Rebecca Graham worked making textiles in Edinburgh, weaving fringes and passementerie. She made a band or sash for Elizabeth Stewart in 1603, the younger sister of Margaret Stewart, Countess of Nottingham. Graham’s business can be compared with the London silkwomen, who worked in a legal framework giving them some exemption from customs of coverture that would usually restrict a woman’s entry to the marketplace.

However, Scottish evidence for any parallell trading customs like the London silkwomen is slight. Graham made arrangements for her clients to pay her brother, but otherwise appears to be managing a business, meeting customers, and making. There are a small number of references to other female passementerie makers, including John Bowie’s wife, who wove gold and silk fringes for the canopy used at the coronation of Anna of Denmark in 1590.

A note written for Elizabeth Stewart advised her to purchase materials for the band and its silver fringe, 10,000 jet beads, linen for ruffs, a farthingale, riding gloves, and an upgrade for her saddle.

‘Information for Maistres Elizabeth Stewart

Inprimis to caus by hir ane bend of yellow teffatie the cord extending to thrie ell and that it be verrie fyne and bricht.

Item to caus Rebecca Grahame mak ane frenzie therto of silver.

Item to buy ten ten thousand small jett at viij d the thousand.

Item ane pair of dowbill ryding gluiffis.

Item vj quarters j nail lain to be ruffis

Item to remember on her sadill’

Perhaps it was planned that Elizabeth Stewart, like her older sister, would come to England in the retinue of Anna of Denmark. Perhaps the yellow and silver sash was required for some formal occasion, possibly the coronation on 25 May 1603. Elizabeth Stewart does not feature in contemporary correspondence. Margaret Stewart was noted for dancing with the Earl of Nottingham at Basing House and marrying him.

Rebecca Graham sent her bill to Elizabeth’s uncle and guardian, Harry Stewart, Lord Inchcolm, and made him a sword belt:

‘Your lo: compt

Item in the first ane aill of fyne camerage given to James Don at your lo: command ___ j li.[1]

Item for fyve quarters of fine Spanish taffetie that was to hing your lo: sword _ x li xv s

Item for schrewin of it __ v s.

Item mair for sax quarters of fyne lan that I sent over at your lo: command to your brother dochter ____ iiij li.

Item mair for thre elnis yellow taffetie to be hir ane bend __ lv s.

Item mair for the silver thraid the frenze to it __ x li.

Item for ten thowsand jett _ xij s.

Item for ane vardingaill __ xij s’

Rebecca Graham wasn’t paid as quickly as she hoped. She had to send a reminder to Harry Stewart, who had promised to pay her brother:

‘My lord, efter my heartie commendations this is to desire your lo: according to your promis concerning my silver that your lo: promisest at my last meting with yow qlk was that ye sould gif my brother the samen qlk extends to fourscoir ten pounds and this I dout not but your lo: sall haist and ever at command at power your lo: servand

Rabekie Grahame’

Nothing else has been discovered about Rebecca Graham and her work.

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[1] James and Alexander Don were servants.

[2] Tim Stretton, ‘Women’, Susan Doran & Norman Jones, The Elizabethan World (Routledge, 2011), pp. 337, 341, 347: These documents are NRAS 217 box 4 nos. 232, 233, 234, papers of the Earl of Moray.