Genealogy Chat

What does it show about this person's status in society if they could write their own name on their will in 1796? Thanks

Only people of status wrote wills, especially where property and money was concerned and therefore most had enough education to read and write.
Old wills are great fun !i leave my wife the bed and 2 pairs of sheets " stuff is such fun.

In 1806 my gggg grandfather left his daughter the sum of £1,100, also the Bed together with the Box & a Chest of Drawers all standing & being in the Chamber which she uses & sleeps in.

His son, my ggg grandfather received the residue as executor, but we have no idea what it was worth. His son, my gg grandfather had nothing to show at all....!

Well he didn't leave thousands. He left:

-Pump
-Well trough
-Timber laid in the barn
-A furnifh (whatever that means)
-Two kitchen tables
-Indoor range and grate
-Crain (whatever that means)
-White table
-Ten pounds per annum for his wife
-Interest money
-Dwelling house with barn and other outbuildings and appurtances (not sure what that word means)
-Garth
-A close
-"his hairs or afsigns for ever"
-Another house with other outbuildings and appurtances
-Another garth
-Three closes
-Two hundred and fifty pounds
-One hundred and fifty pounds
-Feather bed
-Clock
-Two chairs
-Fifty pounds
-Fifty pounds
-His wife got the rest of the household furniture

i do hope appurtances were outside loos else they were all up a gum tree !

appurtenances were annexes, I'm just off to the annex !

Sounds like he was quite well off.

Ann
Glos

sounds like he was very well off

£50 then was a small fortune

My GGFx3 left the kids £3k each in 1823 - a wealthy man. Havng said that, I dont think a signature would denote status of any sort on its own - even village kids were taught to write and read and add up. Another rellie of mine left a will in the early 1800s which went on for pages listing her silver, bedding etc. and then she signed with an X. Im not sure if that was because she could not write or perhaps because she was too ill to sign her name. She was the daughter of a husbandman who struck lucky marrying twice to older gentlemen and the Will was witnessed by a famous artist - so I dont think a signature or otherwise can be construed as a sign of breeding or status.

Im told that nearly everyone wrote a will of sorts, even the lowliest person as it usually included a grovel to their Maker and also paid a small/tiny amount to the church. These would not be registered or stored unfortunately.

By the way, the furnifh will be furnish (probably some sort of dresser - google for it and any other words you dont know))