SPONER, William (Administration & Inventory)

The Inventory of William Spooner - transcribed by the Reverend Peter Braby

The original spelling is used in the transcription, but the valuation prices have been presented in Arabic numerals rather that the roman figures of the original document. Unusual words are explained in a glossary that Rev. Braby added at the end of his article. (The Julian calendar year, in use at this time ran from March to March, so the date of 2nd January 1601, would be 1602 in the present, Gregorian, calendar.)

A trewe Inventory of al goods cattells & chattels that William Spooner of Wickwanfords in the Countie of Worct. Yeoman dyed possessed of taken & praysed the seconde daie of January in the ffower & ffortieth years of the Rayne of our Soverayne Lady Queene Elizabeth in Ano Dm. 1601 by Thomas Sponer gent Henry Smyth William Wilson John Bowker & Thomas Kinman

Imrimis in the Chamber

• all the apparel
• Itm one Bedd & the furniture         £3
• Itm one cubord                                  40s
• Itm Table borde with formes         13s 4d
• Itm three cofers                                 5s
• Itm certen Books                               10s
• Itm the pewter in the Chamber     13s 4d

    in the soller

• Itm one Bedsted with a flockbed and the furnyture     30s
• Itm certen pewter                                                                 20s
• Itm one Cheese Cratch                                                        12d

    in the Chamber over the plor

• Itm one Bedstewd one ffetherbed & a flock bed with furniture thereof    40s
• Itm one Truckelbed one flockbed and the furniture of the same                13s 4d
• Itm two cofers and a cradell                                                                                 5s

    in the Hall

• Itm one Table borde with formes and Wennescott      20s
• Itm one cuborde & a joined chair                                     7s
• Itm one Spence of wennescott                                          10s

    in the kytchin

• Itm the brasse and pewter                                                £3

    in the dary howse

• Itm the copary Ware                                                          13s 4d
• Itm one Try & a borde                                                        6s

    in the Buttery

• Itm cowpery Ware in the same place                              10s

    in the soller over the kytchin

• Itm two beds & the furniture                                            20s
• Itm one uting fatt & a Maltmill                                        10s
• Itm the sheets & Lynnen in the howse                           £6
• Itm the Quissions                                                               2s 6d
• Itm the other ymplements about the howse                 20s

    in the Barne

• Itm the corne in the Barne in the ffence & about the howse  £26
• Itm the carts & ploughes with the furniture                40s
• Itm the wood about the howse                                       40s
• Itm ffower horses and ther furniture                            £10
• Itm Beasts about the howse                                            £10
• Itm ffortie sheep                                                               £6 10s
• Itm ffower score pigs                                                       10s

    Sm. total £84 5 10d

Debts that the testator did owe £35

Notes

The farm stock was worth a good deal more than what was in the house, but a low valuation was put on the pigs – less than 2d each. Only one chair is mentioned in the whole house, although there were some forms, beds and cushions. William had 10s worth of books, which was unusual at that time.

• ‘praysed’ – priced or valued
• ‘cofers’ – chests
• ‘soller’ – parlour or living room
• ‘cratch’ – rack; the cword is more often used of a crib or manger
• ‘plor’ – abbreviation for parlour
• ‘wennescott’ – wainscot or panelling
• ‘spence’ – a large larder cupboard for storing food
• ‘cowpery Ware’, ‘copary Ware’ – cooper’s ware, i.e. casks, churns etc
• ‘try’ – tray (?)
• ‘uting fatt’ – ‘yoting’ vat. In which barley was soaked before making malt
• ‘quissions’ – cushions
• ‘ffence’- enclosure