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.
"In the name of God Amen the nineteenth day of december one thousand six hundred ninety And nine And in the tenthe yeare of his Majesty’s Reine William the third I Thomas Smith of Clifton Campvill In the County of Stafford husband man being weake in Body but of perfect mind And memory thanks Be Given unto God therefore Calling unto mind the mortality of my body And knowing that it is Appointed for All Men once to Die I doe Make ordaine this my Last will And testament In manner And forme Following that Is to say first And principaly I Give my Sole Into the hands of God who gave itt me And As for my Body I Comend it to the Earth to be Buried In Christian and decent manner In Clifton Churchyard As me my Relations As my Executors shall thinke fit: nothing doubting but At the generall Resurrection that I shall Receive The same A Gaine by the mighty power of God; And As touching such worlly Estate where with itt hath pleased God to bless me with in this First I Give desire be queath And dispose the same In mannor And forme following First I Give And Bequeathe unto my well be loved sone thomas the sum of five pounds And unto my son Robbert the sum of five pounds And to my daughter mary the sum of forty pounds to be payd to Each of them there proportionable part Accordding As I hand determined of Good and Lawfull money of Ingland with In one Yeare And A day After my desease I Give unto my son James the Sum of twenty pounds to be payd when he Cometh to the Age of one And twenty of Cur rant money of Ingland And it iss father my will And desire that iff my son James be dutyfull to his mother and Loveing And kind his Brother John whome of the sum of twenty pound more when he Cometh to the Age of twenty seaven yeares of Age to be payd In Good and Currand Lawfull money of Ingland And this my Last Will I make And ordaine my well beloved wife mary Smith And John Smith my Eldest son my full And whole Executors of All that I have or shall die possesed my Debts And Leggases being payd And itt is farther my will and Desire that if my son John And his mother Cannot Agree to Live to geather then he Shall take All that I have In his owne hands yeilding And paying what Is here After mentioned that Is to say the Rent of one ground in Coton in the Elmes which was formerly thomas Smith of the same place in the parrish of Lullinton In the County of Derby during her Live And twenty Shillings A year for the same time during her naturall Life but iff she had Rather have money than the Land And the twenty Shillings then I doe order my son whom I have made Executor to pay her the sum of one pound And five shilling quarterly During the time of her naturall life her own bed two pare of Sheets my one Box one Coffer one Littell pot and kettell A boul of trindle sise one Dousson of napkins two putir dishes And I doe hereby utterly disallow revoke And Annull All And Everyother former will and testament wills Legacies bequeaths And Executors by me in Any wise before this time named willed And bequeathed Ratifying And Confirming this And none other to be my Last will and testament In witness whereof I have here unto set my hand And seale the day And yeare bove written signed sealed published pronounced and declared by the said thomas smith As his Last will
this will signed and sealed
In Debts six penny payed"
Copyright : Lichfield Record Office , B/C/11 1699 Smith , Thomas
Reproduced by courtesy of the Lichfield Diocesan Registrar.