Draft of a paper concerning the history of dress, undated (Series 87.02) - No. 0044

[Page 44]

No 22                  Beards

it has only been in the most [Curlisd?] period when the influence of the Fair Sex has been able to Compell mankind to the Continualy Recurring Sufferings of shaving   it has be asserted that the aggregate of Pain Sufferd by men in the daily destruction of their Beards which is too often attempted with instruments ill fitted the purpose is greater that the women Suffer in the Pains of child bearing
1357      The first instance of cleansing our chins upon Record Seems to have originated in the Black Prince   Englishmen says Howe after the Taking of John King of France Prisoner used long hair on their heads & their beards to be Shaven before that time they were bearded & their hair Short Rounded 
1535      Hen 8 orderd his head to be Polled & his beard to be (1) Notted & no more Shaven, Howe as an example to his Courtiers whom he Commanded to Poll their heads  Howe    from hence we may infer that Henry shaved his beard in his younger days  he was 43 years old when this Fancy Seizd him  it was Two years after his marriage with anne Boleyn
1307      The Falso money Calld Pollard are said to have had on them a head with the hair Polerd  The Crockerd on with Curled or Crock'd hair
on The Great Seal of Hen 8th as shown in Speed a Short beard & Whisker are very plainly Shewn
may not a notted beard be a rounded one in opposition to a Pointed Piked & a Flowing Beard  Hen 8ths beard was certainly rounded like a shoemakers paring Knife as Shakespear expresses it 
1016?      The Normans wore Long curled hair & shaved their beards before the Conquest   The English wore hair on their upper lips but were compelled by the Conqueror to Resign them
1327       shaving was practised at this time tho beards were generaly worn as we know by the melancholy Story of the Deposd Edwd 2nd whose beard & head were shaven with Cold water while he sat on an ant hill in the open Fields  Danyels hist of England p 185
1130?      Hen 1st Repressd the Excesse of wearing Long hair for the indecency thereoff   Danyel p. 56
The Normans shaved the whole of their Faces   Harolds spies siad on their Return from the Conquerors Camp that they had seen an army of nests   Wm Malmsbury

(1)  Notted probably means cut Short  sheep without horns are calld Notts