Will and inventory of John Smith of Great Wyrley, 1713

Description:Wills and their accompanying inventories of goods and chattels, are an excellent source of information for family, social and economic history. A will can provide all kinds of useful information about family relationships and the social and economic status of the testator, that is the person making the will. In addition before 1750, an itemised inventory of the goods of the deceased was drawn up by between two and five unbiased persons called appraisors, overseers or supervisors. The inventory includes all the moveable goods, including there appropriate household goods, clothing, stock-in-trade, farm stock, growing and cut corn, loose money and any rent and debts due but it does not include land.

“In the name of God amen I John Smith of Great Wirley in the parish of Cannock in
the County of Stafford yeaman being infirme in body but of sound & perfect memory praised be Almighty God, do make and ordain this my last Will & Testament in manner & forme following that is to say first I commend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God hoping assuredly thro his infinite mercy and the alsufficient meritts of my Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ I shall inherite imortall life And as to the wordly estate of which God in his mercy hath made me his Steward I give & dispose thereof as followeth And my body I commit to the earth to be decently interr’d at the discretion of my Executrix hereafter named Imprimis I will that my debts & funderall expenses be paid and discharged. Item I give & devise unto my Daughter Dorothy Greensill & to my Grandson Richard Greensill to each of them twenty pounds of lawfull money of Great Brittain to be paid them by my Sonne Francis Smith his heires Executors or Administrators within three months after my decease provided nevertheless & it is the true intent & meaning of this my last Will, that if my said Sonne Francis Smith his heires Executors or Administrators shall neglect or refuse to pay to the said Dorothy Greensill& Richard Greensill the said Severall Legacies of twenty poundes a peice within the time before limitted that then & in such case I give & devise unto the said Dorothy Greensill & Richard Greensill a peice of Land which I purchased of & from William Whitehouse lately inclosed out of a certain feild called Estridge Field in Great Wirley aforesaid and to their heires & Assignes for ever to be equally divided betweene them. Item I give & devise unto my Granddaughter Anne Greensill all those two parcells of Land which I purchased of Mr Thomas Mason & Mrs Dorothy Kempson his mother called or known by the name of the Flatt in the ould croft betweene the broad meadow East & Podmore West, the other parcell called four Butts Shuting South on Shut Croft lying & being in Great Wirley aforesaid to her & her heires & Assignes forever...”

Attachments

Will transcript of John Smith (22 KB)

Inventory transcript of John Smith (20 KB)