Sale of Yeovil Household Goods, 1520
Sale of Household Goods, 1520
An early house clearance sale
The following sale of goods, in 189 lots, was recorded in the accounts of the Churchwardens and Proctors of Yeovil, Thomas Yerlych and Wylliam Marchaunt in 1520. The sale was of goods bequeathed by John Smith, the late Parish Clerk, and Joan, his wife, to St John's church "to be prayd for & to be sett in the comen mynde". The placing of names on the bede, or bid, roll, so that the testator could be brought to the 'common mind' annually, was a universal practice in pre-Reformation England. The names were read from the pulpit by a priest or the clerk and bedeman, and in Yeovil the two latter also recited the list around the streets of the town, alms in the form of bread and ale being distributed at the same time.
The value of the list lies not only in the household items sold, together with the prices of the day, but it also offers a list of names of Yeovilians of 1520, possibly not found elsewhere.
As a rough guide to the value of the items, 12d (one shilling) is worth about £30 at today's value.
The list of sale items
| 12d | Imprimis Recevyd of Petyr Cooke for capons and hennys | |
| 4d | Item rec. of William Marchaunt for a pair of gold weygths (Goldsmith's scales) | |
| 2d | for a payll & a balling stoke (? A frame for winding balls) | |
| 1d | John Thomas for an old peyr of pyncers | |
| 1d | Jone Bellame for a sefe | |
| 1d | Peter Cooke for a fyre panne | |
| 14d | Thomas Stalbreg for the levying of ale money | |
| 4d | Margaret Dowlys for a morter and trenchers | |
| 1d | for a towyng yre (iron) | |
| 4s 0d | Thomas Stalbreg for (illegible) | |
| 6d | for a shered helyng (material cut out, but not made up) | |
| 4d | for a mantell coote | |
| 4d | Syr Walter parish prest for a dublet of chamlet (camel-hair doublet) | |
| 2d | John Bachler clarke for an yren weg | |
| 8d | Thomas Edmund for a staynyd cloth and for a brend yre (branding iron) | |
| 8d | for 2 pelow | |
| 7d | for a brondes (stand for supporting a pot or kettle over a fire) | |
| 13d | John Bachler clarke for an old pylch (furred gown ) and a pelow | |
| 4d | for a blankett | |
| 6d | for 2 gredyrons and a cotrell (an adjustable pot-hook) | |
| ½d | Thomas Tydnam for a coope | |
| 12d | John Browne for a box a forset (a spigot or tap for barrels) and wyghtts | |
| 2½d | for a forset | |
| 4s 0d | William Weston for a tawney gowne | |
| 8d | for 2 sherthys (shirts) | |
| 6d | Syr Water for a tabyll cloth | |
| 1d | Rich Alwyn for a box | |
| 10d | for an old carpett | |
| 15d | Dany Janson for 2 old staynyd clothys | |
| 3d | Jone Ottrey for a troo (trough) | |
| 1½d | William Marchaunt for small weygthys | |
| 1d | William Carpynter for a belle | |
| 5d | for a cooten (a coat?) | |
| 16d | Thomas Stalbreg for 2 pewter potts and a forsett | |
| 16d | John Dordo for 5 potts | |
| 6d | the same John for yron | |
| 1d | for a pair of sherys (shoes) | |
| 1½d | Katerine Wyett for a lace | |
| 2d | for a hedbon | |
| 1½d | Katerine Wyett for a peyr of balances | |
| 6d | Henry Key for do | |
| 4½d | Henry Key for 3 leddyn weygthys of 7lb | |
| 2d | for broken ledd | |
| 3d | for a pap pane (bowl or dish for bread and milk, etc) and an old skimer | |
| 6d | John Hoore barbor for a coverlet a banke (a bed cover) and 6 coshins | |
| 4d | for an old banker and whypcorde | |
| 10d | William Wynne for 14lb weygth of ledd | |
| 8d | for a lyttel panne | |
| ½d | for an old sack | |
| 2d | for a box | |
| 16d | Wylliam Dowt for a posnett (a porringer or small pot with handle) | |
| 12d | Wylliam Wynne for a bockett with a chayne | |
| 4d | for a salt | |
| 1½d | for a peyre of balance of plate | |
| 3d | for a hamper | |
| 10d | John Bachler clarke for a posnet weyng 4lb | |
| 13d | (illegible) Bacstons daughter for a silken grydyll | |
| 13d | for a peyr of hokes of sylver | |
| 5d | for a shyrt | |
| 16d | for a shette | |
| 3½d | for 7lb of old yron | |
| 12d | William Stalbreg for a shyrt and a smoke | |
| 3½d | for an old shyrt | |
| 3s 6d | Raffe Crebe for a peyr of bedes of ambyr of 8 sett with 8 sylver stonys | |
| 4d | for a panyer | |
| 6d | for a kerchew | |
| 10d | for (illegible) kerchers and a bygon (child's bonnet or nightcap) | |
| 1d | for an old cloth | |
| 9d | for 2 nysetts (a shawl) a neckerchew and a begon | |
| 12d | Syr Wylliam Grobham for a bonett | |
| 3d | Margaret Knythstone for a bonet | |
| 1½d | Jone Huntt for a lynyng | |
| 4d | the sayd Jone for a nysett and a napkyn | |
| 3d | Alys Jaclett for 2 neckerchers | |
| 1½d | John Whether for a neckercher | |
| 1½d | Rich Pety for a peyr of thrydren hooss (laced hose) & a nyset | |
| 3d | Alys Parker for a frontlet (a headband) | |
| 4d | Thomas Say for a bonett | |
| 4½d | Rich Baker for 7lbs wegth | |
| 6d | Jone Lokyer for a candyllstyk | |
| 3d | Frenshe Maryon for a chylds shyrt | |
| 12d | Thomas Roper for 2 candyllstykes | |
| 3d | Joihn Wayle for di. C wegth (a ½ hundredweight) | |
| 3s 8d | the same John for a beme of yren and a quarter wetgth | |
| 3s 3d | Thomas Wever for a grene gowne | |
| 4d | Robert Stockton for a quart potte | |
| 13d | John Wyett for a chafur (a saucepan) | |
| 11s 0d | William Gedney for a tawney gaberdyn and a womans gown | |
| 2s 0d | Henry Welfore for a tabylbord 2 tresylls & 2 formys | |
| 2s 8d | Thomas Tayler for 2 staynyd clothys and a pack sadell pannell | |
| 3d | Thomas Hogges for a hamper | |
| 2d | Wylliam Bradney for a candyllstyk | |
| 4d | John Waythe for 2c. Gawdys of glasse (200 glass beads) | |
| 18d | Thomas Stalbreg for a standard full of ale | |
| 2d | for a standard | |
| 3d | Wylliam Walter for a broche (a spit) | |
| 3d | for an old payntyd cloth (cheap substitute for tapestry, used for wall hangings to keep out draughts and also as bed covers) | |
| 6d | Syr Thomas Sebrege for a cawdron | |
| 12d | Jone Browne for a torne (spinning wheel) and a kome | |
| 1d | for a trame (a beam) | |
| 1d | for a ballyng stocke | |
| 12d | Lyonell Carter for a shete | |
| 2d | for an old helyng (a covering) | |
| 20d | John Thomas for a peyre of shetts | |
| 8d | Lionell Cartar for a tub | |
| 2½d | for 2 pelows | |
| 2d | for cuppis | |
| 6d | William Marchaunt for a plater of erthe | |
| ½d | for a pyncas (a hinge) | |
| 14d | Wylliam Wodhell for a brason pane | |
| 8d | for 3 pelows | |
| 5d | William Welfar for an erthen plater | |
| 4d | the sayd William for a nerthyn dysh | |
| 4d | Wylliam Carpynter for a nerthyn podynger | |
| 1d | Peter Cooke for a horse comb | |
| 2d | Thomas Stalbreg for yron bokyls | |
| 12d | John Browne for a peyr of balances and 2 swathyn bonds | |
| 4d | for a coten (a coat) | |
| 6d | Ruth Alwyn for all yrys and whyevys (unknown meaning) | |
| 12d | John Correy for a lytyll coofer | |
| 2s 0d | Wylliam Marchaunt for a peyr of balances | |
| 21s 2d | John Durdo for 37lb of pewter | |
| 2s 0d | Thomas Stalbreg for a bedsted and a staynyd cloth | |
| 5d | John Browne for 7 gyrdylls and a swathyng bond | |
| 3d | Jone Wyseman for a cheye stole (a chaise stool?) | |
| ½d | the same for 2 small klewys of yerne (clevis = iron shackles) | |
| ½d | for a grate | |
| 1d | for a brech (a spit) | |
| 1½d | for a rele | |
| 4d | for 2 lytyll boketts | |
| 4d | for old brasse | |
| 6d | Thomas Stalbreg for wod | |
| 4d | Wylliam Welfare for a brewyn horse | |
| 2d | for a droggyn sefe (probably a draining sieve used in brewing) | |
| 2½d | for a cowpe | |
| 1d | for a stoke | |
| 2d | for a tenger (a tunnegar / tinnegar = a funnel) | |
| 1d | Petyr Cooke for the body of an old coote | |
| 6s 0d | the said Petyr for a choburd | |
| 6d | for a pelyow | |
| 2d | for hempe and 2 shelff clothys | |
| 1d | for a shakell | |
| 1½d | for a sack | |
| 1d | for a barell | |
| 2d | for a henne rowste of Thomas Edmunds | |
| 2d | for a matt | |
| 1d | Rich Yeste for a tre with redyn (unknown meaning) | |
| 16d | Isabell Gubbys for a pety coote | |
| 7s 6d | William Marchant for a blew gowne | |
| 2s 4d | Rec. of Thomas Tydman for a cupbord | |
| 5s 4d | Raffe Crebbe for a peyr of beedes of coorell of 5 sett | |
| 12s 6d | Raffe Crebbe for 5 broken sponys and 2 aglettes (pendant dress ornaments) of sylver weyng 3 ownss and 3½ quarters | |
| 14d | John Wats for 9lps of old brasse | |
| 3s 1d | John Parker for a coofer | |
| 17d | Wylliam Huntt for an old coofer | |
| 14d | Thomas Kele for a chafyngdysh | |
| 3s 4d | Robert Stockton for a blew gowne | |
| 8d | the said Robert for a goss panne | |
| 3d | Thomas Wever for a dublet | |
| 1½d | Alys Jaclet for a brech | |
| 8d | John Wale for 5 locks | |
| 8d | John Cuppe for old yron and a cawdron | |
| 1½d | Jone Kyng for a sylver aglett | |
| 3d | Alys Harvy for 2 gallons of ale | |
| ½d | Agnes Stenett for a peyr of beedes | |
| ½d | Rich. Grey for a peyr of beedes | |
| 2s 6d | John Pynne for 2 shetts | |
| 6d | John Bachler for a towell and a box | |
| 20d | Alys Jacklet for a shett | |
| 6d | Jone Hunt for a cappe | |
| 1d | Margot Jaclet for a hedbond | |
| 4½d | Jone Styll for 3 quarters of cresse cloth (Cyprus cloth, a fine linen) | |
| 3d | Alys Jaclet for an apren | |
| 2s 2d | Marget Jaclett for a towell and a shett | |
| 6d | John Ledham for 2 byggons and a nysett | |
| 2½d | Mich. Barnard for a cryson (a cruse, a small vessel for wine) | |
| 20d | Edyth Inlot for 2 pelow beres | |
| 4d | John Beecheham for a peyr of chyldren hoosse and shewys and 3 napkyns | |
| 2s 4d | John Dore for 2 towells and a hedbond | |
| 2s 11d | Alys Gawyn for 3 shetts | |
| 12d | John Locke for shelfbordes | |
| 14d | William Hygdon for trashegere (either a billhook or remnants of the sale) | |
| 12s 8d | John Wyett for 2 pelow berys and a peyr of coorell beedes gawdy with silver | |
| 16s 0d | the said John for 2 coofers | |
| 2s 0d | William Dowt for a cofer | |
| 9d | Rich. Pety for a barre of yron | |
| 3s 10d | Thomas Kele for a dublet | |
| 5d | William Carpynter for a floke bedde | |
| 5s 8d | William Tylle for a gaberdyne | |
| 12d | Hew North for a peyre of hooss | |
| 3s 4d | William Hunt for 16 pownd of wolle | |
| £33 15s 9d | Summa totalis recepcionum istius Anni |
