James Wathen
You were a very wealthy pinmaker in the lively city of Bristol.
Throughout your life, you gained substantial positions of office, which included being churchwarden for the large and impressive parish of St Mary Redcliffe.
In your time in the parish, you bought many items for the church, even donating an inscribed brass lectern—quite an ostentatious gift and a display of largesse!
Nonetheless, you never quite made it to a coat of arms, and your lifestyle is certainly circumscribed by your work. Even so, you ended up very wealthy, and spent some time concerned with your “legacy” (what will you do with your money after you leave, and to whom/what institutions will you establish donations?). Already, you own a pinmaking empire that employs poor boys in the craft—a charitable precedent to continue after death, perhaps.
Jane Ratcliffe (née Brerewood)
You were born to a citizen skinner of Chester, John Brerewood and Mary Parrey of Flintshire. Your family was on the rise in the late sixteenth century, and so despite your father being a middling tradesman, your brother went onto become a ‘Sir’ and academic.
You married John Ratcliffe, a widower and brewer, and this was a very advantageous match as he became mayor of Chester (twice) and an MP. You were memorialised in a funeral sermon by Chester minister John Ley which was published in London in 1640, where you were held up as an example for ‘the edification of the living’ due to the godly life you turned to under the tutelage of Nicholas Byfield, another minister.
You were described as a very devout puritan, whilst also coming from one of the most prominent families in Chester, and her personal devotional practices mediated between her puritanical beliefs and conformity to the Church of England; and in this way you carved your own path. You were also a businesswoman who took over your husband’s brewing business after his death and so continued to forge a prosperous path throughout your life.
You also had at least two children: your son John became MP in 1646 and your daughter moved to London for marriage. You died on a visit to see your daughter in 1638, which shows that you also travelled far from your home in Chester when the occasion demanded. You were of upper middling status by the time of your death and were perceived as a good example to other women by Ley, something which you may have been aware of and taken pride in during your life.
Inventory: Edward Kitchen, Alderman [member of local council] of Chester (1619)
This inventory indented maketh mecion of all & singular the goodes chattells rights creddites & debts which late were of Edward Kitchen deceased whilest he lived an alderman of the citty of Chester as they were seen vallewed and appraised by Charles Fitton Alderman, John Leech mercer, Charles Leech inholder and John Maddock tanner cittizens of the said citty upon the fifteenth daie of February Anno Domini 1619 the particulars whereof hereafter ensue that is to say […]
Imprimis in the hall one table and a frame Xs
Item one chaier Vs
Sum XVs
In the little chamber next the street
Item one halfe headed bedsteede Vis VIIId
Item one square table & frame IIIIs
Item a downe bed one boulster and one pillow IIIIli
Item four wheeles Vis VIIId
Item fourteene barrels of suckett weying XLVIIIli VIoz XLVIIIs
Item five boxes of marmalade wayinge XVli XIoz XVIIs Vid
Item one chest with candles in it Xs
Item four paier of yerwingle blades and two feete IIs
Item one pewter still Vis VIIId
Item three boxes XVIIId
Item eighteene pounde of hempe and IIli di of flax VIIIs
Item one hetchell Vid
Item one pott with VIII quarts of honny in it Vis 8d
Item one close tubbe with oat meale in it Vs
Item one stoole and two basketts Vid
Item two shelves VIIId
Sum Xli XIXs IIIId
In the parlour
Item one standing bedsteed with curtens and vallens Vli
Item one featherbed Vli
Item one flockbed Vis VIIId
Item two blankets and one caddowe XIIIs IIIId
Item one coveringe Xs
Item three pillows XIIs
Item one Boulster Vis 8d
Item one paier of vallens of needleworke IIIli
Item three needleworke borders for court cubbords Xs
Item one press cubbord Vis 8d
Item one court cubbord & a border cloth Vs
Item one grate of Iron Xs
Item two tables with frames XXs
Item one forme IIIs IIIId
Item three ymbrodered cushins XIIIs 4d
Item three guilte cushins Vs
Item five sett cushions of Thrums Xs
Item six greene cushions Vis
Item two greene carpets XXs
Item six buffin stooles Vis
Item eight ioyned stooles VIIIs
Item one lookinge glasse Vs
Item one map and five pictures Vs
Item one cloth of needleworke for a buttery doore XIId
Some XXIIli XIs IId
[…]
In the closett
Item boords and shelues IIIs 4d
Item two boxes with locks IIs
Item Bookes worth XLs
Item gallery potts glasse bottles and aquavite Vs
Item aleas of two cottages & a garden in the white
fryers lane taken from Thomas Parsivall vallewed at XIIIli
Item a leas of a farme in Wymballs Trafford made
for yeres vallewed at VIXXli
Item the leas of a farme in churton made for yeres IIIIXXli
Item a leas for yeres oof two fields in whitbee XXVIli XIIIIs 4d
Item in sackcloth and other Manchester stuff XXXVs
Item a peece of woollen kersey of XVIIIen yards XLs
Item a paier of gold waightes IIs
Sum CCXLVIli IIIs IId
[…]
In Plate
Item XVIII spoones waying XXIX oz di VIIli VIIs Vid
Item a guilt salt wayinge XIXoz & a di IIIIli CVIIs IId
Item four guilt cups & a trencher salt waying XXXoz VIIli Xs
Item two beakers & a standing bowle waying XXXI oz di IIIIli XVIIs Vid
Item one standing bowle one aquavite cup & a taster
Which doe way altogether XV ounces & a quarter IIIli XVIs
Item a little oversey cup with a sliver foote VI 8d
Item a suger box with a spoone XIId
Item a shell of mother of pearle IIIs
Sum XXXIli XIXs IIId
The testators wearinge apparrell
Item ten night caps XXs
Item shirts, bands, & handkerchers XLs
Item tabletts jerkins breechs & stockens VIIli Xs
Item five gownes that is a violet one a black one
faced with satten one with foynes & ii night gownes VIli XIIIs 4d
Item one foote cloth IIIs 4d
Item one coveringe for a bed Vs
Item two oulde carpets Vs
Sum XVIIli IIIs IIIId
Middling Culture 