Robert Spittell

Robert Spittell or Spittall or Spittale (died 1558) was a Scottish tailor who served Margaret Tudor, queen consort of James IV of Scotland. Clothes for a queen When Margaret Tudor first arrived in Scotland, she brought an English tailor with her. In March 1504 the English tailor altered two gowns for her, and mended two kirtles. A tailor called William Welsch seems to have been the maker of an important gown for Margaret Tudor in March 1507. The expensive fabrics included velvet and cloth of gold supplied by Jerome Frescobaldi, an Italian merchant who imported textiles from Bruges. The historian Michelle Beer argues that this gown was probably made for Margaret's "churching" after her first pregnancy, a ceremony which marked her return to full participation in court life. Spittell and court fashion Spittell's annual salary as the queen's tailor, recorded in 1509, was £10 Scots. He was listed among the queen's male servants in December 1511 when he was given a yule-tide livery gown of brown "Rissillis", a russet cloth from Rijsel or Lille, with black velvet to edge his doublet. Male and female servants, including the African servant Ellen More were given livery clothes made from these fabrics at this time. He was given lands at Easter Coldoch near Doune in 1513.