I am transcribing the will of an ancestor who had his will drawn up in May 1765 at Honiton, Devon, England. Thankfully, the law clerk who wrote the text of the will used a script that is relatively easy to read, even 250 years later. Most of the words in the will have meanings that are the same as today's wording, with legal terms retaining their meanings in present-day. I've found sources which have explained and defined some of the household items and furniture bequeathed by the deceased and some of the words that didn't seem to mean what they mean today.
So far, I haven't found out what a "brass Choose pan" is/was. Obviously it was some sort of pan made of brass, What does the word "Choose" (capitalized in the handwritten will) mean regarding a pan? Note: The word "Choose" could be a variant spelling. Example: I finally figured out that in the will the "Dust Bed" was a "doust bed" and found that a "doust bed" was a small bed with chaff (doust) filling the mattress.
I've checked the Oxford English Dictionary 2nd ed., a lexicon for provincialisms of Devonshire (1912 publication), and a glossary of terms used in 17th and 18th century wills in England, but none of those sources provided an answer on "brass Choose pan."
If someone can find a good source and find a description of a "choose pan" or direct me to some source with explanations on 18th English household goods, I would appreciate it.
Also, even though that law clerk from 250 years ago has long passed away, I would like to thank him for his fine penmanship and consistent spelling of words throughout the will of Robert Knight, d. 12 May 1765, Honiton, Devon.
Thanks in advance for any help -
Jean, in the USA
