The Will and Inventory of Thomas Mercer 1625

Will of Thomas Mercer 1625
Lancashire Record Office
WCW/1625/Mercer, Thomas

In the name of God Amen. The fifteenth daie of Julie. And in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand six hundred twentie and Four of Thomas Mercer of Much Harwood in the Countie of Lancaster husbandman being sicke in bodie but of good and perfect remembrance thanks be to god. And knowinge that Almightie god hath given mee life conditionallie that I should render the same when it shall please him to call for mee do herefore make this my last will and testament as herein and by thiese [p ] is mentioned expressesd and declared [ ] render and bequeath my soule into the hands of allmightie god the Savior and redeemer of Mankynde and my bodie to be buried where my auncestors have been accustomed to be buried. Next my Will is that all my goods and Chatlels real and personall shall be divided into three equal parts. Whereof I will that Grace Mercer my wife shall have one equall part to her owne proper use in the name of her purpartie and reasonable part. And the second equal part of all my said goods and Chattells I bequeath to my children equallie to be divided amongst them exemptinge my daughter Elizabeth wife to Henrie Ryley who allreadie hath had her full childs part and filiall porcon. And after I except my second sonne John Mercar unto whom I have assigned one Messuage and tenement to and for his filiall porcion or childs part. Notwithstandinge my meaning was and so I doe herebie Will that whatsoever household goods or other implements of husbandrie and [ ] wheels or such lyke whatsoever are and shalbe at the time of my death in or upon the said assigned Messuage and tenement or in the barne next herebie standinge and which heretofore hath beene accompted as part and parcel of the said assigned Messuage shalbe and belonge unto my said second son John Mercer towards the betterine and makeinge up of his said filiall porcon or childs parte. And the third equall parte of all my said Goods and Chattells I doe will and appoint to be disposed of hereafter.followeth. First my will is that my funeral expenses shalbe paid and dischargd out of this my third part onlie. Then I give and bequeath unto my grand children sonnes and daughters of Alexander Mercer my sonne and Elizabeth my said daughter everie one of them three shillings and four pence. Alsoe I give unto my sister Elizabeth Squires children eache of them three shillings and four pence and to everie one of those whom I am godfather unto six pence a piece. the rest and residueof this my third parte I give and bequeath unto Grace my said wife to the intent she shall bestowe it on my said children according to her discretion, but especiallie upon my youngest son Edward that he behave himself as it becommeth him towards her. Lastlie I nominate and appoint Grace Mercer my said wife my sole and onelie executrix of this my last will and testament hopeinge shee will see it well and trulie performed accordinge to my intent and meaninge and the trust imposed on her Renouncinge all other forms and wills heretofore by mee made. In Witness whereof I have hereunto putt my hand and seale the dai and yeare first above written.

Witness hereof
Edmund Cockshott, Lawrence Hyndle, Thurstan Hyndle, Robert Squire.

A true Inventorie of the goods cattells and Chatells moveable and umoveable of Thomas Mercer of greate Harwood in the countie of Lancaster deceased. Taken and prised by John Holker Edmund Cockshott Nicholas Pollard and Roger Fielden the third of November ano. domini 1625.

	£	s	d
Impremis Foure oxen and two seggs	xxii li	xii s	iiii d
Item eight twinter steares	xvi li
Item Two whoye stirks	iii li	vi s	viii d
Item One heyffar		xlv s
Item Twoe calves		l s
Item One odd steere	iiii li
Item one Cowe and a Calfe in Simonstone	iii li	x s
Item Three kyne one Cowe and a calfe	x li
Item Corne and haie in Whittlebarne	xiii li	v s	viii d
Item in Whittlehouse one arke one Chest one paire of bedstocks		xiii s	iiii d
Item one Chimney one iron Frame one spade and a swingletree		iiii s
Item three score and Foure sheepe	xiii li
Item Two mares and two colts	vii li
Item at home In oates	v li
Item in barley	iii li
Item in haie	iii li
Item one greate arke in the barne		xlvi s	viii d
Item one haie waine and one paire of shodd wheeles		xiii s	iiii d
Item two Cowpe waines and two paire of wheeles for them		vi s	viii d
Item one Marlinge Cowpe and wheeles for them		iii s	iiii d
Item one paire of tenters		xx s
Item one arke in the stable		iiii s
Item one paire of bedstocks and one chest		ii s	vi d
Item Foure harrows with teeth		vi s	viii d
Item six yokes with sling		iii s	iiii d
Item One gange of felyes		ii s
Item Foure loade sadles two wantones and five overlaies		viii s
Item two plowes		ii s
Item two paire of iron traces with swingletrees and other horse furniture		v s
Item one gange of speakes		ii s
Item Fourteene Sowles (?)			xvi d
Item two paire of loomes and furniture for them		xxvi s	viii d
Item one paire of Walker sheares		vi s	viii d
Item one warping wought and gige			x d
Item one spinninge wheele and one spoile wheele		ii s
Item one shearebord and one other bord one Cheespresse three spades twoe shovels and one forke		vi s	viii d
Item one gavelocke one iron mawle and one little one		iiii s
Item in Woole		xl s
Item two ould tubs and knop and other implements		iiii s
Item Ten troughs one charne eleven bazons two tubs		vi s	viii d
Item in Sieves and Ridles		iiii s
Item one seede hopp and other old tubs			xii s
Item one hueinge tub		v s
Item one Mash tub one gelkor and two flasketts		v s
Item in brasse and two fryeinge pans		l s
Item Fyve iron frames and bolts and shakles with a [ ]		x s
Item one paire of rackes three spits one fireiron and one brandreath		viii s
Item three brasse potts		viii s	iiii d
Item in Pewter		x s
Item one greate arke		xlvi s	viii d
Item one lesser arke		vi s	viii d
Item nyme barrels and staves		vi s
Item one greate saltinge tubb		x s
Item one chest		iii s	iiii d
Item seven cheesefatts wood bottells two tresle piggins and cans		v s
Item one paire of bedstocks		viii s
Item two great chests		xiiii s
Item Foure chaires and old Almerie		iiii s
Item two coverlets two blankets one paire of sheetes and bolster one feather bed and one chaff bed		xxx s
Item one paire of bedstocks one chest one chaire one presse for clothes		vi s	viii d
Item Two coverlets two sheet one blankette and one chaff bed		vi s	viii d
Item one stand bed		xxiiii s
Item one other paire of bedstocks		iiii s
Item one Caddow two Coverletts one blanket two featherbeds one boulster and a Chaff bed		l s
Item two coverlets one blanket one paire of sheets one bolster one pillow and one chaff bed		x s
Item Foure coverlets and one paire of blankets		xxv s
Item nyne secks and two ould winnowclothes		x s	viii d
Item two chests and one forme		vi s
Item one clothe press with paper		v s
Item in linen and Canvas sheets bord clothes and for pillows with table napkin		xx s
Item in geese and other pullen		v s
Item two iron Chimneyes with tongues		iiii s
Item nyne silver spoons		liiii s
Item his apparell and money in his purse	x li
Item lowse timber about the house		xx s
Item in implements and other items in the house		iii s	iiii d
Item one haircloth for dryeing corme		xx s
Item in Pease		xiii s	iiii d
Item two coultes and three shares		iiii s
Item seave Metts of Malt		xxi s
Item in haie in the Calf cote		iiii s
Item Foure shearing hookes			xii d
Debts owing to him
Impremis Robert Fletcher	x li
Item John Braddill of Snodworth		liiii s
Item William Mercer of Simonstone	vi li
Item Robert Duckworth	vi li
Item John Pollard of Christophers		liiii s
Item John Nowell of Clitheerowe		liiii s	iiii d
Item Thomas Hesketh of Martholme		vi s	vi d
Item John Feilden of the Bancks		viii s	ii d
Item Raphe Whiteheade		xii s
Item Edward Hargreaves of Simonstone		xii s
Item Thomas Mercer of the Parke		v s
Item Edmund Hill of Wiswall		x s
Item Widow Pollerd of Fosters		iiii s	vi d
Item Joan Margerison		v s

Sum Total Clxxxxii ^li v ^sx ^d

Dr. Mary Higham cast her experienced eyes over this and she thinks that the family were engaged in all the processes of woollen cloth production, including fulling which was unusual.

WILLS