Will & Inventory of Theophilus Folkingham, of Brereton1680

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Date:Not Recorded

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 Theophilus Folkingham of Brereton in the parish of Rugeley in the County of Stafford Inholder being weake in body but of good & perfect memory (thankes be given to Almighty God for itt) doe make constitute ordaine & declare this my last will & Testament in manner & forme following: In the first place I committ my soule to God, hoping by the merits of Jesus Christ to have full forgivenesse of all my sinnes here, & eternall happinesse hereafter, and my body to the Earth to be decently buryed according to the discretion of my Executrix hereafter named. And for that temporall Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to blesse mee I doe thus briefly dispose of it. First of all my Will is That all my debts whatsoever which I owe in right or conscience, may be well & truly contented & paid out of my reall & personall Estate with as much speed as may be done conveniently after my decease. Item I give & bequeath to my beloved wife Elizabeth Folkingham five pounds a year during her naturall life, to be raised out of my malthouse & Rickyard with the appurtenances. Item to my sonne John Folkingham I give & bequeath five shillings. Item to my Daughter Abigail White I give & bequeath twenty shillings. The rest of my reall & personall Estate undisposed on ( after my debts & funerall charges are first paid) I give & bequeath to the rest of my dear children that shalbe alive at the time of my death to be equally divided amongst them, that is to say, to and among my daughters Avis, Elizabeth, Grace, Mary & Katherine, and my sonne Thomas, or as many of them, as shall be then alive, to every of them share & share alike………..”

Copyright: Lichfield Record Office, P/C/11 1680 Theophilus Folkingham

Reproduced by courtesy of the Lichfield Diocesan Registrar.

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