Cow & Calf Pillion

[Pippakit]

In the Will of my 4 x great grandfather he has left a 'Cow & Calf Pillion and Pillion Cloth' to his daughter-in-law. He was a Farmer by trade and the will was written in 1813. What would these items be?

Also in a much earlier will - 1616 - my relative was a Husbandman and left to his son, amongst other things, 'all his carts, plough, yooks and playne'. What would a yook and a playne be?

Thank you.
Pippakit

[HeatherLynne]

Can't help with much of this I'm afraid, but might 'yooks' be 'yokes'?

[geniecolgan]

Almost certain, a yook would be a yoke and a playne would be a plane for planing wood.

Could the cow and calf pillion by a cow with a calf that was not yet weaned 

[Evie]

Hi

I think looking at this website for inventory terms, that the cow and calf could possibly be a seperate thing to the pillion and pillion cloth.

http://www.bsswebsite.me.uk/Local-history/inventory-terms.htm

It is suggested that a pillion is a pad or cushion that is attached to the rear of the saddle to allow a second person to ride.

So a pillion cloth must be to cover/protect it is some way

Evie

[JenB]

I agree with Evie that these are four separate items. Legal documents frequently contain no punctuation, which can cause confusion. I think this is what's happened here.

So what you have actually got is: a cow, a calf, a pillion and a pillion cloth.

If you google something like 'pillion + old inventory' you will get quite a few hits which show that the latter two items cropped up quite frequently in inventories.

Jennifer

[HeatherLynne]

It is suggested that a pillion is a pad or cushion that is attached to the rear of the saddle to allow a second person to ride.

So a pillion cloth must be to cover/protect it is some way

Evie

That makes sense, after all we still speak of riding pillion on a motorcycle these days.  I'd been trying to think how on earth that could have anything to do with a cow and calf! 

Many moons ago, when I first started work, I was a shorthand/typist in a solicitor's practice and I seem to recall punctuation was avoided as it could change the emphasis of the words when subject to legal scrutiny - seemed to me though that things were a lot less clear when devoid of punctuation. 

[JenB]

I seem to recall punctuation was avoided as it could change the emphasis of the words when subject to legal scrutiny

One aspect of archaic legal drafting – particularly in conveyances and deeds – is the conspicuous absence of punctuation. This arose from a widespread idea among those in the legal profession that punctuation was ambiguous and unimportant, and that people should gather the meaning of legal documents only from the words used and the context in which they were used. In modern legal drafting, punctuation is used to give clarification about meaning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_English

[geniecolgan]

Yes. I agree with Evie.
It must be a seat for riding. Make more sense.

[Pippakit]

Thanks everyone.

I never thought of that!

So she was left a cow and calf and the pillion and pillion cloth to cover it.

That makes more sense!

Pippakit