Olde Time Colour Descriptions
The following is displayed with acknowledgements to: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/
Your ancestor's violet hose may have been blue >>>> ?
The following list is from “Everyday Life in Renaissance England from 1485-1649” one of a series of guides for "Writers who don't care to do their own research". They are filled with details seldom found in history books with some information from the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary and the Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary.
It is not known whether this represents all possibilities but it should give a pretty fair representation. [RLDC]
| Name | Description | Notes |
| A | ||
| Abraham | Auburn | |
| B | ||
| Beasar | Brown | The colour of a bezoar stone |
| Bice | Blue | Formerly brownish or dark grey - Middle English |
| Bieeche | Orange | |
| Brassel | Brownish Red | |
| Bristol | Bristol Red | |
| C | ||
| Carnation | Flesh Colour | |
| Claie Colour | Deep Cream | |
| D | ||
| Dead Spaniard [!] | Neutral | |
| G | ||
| Gingerine | Reddish Violet | |
| Goose Turd | Yellowish Green | |
| H | ||
| Hair | Bright Tan | |
| Heare | Hare Colour/Brown | |
| Horseflesh | Pinkish Brown or Bronze | |
| I | ||
| Incarnate | Light Rosy Pink or Crimson | |
| Isabelle/Isabella | Light Buff | |
| K | ||
| Kendal | Kendal Green | |
| L | ||
| Lincoln | Lincoln Bright Green | |
| Lion, Tawny | Ochre/Orange | |
| Lusty Gallant | Light Red | |
| M | ||
| Maiden's Blush | Delicate Pink | |
| Milk & Water | Bluish White | |
| Murrey | Purplish Red | Mulberry |
| O | ||
| Orange-Yawny | Orange-Brown | Dark Yellow |
| P | ||
| Parti-coloured | Marbled | Variegated |
| Peach-Colour | Deep Pink | The colour of Peach Blossom |
| Pease-Porridge Tawny | Brownish Green | |
| Plunket | Sky Blue or Light Greyish Blue | |
| Popinjay | Parrot coloured | Usually Green but may be Blue |
| Puke | Dirty Brown | Also dark or inky |
| R | ||
| Roy | Bright Tawny | |
| Russet | Dark or Reddish Brown; Reddish | The fabric russet may be gray |
| S | ||
| Sanguine | Blood Red | |
| Stammel | Red | |
| T | ||
| Tawny | Dusky Brown-Orange | Yellowish Dark Colour |
| V | ||
| Violet | Indigo | |
| Virli | Vivid Green | |
| W | ||
| Watchet | Pale Greenish Blue | Also the name of a small port on the Somerset coast. |
