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 where 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.
"Godfrey Frogat wrote his will on 12 April 1664 at Mayfield. He was a gentleman who owned land, messuages, cottages, lands and hereditaments in Slaverley and Mayfield.
He has a wife to whom he leaves the “moytey” or one half of all messuages, cottages, lands, tenements and hereditaments in Mayfield. He also allows her one half of all his household goods during her life and gives her the power to dispose of the greatest brass kettle to her son William as well as a silver bowl, one bed and furniture with linen.
To his son William, and it not clear if this is the same son, he leaves £50 and his part of the land he is leasing at Slaverley along with the stock. The land is being leased with his son Buckely.
John Frogat, another son, is allowed the rents, issues and profits of the land at Mayfield
Godfrey Frogat leaves ten shillings each to his daughter Alicia Buxley, Katherine Newham and Elizabeth Buckley, having already paid their “poncons”
To his wife’s daughters Mary and Priscilla they are to have sufficient meat, drink and clothes (apparell) or £8 per year until they get married. When they marry it is to be with the consent of all, or the majority of their mothr, brother and brother-in-law and they will each get, at that time £200. If they marry without the consent of the majority then the money will reduce to £100.
To Anne, Godfrey Frogat’s daughter who married Thomas Breilsford of Slavely without her father’s consent and against his express command he bequeaths £40 to be paid “whensoever her hsuband shall tender an acquittance in full for the same.”
Mr. Heathcote is given the sum of ten shillings as payment for preaching the funeral sermon.
The parishes of Mayfield, Staveley and Norton are to receive the sum of forty shillings each to be distributed at the discretion of the executors: John Frogat and Godfrey Frogat’s wife.
Witnessed by John Frogat, Mary Frogat, Hugh Croft, William Freeman and George Wood"
Copyright : Lichfield Record Office , B/C/11 1664 Frogat , Godfrey
Reproduced by courtesy of the Lichfield Diocesan Registrar.