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 April the third year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George, King of Great Brittain, France, and Ireland, King defender of the faith, Annoque Domini 1716, I Richard Walton in the parish of Leigh & County of Stafford, being Sick in body, but of good & perfect Memory, Thanks be to God for it, and calling to remembrance the uncertain Estate of this transitory Life, and that all flesh must, yield unto Death, when it shall please God to call, do make & declare this my last Will and Testament in Manner, & Form following: First, being penitent & sorry for all my Sins, most humbly desiring Forgiveness for the same, I commend my Soul unto Almighty God, my Saviour & Redeemer, in whom & by whose merits I trust & believe assuredly to be Saved, & to have full Remission & Forgiveness of all my Sins, and to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven; and my Body I commit to the Earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executrix hereafter named. And for the Settling of my Temporal Estate, and such Goods, Chattels, and Debts, as it hath pleased God to bestow upon me; I do order give and dispose the Same in Manner and Form following; (that is to say) Imprimis, I give and bequeath unto my Dear and loving Wife Elizabeth Walton all my Goods, Chattels, Corn, hay, all Implements belonging to Husbandry & what other, and to be in short all I possess. I do hereby make and appoint my loving Wife Elizabeth Walton aforesaid full and Sole Executrix of this my lastWill and Testament; hereby Revoking, Disannulling, and making void all former Wills and Requests by me made; and declaring this only to be my last Will and Testament.”
Copyright : Lichfield Record Office, B/C/11 1717 Walton, Richard
Reproduced by courtesy of the Lichfield Diocesan Registrar