One word in 1605 will

[goldie61]

Can anybody make out what Francis is bequeathed in this will of his father please?

'..................................Item  I give to Francis
my eldest sonne all my ??   And my will is that .............'


All his other five sons get one hundred and fifty pounds, so that's not much help.
Francis and his mother are the executors.
Thank you

[horselydown86]

...Iurlie Rent(es)...

Presumably Yearly Rents is the meaning.

ADDED:

I see that the capital I in Item doesn't have the same sloping entry to the letter.  Can you find another which has a similar slope in the document?

[Bookbox]

Does it start with y ? Perhaps what HD describes as the sloping entry to the letter is actually the tail of a y, where the top of the letter is barely visible? Compare the previous word, my ?

I'm sure 'yearly rents' is the intended meaning, as HD suggests.

[horselydown86]

This (attached) from 1603 is the general type of thing I was thinking of when I said the first letter is an I.

I can now see the possibility of a very faint y (as Bookbox suggested), although the tail looks to me to continue above the line before turning into a crossed downwards vertical, and it's not clear why it would do so.

Perhaps goldie will find something in the document which will shed some light.

[goldie61]

Thanks HD and Bookbox.

All the capital 'I's are the same in this piece. Quite different to those in the clip you posted HD.
(I wasn't quite sure that that was what you were asking, but here's a clip of a couple more.)

I think I can see a very faint top to the 'y' as Bookbox has suggested, so it does seem to suggest it's some form of the word 'yearly'.


I've also attached the end of the inventory for this man.
Am I reading it correctly as 728 li 2 s?
What's the significance of the diamond type symbol at the start of the amount line?

728 pounds was a huge amount of money in 1605!

[Bookbox]

Am I reading it correctly as 728 li 2 s?
What's the significance of the diamond type symbol at the start of the amount line?
728 pounds was a huge amount of money in 1605!

Yes, I agree the amount, written as vij^C – xxviij^li ij^s, appears to be £728 2s.
The diamond is just part of the leading-line that introduces the monetary sum.

Is the inventory legible enough to check the addition and confirm the large total?

[goldie61]

Thanks Bookbox

Yes, the long inventory is legible enough, though I've not attempted to do it yet!
He has lots of stock - sheep, cattle, horses, and at least 10 oxen which themselves are valued at
30 li; stored cereals in the 'mowhaie, plus at crops on at least 54 acres specifically mentioned. He has silver plate valued at 13 pounds, and 30 pounds worth of debts owing to him. Amongst the usual beds, tables, chairs, chests, brass candlesticks, pewter ware etc, are a crossbow, 3 corslets (body armour), and 3 muskets.
I think that large amount is probably correct.
I'll have a rough attempt.

[goldie61]

Gosh.
Having done a quick addition, I realise the debts owing to him are not 30 pounds, but 300 pounds,
(17 shillings and 11 pence).
A man of means indeed.