions, they appear to have been a more marked feature at 
Hampton Court. The beasts were set at intervals along the 
railed beds, and about the mount and all round the ponds, and 
the entries concerning them in the accounts are very frequent. 1 
“ Also paid to Bryse Auguston, of Westminster, clockmaker, for 
making of 20 brazen dials for the king’s new garden at 4s. 4d. the piece, 
^4. 6s. 8d.—For making of bestes in timber for the king’s new garden— 
paid to Edmund More, of Kyngston, freemason, for cutting, making 
and carving of 159 of the king’s and the queen’s beestes standing in the 
king’s new garden at 20s. the piece . . . ^159.’ 
(1530) “ Item dieu to Anthony Transylyon, of Westminster, clock- 
maker, for seven dials of him bought which are bestowed in the privy 
orchard, at 4s. 4d. the piece, 30s. 4d.—Joiners setting up the bestes 
upon the posts in the privy orchard, Henry Currer, at 8d. by day, 4s. ; 
John Carpenter, at 6d. by day, 3s. Payments for painting the king’s 
festes ( =bestes) in the privy orchard . . . some holding ‘ fanes ’ ( = vanes) 
with the king’s arms.” 
(1534) “For gilding and painting of the beasts in the king’s new 
garden—To Henry Blankston, of London (various sums for) 11 harts, 
13 lions, 16 greyhounds, 10 hinds, 17 dragons, 9 bulls, 13 antelopes, 
15 griffins, 19 leberdes (—leopards), n yallys (2 jails occur elsewhere), 
9 rams, and the lion on top of the mount, also for the vanes.” 
( I 535 ) “ Item in the said harbers ( =south and west arbours ) is set, 25 
badges of the king’s and queen’s, price the piece 3s. ^3. 15s. Item in 
the same harbers is set, 8 arms of the king’s and queen’s, price the 
piece 4s. 32s. Paid to Harry Corrant, of Kingston, carver, for making 
and entayling 38 of the kinge’s and queene’s beastes in freestone, bearing 
shields with the kinge’s arms, and the queene’s, that is to say four 
dragons, six tigers, 5 greyhounds, 5 harts, 4 badgers, serving to stand 
about the ponds in the pond yard, at 26 shillings the pece. ^49. 8s.” 
The fountain in the “ pond garden ” at the present day is prob¬ 
ably a survival of the “ pond yard,” in which so many beasts 
were placed. In Henry VIII.’s time they were supplied with 
water in rather a curious way, as there are entries in the 
accounts of charges for “ labourers ladyng of water out of ye 
Temmes to fyll the pondes in the night tymes.” 
There were several other royal gardens, and items with 
1 25 Henry VIII. (1533). Exchequer, Treasury of the Receipts, Mis¬ 
cellaneous Books, No. 238. 
