heir monuments, the
oldest being that of Wm. Holte, who died September 28, 1514. That the
Holtes, though untitled, were men of mark, may be seen by the brass in
the North Aisle of Aston Church to the memory of Thomas Holte, "Justice
of North Wales, and Lord of this town of Aston," who died March 23,
1545. His goods and chattels at his death were valued at L270 6s. 2d.--a
very large sum in those days, and from the inventory we find that the
Hall contained thirteen sleeping apartments, viz., "the chambur over the
buttrie, the chappel chambur, the maydes' chambur, the great chambur,
the inner chambur, to the great chambur, the yatehouse chambur, the
inner chambur to the same, the geston chambur, the crosse chambur, the
inner chambur to the same, the clark's chambur the yoemen's chambur, and
the hyne's chambur." The other apartments were "the hawle, the plece,
the storehouse, the galarye, the butterye, the ketchyn, the larderhowse,
the dey-howse, the bakhowse, the bultinge howse, and the yeling howse,"
--the "chappell" being also part of the Hall. The principal bedrooms
were hung with splendid hangings, those of the great chamber being "of
gaye colors, blewe and redde," the other articles in accordance
therewith, the contents of this one room being valued at xiij li. xiv.
s. iiijd. (L13 14s. 4d.) The household linen comprised "22 damaske and
two diapur table clothes" worth 4s.; ten dozen table napkins (40s.); a
dozen "fyne towells," 20s.; a dozen "course towells" 6s. 8d.; thirty
pair "fyne shetes" L5; twenty-three pair "course shetes" L3; and
twenty-six "pillow beres" 20/-. The kitchen contained "potts, chafornes,
skymmers, skellets, cressets, gredires, frying pannys, chfying dishes, a
brazon morter with a pestell, stone morters, strykinge knives, broches,
racks, brandards, cobberds, pot-hangings, hocks, a rack of iron, bowles,
and payles." The live stock classed among the "moveable goods, consisted
of 19 oxen, 28 kyne, 17 young beste, 24 young calves, 12 gots, 4
geldings, 2 mares, 2 naggs and a colte, 229 shepe, 12 swyne, a crane, a
turkey cok, and a henne with 3 chekyns"--the lot being valued at L86 0s.
8d. Sir Thomas's marriage with a daughter of the Winnington's brought
much property into the family, including lands, &c., "within the townes,
villages, and fields of Aston, next Byrmyngham, and Wytton, Mellton
Mowlberye (in Leicestershire), Hanseworthe (which lands did late belonge
to the dissolved chambur of Aston), and al