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 I Thomas Rock of Pipe Woodhouses in the Parish of St. Michaels Lichfield in the County of Stafford, Taylor, being weak in Body but of sound and perfect mind and memory (Praised be Almighty God for the Same) do here make publish & declare this my Last Will and Testament
First I humbly resign my Soul into the hands if God my Creatour trusting in his mercy through the Meritts of Christ my Blessed Redeemer to have my Sins fully pardoned & my Soul eternally Saved & for my Mortall Body I commit it to the Earth to be Interred decently by my Executor hereafter named And for the Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased Almighty God to Bless me , I do dispose the same as followeth Imprimis I do give and bequeath unto my Son in Law John Taylor the Sum of one Shilling Item I give & bequeath unto John & Jane two Children of my aforesaid Son in Law to each of them the Sum of ten shillings to be payd to them when they shall attain the age of one & twenty years. And if it please God that both or either of my aforesaid Grandchildren dye in minority I will & require that it’s or their Legacy or Legacies shall be to my Executor Item I give & bequeath unto my Grandson Thomas Rock the sum of thirteen Pound & my Coffer & one Feather bed and all manner of Bedcloaths, belonging to it, to be payd to him when he shall attain the age of one & twenty years. Item I give & bequeath unto my Grandaughter Margrett Rock the Sum of thirteen Pounds with one pair of joyned Bedstids, a feather bed, Bolsters, Blanketts & all belonging to it, to be payd to her when she shall attain the age of one & twenty years. Finally all my Goods, Cattell, Chattells, Implements of Household Stuff & Husbandry & Personall Estate of what nature or kind and soever I do give and bequeath unto my Loving Daughter in Law Margarett Rock whom I do hereby nominate constitute Ordain & appoint Sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament. And farther I do hereby Will & Require that my two Grandchildren Thomas Rock & Margarett Rock be provided for in accomodated with all competent necessities at the discretion & proper cost of my said Executor, till they come to age, to receive their Legacies as aforesaid. In witness wherof I the said Thomas Rock have hereunto sett my hand & seal this 18th day of March in the ninth year of the Reign of Queen Anne over Great Brittain etcetera Anno Dom 1709 "
Copyright : Lichfield Record Office , P/C/11 1709/10 Rock , Thomas
Reproduced by courtesy of the Lichfield Diocesan Registrar.