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.
“This is the last Will and Testament of me John Sims of Kidsgrove in the parish of Wolstanton in the County of Stafford yeoman First I direct all my just debts funeral and testamentary Expenses to be fully paid and satisfied by my Executors hereinafter named as soon as conveniently may be after my decease with the payment of which I charge my seal and personal Estate and subject thereto I give and bequeath unto William Knapper of Kidsgrove aforesaid ShopKeeper and my Son in Law Charles Brindley their Executors administrators and assigns All my personal Estate of what nature or kind soever To hold to them their Executors administrators and assigns upon trust to sell and dispose of such part of my said personal Estate as may be of a saleable description and call in and convert into money such part of my personal Estate as may not be in its nature saleable and pay and divide the same unto and equally between and amongst all my Children share and share alike as Tenants in common and not as Joint Tenants the Children of such as are now or may be then dead to take their parents share and I give and devise all that my Freehold Dwelling House with the rights members and appurtenances thereunto belonging situate at Kidsgrove aforesaid now occupied by Son Samuel unto my said Son Samuel his heirs and assigns for ever And I give and devise all that my Freehold Dwelling House with the rights members and appurtenances thereunto belonging situate at Kidsgrove aforesaid and now occupied by my son John unto my said Son John his heirs and assigns for ever And I give and devise all that my Freehold Dwelling House with the rights members and appurtenances thereunto belonging situate at Kidsgrove aforesaid now occupied by my son Isaac unto my said son Isaac his heirs and assigns for ever And I give and devise all that my Freehold Dwelling house with the washhouse and other the rights members and appurtenances thereunto belonging situate at Kidsgrove aforesaid now in the occupation of Benjamin Brindley and adjoining the Dwelling House occupied by my Son John unto my Son Charles his heirs and assigns for ever he my said Son Charles paying Two pounds to my Executors to be by them applied for the general purposes of this my Will and I give and devise all that my Freehold Dwelling House and premises with the rights members and appurtenances thereunto belonging situate at Kidsgrove aforesaid and in the occupation of James Dean unto my daughter Elizabeth her heirs and assigns for ever And I give and devise unto the said William Knapper and Charles Brindley All that my Freehold Dwelling House with the rights members and a appurtenances thereunto belonging situate at Kidsgrove aforesaid and now in the occupation of Edward Ford To hold to them and the survivor of them and the heirs and assigns of such survivor upon trust to sell and dispose of the same either by public auction or private contract and at such time as they in their or his discretion shall think proper and to stand possessed of and interested in the monies arising from such sale upon trust to pay and divide the same unto and equally amongst the children of my late daughter Hannah share and share alike as and when they shall severally and respectively attain the age of Twenty one years...”