Inventories
Inventory of Edward Jaxson, 1558 (The National Archives: E 199/24/33)
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Simple Transcript [with explanations]
The inventory of the goods of Edward Jaxson, of Lincolnshire, farmer, charged before Thomas
Crathome, one of the Queen's coroners, with murdering Bartholomew Benam...
£
1 broken table, 2 old carpenter's chairs, 3 mattresses, 1 pair rough sheets, 1
coverlet, the prices
s
d
5
2 broken brass pots, 1 small boiling pot, 2 little old pans
20
1 little old cupboard
18
1 lead, 1 pair of malt querns [a mill for grinding corn]
20
1 large cart [with 4 iron wheels for hay or corn], a cart body [without the wheels],
with the equipment
13 4
1 platform with peas and hay upon it and 1 little mound of hay
13 4
30 acres of corn
4
6
1 plough with the gears and 2 ties [to tie the horses to the plough]
4
4 horses and 1 mare
2
11 cows [of different ages]
3
3 calves
60 sheep – 40 old sheep and 20 lambs
8
6
8
4
4
13 4
4 old pigs
5
4
20 geese
2
6
By me Robert Bolton [the man who made the inventory]
Total
14 14 6
[The Tudors used different money to ours:
•
•
•
£ means pounds
s means shillings. There were 20 shillings in one pound.
d means pennies. There were 12 pennies in one shilling.
This is much harder to add and subtract than today's money. You can see that the person who
made this list added the numbers up to the wrong total.]
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Transcript in Modern English
The inventory of the goods and chattels of Edward Jaxson, late of Hirkstowe in the county of
Lincoln, husbandman indicted before Thomas Crathome, one of the Queen Majesty's coroners,
for willful murdering of Bartholomew Benam, late of Barton, and the fleeing of the said Edward
found for the said murder likewise found before the said coroner, made the last day of August
in the year of the reigns of King Philip and Queen Mary the fifth and sixth, appraised by Robert
Bolton, William Elyngworthe, Thomas Jaxson, Edmund Jaclyng, William Tripe and others of the
same etc.
First one broken counter, 2 old carpenters chairs, 3 mattresses, one pair harden sheets, one
coverlet, the prices 5s
Item 2 broken brass pots, one posnet, 2 little old pans, 20d
Item one little old cupboard 18d
Item one lead, one pair of malt querns 20d
Item one shod wain, a wain's body, with the implements, 13s 4d
Item one helm with pease and hay upon it and one little cock of hay, 13s 4d
Item 30 acres of corn, £4.6.8
Item one plough with the gears and 2 ties, 4d
Item 4 horses and 1 mare, 40s
Item 3 kyne, 26s 8d
Item five two year olds, 30s
Item 3 yearlings, 10s
Item 3 spanning calves, 4s
Item 3 score sheep, 40 old and 20 lambs, £4.13.4
Item 4 old swine, 5s 4d
Item 20 geese 2s 6d
By me Robert Bolton
Total £14.14.6
Mark of Edmund Jaclin
Mark of William Elyngworth
Mark of William Tryppe
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Inventory of Margery Wren, 1540 (The National Archives: PROB 2/256)
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Simple Transcript [with explanations]
The inventory of all the goods and ready money of Margery Wren of Sherbourne House,
widow…
In household stuff
£
20 pairs linen sheets, 20 pairs of rough sheets, 20 pillow cases, 20 tablecloths, 12
towels, 5 cloths [to cover cupboards], 4 dozen napkins
6
10 featherbeds, 29 pillows, 15 mattresses, 10 pairs of blankets, 10 coverings for
beds, 5 tablecloths, 12 hangings for beds
21
s
d
17 4
4
4 sets of metal dishes, 48 bowls, 4 basins with jugs, 3 pans, 6 large serving plates,
8 brass basins, 12 basins [for washing hands], a chaffer, 4 chaffing dishes [dishes 7
with a flame underneath for heating up food at the table]
18
13 metal pots, 21 candlesticks, 3 cauldrons, 2 kettles, a copper pan
2
19
2 iron chimneys [movable stoves]
1
2 cases for keeping candles in
12
2 winnowing cloths [for sifting grain] and 12 sacks
8
7 chairs, 8 chests, a money chest and 3 purses
11 2
3 great tubs, 4 barrels, sieves
1
4
3 tables and a cupboard, 37 cushions, 5 canopies [for hanging over a bed]
2
16
60 yards of linen cloth, 60 yards of rough cloth
2
2
3 small spits [like a skewer on which meat was stuck for cooking]
6
a trussing bed with 4 corded beds [beds that could be packed away]
Total
11
10
50
16 9
57 cows, [more than] 100 sheep
36
13 4
in peas – 8 quarters [1 quarter = 8 bushels]
1
6
21 cows, 20 pigs, 80 sheep
16
14 8
woods – 160 [maybe 160 bundles]
15
At Byersgarth
8
At Garmonsway
At Croydaill
60 cows and calves
31
At Eden
22 cows, 307 sheep
24
18 6
At Whetleyhill
40 sheep, 40 cows
20
At Mediltongeorge
[more than] 48 cows, 140 sheep
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13 4
10
30 double acres of corn, also corn in the barn
26
2 large carts [with 4 iron wheels for hay or corn], 2 carts [that tilted to empty, like
2
a dump truck], 2 ploughs with the equipment
10
At Newtone
30 cows, 180 sheep, 60 pigs, 20 horses and mares
49
13 4
corn in the barn – 8 quarters, also planted corn
13
13 4
carts, ploughs with their equipment
2
Certain stuff in the vault and the apple storehouse
2
In plate [household goods covered with gold or silver]
4 silver salt containers with 3 covers
9
6
8
a flat pan, a goblet, 4 dozen silver spoons …
13
Total
22
6
8
In ready money
62
13 4
…
Sum total of this inventory
444 5
3
[The Tudors used different money to ours:
•
•
•
£ means pounds
s means shillings. There were 20 shillings in one pound.
d means pennies. There were 12 pennies in one shilling.]
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Transcript in Modern English [with explanations in the right–hand column]
Modern
[Our explanations]
The inventory of all the goods, chattels, plate and
ready money of Margery Wren of Sherbourne
House, widow, late deceased. Appraised by these
persons following that is to say James Peckynson,
William Houshyngton, Thomas Fairham,
Christopher Morlande, Edmund Hoggson and
Roger Younge.
In Household stuff
Item 20 pairs linen sheets £6
Item 20 pairs of harden sheets 33s 4d
rough sheets
Item 20 pillow boxes 12s
pillow cases
Item 20 tablecloths 20s
Item 12 towels 20s
Item 5 cupboard cloths 10s
cloth to put over top of a cupboard
Item 4 dozen napkins 22s
Item 10 featherbeds £6
Item bolsters and 29 24s
pillows
Item 15 mattresses 53s
Item 10 pairs of blankets 33s 4d
Item 10 coverings for beds £8
Item 5 counter cloths 10s
Item 12 happings for beds 20s
hangings for beds
Item 4 garnish of pewter vessel £5
4 sets of metal dishes
Item 4 dozen pottingers 12s
small bowls
Item 4 basins with ewers 10s
Item 3 pans 5s
Item a chaffer 2s
a dish with a flame under it for heating up
food at the table
Item 6 chargers 15s
large serving plates
Item 8 latten basins 8s
brass basins
Item 12 hanging lavers 4s
basins for washing hands
Item 4 chaffing dishes 2s
for heating up food at the table
Item 6 pewter pots 3s
Item 21 candlesticks 10s
Item 3 cauldrons and 7 brass pots 35s
Item 2 kettles 3s
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Item a copper pan 8s
Item 2 iron chimneys 20s
movable stoves
Item 2 candle cases 12d
Item 2 winnowing cloths and 12 sacks 8s
winnowing cloths for sifting grain
Item 7 chairs 2s 6d
Item 8 chests 4s
Item a coffer and 3 almoners 4s 8d
a money chest and 3 purses
Item 3 great tubs 23s
Item 4 barrels 11d
Item sieves and riddles 12d
sieves
Item 3 boards and a cup store 8s
3 tables and a cupboard
Item 3 dozen cushions and one 20s
Item 3 testers and 2 sparvers 8s
canopies for hanging over a bed
Item 60 yards of linen cloth 30s
Item 60 yards of harden cloth 12s
Item 3 small spits 6d
for cooking meat
Item a trussing bed with 4 corded beds 10s
kinds of travel–bed, that could be trussed or
corded (tied) up small
Total £50.16.9
At Byersgarth
Item 23 kyne £14
cows of different ages
Item whies 11 £5
cows of different ages
Item agge oxen and scotts 23 £6
cows of different ages
Item sheep hogs five score £6.13.4
sheep of different ages
Item weders regalds and tops £5
sheep of different ages
Item in pease 8 quarters 26s 8d
1 quarter = 8 bushels
Total £38
At Garmonsway
Item agge oxen 3 30s
Item whies 11 £4.8.0
cows of different ages
Item milk kye 7 £3
milk cows
Item swine 20 26s 8d
Item woods 160 £15
woods – 160 (maybe 160 bundles)
Item ewes outcasts 80 £6.10.0
Total £32.14.8
At Croydaill
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Item kyne with calves 23 £16
cows with calves
Item swinters 37 £15
2 year old cows
Total £31
At Eden
Item scotts 22 £13.6.8
cows
Item weders 307 £11.11.10
sheep
At Whetleyhill
Item ewes 40 £4
Item scotts 40 £16
cows
Total £20
At Mediltongeorge
Item in stotts 30 £12
cows of different ages
Item oxen 15 wher 3 and agges £14
cows of different ages
Whinhouse sheep 140 £11.13.4
Item 30 double acres of corn £12
Item corn in the barn £14
Item 2 bounden wains 2 couppe wains 2 ploughs
with the appurtenances 50s
2 large carts with 4 iron–rimmed wheels for
hay or corn, 2 carts that tilted to release
their contents like a dump truck, 2 ploughs
with the equipment
Hartbury twynters £8
Hartbury cows
Total £79.7.4
At Newtone
Item oxen 12 £10
cows
Item kye 7 £5
cows
Item sterk 8 40s
cows
Item twynters 3 20s
cows
Item fyston £5
cows
Item geld sheep 120 £10
Item hogs 60 £4
Item hard corn in the barn 8 quarters 53s 4d
Item corn down £11
corn planted
Item wains, ploughs with their appurtenances 40s carts, ploughs with their equipment
Item ewes letting for their milk at diverse places
60 £6
sheep
Item horses and mares outcast at all places 20
£6.13.4
Total £65.6.8
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Item certain stuff in the vault and the apple house
40s
Total as above
In Plate
Item 4 silver salts with 3 covers £9.6.8
4 silver salt cellars with 3 covers
Item a flat pan, a goblet, 4 dozen silver spoons
and ten [?] £13
Total £22.6.8
Ready money
Item in ready money £62.13.4
Total as above
Sperat debts
Hopeful debts that might get paid
Sir Robert Benet clerk £28
John Sanderson of Newcastell £37
Item Sir George Conzers Kt £15.16.8
John Trollope of Eden £4
Raif Clapton of Dynyard 33s
Master Lumley of Ludworth 53s 4d
Christopher Smyth butcher £4
Item for tithe corn £3
A tithe was a portion paid to someone else.
William probably paid one tenth of his corn
to Margery, his mother.
Item other parcels in diverse places £15
Total £115.1.4
Sum total of this inventory £444.5.3
Desperate debts
Debts not likely to be paid
Item in debts desperate £40
Debts owing by the said testator
Debts owing by Margery Wren
To the doctor Leigh £40
To 4 priests of the house with the rest of 18
persons and other such wages £10
Wages for 18 servants and money for 4
priests who probably visited the house to
perform their services
To Franny Kelyngate £6.13.4
For fish and other lent store £3
Goods stored for lent (the days before
Easter when people might go without food
or treats)
To supply the parcel belonging to the stock of the
To supply the land that provides food stocks
house £4.6.8
Item in expenses in the house since her death
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Total £58.18.7
Funerals
Item paid to priests, clerks for bread, ale, fish
flesh, wax and in alms to poor people with other
charges £30
Item paid to priests, clerks for bread, ale,
fish flesh, wax and in alms to poor people
with other charges £30 Paid to priests,
clerks (who worked for the church) for
bread, ale, fish, wax (for candles) and in
charity to poor people, with other charges
Total as above
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Inventory of the great chamber of Thomas Offley, 1582 (The National Archives: PROB
2/423)
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Simple Transcript [with explanations]
In the property [house and other buildings and land used by the household] of Sir Thomas
Offley in Hackney in the county of Middlesex…
In the Great Chamber
1 plain bedstead
1 mattress of wool
1 featherbed and bolster [type of pillow]
1 plain white blanket
1 red blanket
1 coverlet of green with flowers and letters [bedspread]
a canopy [over the bed] with fine curtains of blue and yellow dyed canvas
3 benches around the bed
1 trundle bedstead [a bed that slides away underneath another bed when not in use]
1 mat
1 mattress of wool
a featherbed and bolster
a coverlet of fine cloth
1 cupboard
1 cupboard cloth of fine striped cloth
1 foot part before the chimney [this might be part of the metal supports used for holding up
logs in a fireplace]
1 great chest
1 curtain, 2 pieces of painted cloth and a red curtain
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