Description:

Documents:
1. Will; dated 11 November 1641
    Beneficiaries:
To the repair of the church of Michaelchurch Escley , 12d
To the repair of the chapel of Craswall, 12d.
To Anne, daughter of Phillipp Horsman, six 2 year old sheep.
To Joan, maid servant, one 2 year old sheep.
To son, Thomas, the great pot, the great ponne [pan], the great chest the other bed 'lying in my chamber with thye appurtanences thereof'.
'Whereas I am indebted to sev[er]all p[er]sons the rest of my household stuffe goods chattels and cattells moveable and unmoveable I bequeathe towards my said debts'.
Once these debts have been paid any surplus is to be divided into 3 parts two of which are to go to his wife, Mary and one to son, Thomas.
To grandchild, Elizabeth Prosser, one ewe and a lamb.
To Thomas Prosser, son of Isaac Prosser, a ewe and a lamb.
 
Executor: son,Thomas Powell.

Marked by testator

  'Sealed and delivered to John Powell the elder to the use of Thomas Powell, Executor; Witnesses: Thomas Roger, John Powell, Vaughan Powell.

Date of Probate: 24 November 1636.

2. Inventory:     11 January 1641 ; [impossible to value as the appraisers have confused pounds and shillings see below] . Appraisers: Lewis Powell, [?] prisser [Prosser?] and Morgan Powell.

Observations:

The documents contain a bond dated 12 January 1641 with bounden Thomas Powell of L[l]anvihangell [Michaelchurch] Eskley, yeoman and Roger Prosser of St Margarets, gent in a surety of £100.
His inventory is reproduced below with modern spelling:

                                                Inventory                                                              li          s         d
Imprimis twelve kine and a bull                                                                    3          2          10^d
Item     2 bullocks 3 years ould                                                                     8^li
Item     2 bullocks 2 years ould                                                                     4
Item     seven Calves                                                                                      4^li         13^s        4^d
Item     six yearlings                                                                                        6
Item     2 mares                                                                                               4          0
Item     4 swine                                                                                                           10^s
Item     3 goats                                                                                                              3^s
Item     4 hens and one Cock                                                                                     2^s        6^d
Item     Corn in the barne                                                                                          30^s
Item     five acres of Corn upon the ground                                                5^li          0
Item     his wearing apparel                                                                          5^li          0
Item     4 beds & foure bedsteads                                                               5^li          0
Item     4 coverlets                                                                                          1^li
Item     10 pair of sheets                                                                                           xxx^s
Item     one dozen of naptkins                                                                                  iiij^s
Item     4 brass pans                                                                                      x^l
Item     2 brass pots                                                                                                   xvj^s
Item     one pothook and one kettle                                                                          iiij^s
Item     ten platters and two candlesticks                                                                            xij^d
Item     one Chest and five Coffers                                                                          xx^s
Item     one table and 2 benches                                                                              ij^s
Item     2 Chairs 3 stands 3 barrels                                                                        vj^s
Item     3 table Cloths 2 broges [broches?] one
            paire of gobbards one Dripping pan one
            grid iron                                                                                                          xvj^s
Item     salt beef                                                                                                         xx^s
Item     3 wiles [?]                                                                                                       iij^s
Item     3 coffers & Chests                                                                            lx^li
Item     4 Trinds one chelorme [?] and one
            baking tub and three pails one [undecipherable]                                  xij^s
Item     one plough three yokes 2 troces [traces?]
            one ox harrow one pair of horse harness                                               x^s
Item     2 shovels one spitell 2 matocks
            and one axe one hatchet 2 hedge bills                                                   x^s
Item     one Horse Cart                                                                                         xiij^s        4^d
Item     2 pack saddles and one riding saddle                                                 vj^s

There is no total and no attempt has been made to total this inventory because the appraisals are inconsistent for example 12 kine valued at £3 2 10d  does not square with 2 three year old bullocks valued by the appraisers at £8.  Again a chest and 5 coffers have been valued at 20/- a reasonable value but later 3 coffers and chests are shown with a value of £40, completely bizarre. It just demonstrates the level of literacy and understanding of the written word by the persons concerned.