17th-century Boston inventories
[1681 inventory of Henry Messenger, Boston]
Back to some period records. Another area I studied in detail was Boston records. The probate records for Boston (Suffolk County) have never been published in book form for some reason. From time to time 15-25 years ago I’d go to the state archives and read the records. I’d collect bits and pieces of inventories – at first, only copying out items of interest. Some of the early ones (Boston was settled by the English in 1630) are from the 1640s – these first couple focus on tools. I can’t believe this cooper’s name is George Barrel - his will & inventory are dated 31-8-1643. That’s October at that point. His will stipulates:
“...unto my sonnes John & James all my working tooles to be equally divided between them...”
Some of what was included in the inventory:
2 Acres of land at Spectacle Iland 2£ of tooles in the shop, 23 chesills £2-11-00
10 fyles 2 wrests 9s ten sawes £1-13, four Cope axes 18s £3-00-00
4 Carpenters axes & 2 hand hatchetts 10s four adses, 4 havels 14(s) £1-04-00
[PF: presumably these “havels” are howells - a cooper’s tool for prepping the interior of a barrel, etc for the groove, or croze that houses the head.]
12 shaves 12s, four hammers, 3 pare of pinsors 7s 00-19-00
41 perser bitts, 2 throws 7s, twenty four plaines 14s £1-01-00
[PF: I assume the “throws” are froes - for splitting out stock]
2 Joynters, 2 Crookes 14s, four Compasses, 3 prickers 6s £1-00-00
6 Clivers, 2 hooks, a worme 9s, fifteene Augers 15s £1-04-00
[PF: Cleavers - simple enough. Are the hooks bench hooks? Or maybe the hook a cooper sometimes has at the chopping block? A “worme” - hmmm.]
a turne & 15 turning chesils & other things in that house £1-05-00
[PF: a “turne” listed with turning chisels to follow - is it a lathe?]
7 Squires, 3 tiling axes, 1 Carpenters ads 8s, nine wedges, 3 fyring irons 12s £1-00-00
2 hold fasts, 1 vice 12s, 89 trusse hoopes, 14£ in Corne £5-06-00
in Cowper ware in the yard & a grindstone £2-06-00
for a house frame & 4 100 clapbord, 4 1000 board £7-04-00
Timber & wood £2-10-00
[PF: “timber” is for working, “wood” is fuel.]
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