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Wednesday, May 26, 2021

A Serving Maid's Inheritance

 John Duck of Great Marlow in writing his will in 1785 was keen to look after "my serving maid" Mary Lillington.  The following is a list of what she was left by him:

The bed, bedstead, sheets, blankets and furniture [bed curtains etc] of the linen bed.

The walnut bureau

The six chairs covered with linen

The matted chair in the kitchen

The stove

?malt? Shovel

Poker

Tongs

The two kitchen tables

The chest with two drawers in the shop

The shovel with holes in it [presumably this had a specific use?]

Two iron candlesticks

Tinder box

Snuffer 

The two flat irons and the box iron

A trivet

The collander

The least pot in the kitchen cupboard

The five cups and saucers

2 copper saucepans and tin saucepan

The least pottage pot [least presumably meaning smallest]

The tea chest

6 tea spoons

Two table spoons

The tea kettle

All the earth plates and dishes [earthenware]

All the coals and wood in his home at the time of his death

£10

For life all the interest earned from £350 he has invested.


John's sister Ann Bett or Hett I couldn't quite read it inherited his dwelling house and was the will's executor. She sold the house and the rest of the contents in 1786. The house was described as being in North East Marlow, only about 12 years old with a walled garden, four bedrooms and a large parlour wainscotted and papered "chin high" [Reading Mercury 8th May 1786. Copy held at the British Library Archives. Accessed by me via the BNA March 2021].

You can read the full will by ordering this PCC will from the National Archives. 

More wills on this blog can be found under Will Transcriptions on the menu. All mentions of a person can be found on the Person Index.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use my transcription summary extract for family of other history purposes with credit to this blog.






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