nd towne after my
dettes and leggessese performyde, besydes that goode she hath of her
owne all this tyme. Allso I give and bequethe to Agnes my wife vi^li
xiii^s iiii^d upon this condysion that she shall sofer my dowghter Ales
quyetly to ynjoye half my copyhold in Wyllincote during the tyme of her
wyddewoode; and if she will nott soffer my dowghter Ales quyetly to
occupy half with her, then I will that my wyfe shall have but iii^li
vi^s viii^d, and her gintur in Snytterfelde. Item, I will that the
residew of all my goodes, moveable and unmovable, my funeralles and my
dettes dyschargyd, I gyve and bequeathe to my other children to be
equaleye devidide amongeste them by the descreshyon of Adam Palmer, Hugh
Porter of Snytterfelde, and Jhon Skerlett, whom I do orden and make my
overseers of this my last will and testament, and they to have for their
peynes takyng in this behalfe xx^s apece. Allso I orden and constitute
and make my full exequtores Ales and Marye my dawghters of this my last
will and testament, and they to have no more for their paynes takyng now
as afore geven to them. Allso I gyve and bequethe to every house that
hath no teeme in the paryche of Aston, to every house iiii^d. Thes being
witnesses Sir William Bouton Curett, Adam Palmer, Jhon Skerlett, Thomas
Jhenkes, William Pytt, with other mo." Proved at Worcester, December 16,
1556, by Alice and Mary Arden. It is interesting to learn from the
inventory the nature of the furniture, and the prices of the period.
There were eleven "painted cloths" in the various rooms, the substitutes
for ancient tapestry even in good homes.

The value of the goods, movable and unmovable, independently of the
landed property, was calculated to be L76 11s. 10d. This was a large sum
for the period. Probably even then the goods were worth much more, as
the prices entered are relatively low for the date. Certainly it is
necessary to multiply the value by ten to translate it into modern
figures, and that would give a good estimate for the saleable value of a
houseful of furniture now.

After her sister's and her stepmother's legacies of L6 13s. 4d., after
the payment of 4d. to every family in the parish, and of 20s. to the
overseers, all debts being paid, Alice was to have a third--that is, the
third that by old English law belonged to the dead. She would thus have
at least L13 worth in kind, along with her interest in Snitterfield and
what goods "she had of her own." The others