Will of the Month: A Berkshire Gentleman and his object histories

Posted by e.m.vine@exeter.ac.uk

28 January 2025

Many thanks to the Zooniverse users who contributed to conversations about this will on our talkboards, including Will and Barbara, and @sk001, @studentius, @Tearle, @ManyHeaded, and @HJSmith .You can view the discussion of this will here.

To join in with reading and transcribing early modern wills, have a look at our Zooniverse site here.

This month’s blog post concerns a will that is so filled with rich detail about objects that it’s almost impossible to narrow the focus to highlight just a few bequests. It’s the will of the gentleman William Denton of Chiveley, Berkshire, proved in June 1604.[1] His will is c.3000 words long and mentions at least fifty-one distinct bequests of objects. Some of these bequests contain multiples of the same or similar items, for example ‘two round silver boles’, ‘half a dozen of the better sort of silver spoones’, ‘all my bookes’. Others deal with a cluster of related objects, for example ‘the feather bed and bolster and two pillowes and the blanckettes and coverledd that usually lieth thereon’. Thus while there are at least fifty-one bequests of objects in William’s will, the number of individual items he bequeathed was far higher.

A composite image showing a range of different early modern objects – similar to the wide range of objects found in Denton’s will. Individual images © Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2024 and © The Trustees of the British Museum

Object histories and family histories

The sheer number of objects mentioned in Denton’s will is enough to make it notable. But it is the detail with which these objects are described that makes the will even more valuable as an insight into one man’s belongings and what they might have meant. Denton recorded not only what the objects listed in his will looked like or were made of, for example, ‘the best Cubboord cloth of greene broad cloth’ and ‘the testerne and valence of blew and white Damaske’, but very unusually he also included the circumstances in which many of these objects were made or purchased. For example he referenced ‘six other needle wrought Cushions of the better sort whereof one of them I bought my selfe from Newberye by William Philliman’, ‘two new wainscott Coffers that I bought of Thomas Lucas’, and ‘the Curtaines of blew and white leven Taffata that I bought my self at Charelton’.

Denton recorded the provenance or the histories of the objects that filled his home, and his own role or the role of his family members in purchasing or crafting them. Some of these objects were linked to important events in his family life. He described ‘the needle wrote chayre wrought with the honysuckles in yt made sithence my marriage’. The story of Denton’s household goods and furnishings was closely intertwined with the story of his family or life cycle, and this could be linked to Tara Hamling’s suggestion that ‘domestic fixtures and furniture’ could represent a testators’ ‘achievements in founding or consolidating a “house”’.[2]

A cushion cover with embroidered flower design, including honeysuckle. About 1600, English; Metal threads and strip on red satin. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O317798/cushion-cover-unknown/ © Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2024

‘The Material Culture of Lineage’

The construction of the ‘House’ of Denton, with its established past and promising future, appears to have been important to William. His methodical recording of objects’ histories was closely linked to his interest in family heirlooms, and the sentimental value attached to items that had belonged to his deceased parents. Accordingly, William gave ‘unto John Denton my sonne […] my Ringe w^th a Turques [turquoise] that was my ffathers’, and to ‘my sonne Thomas Denton […] the ringe w^th the seale of my mothers Comnizance [cognizance]’. These two rings had duly been passed down from grandparent, to parent, to child. Catherine Richardson has shown that the objects bequeathed by testators underpinned ‘the transfer of a notion of “household” […] from one generation to the next’.[3] In acknowledging their provenance and history within the formal legal instrument of the will, Denton perhaps hoped that that connection would be enshrined in family memory, and the rings transferred down future envisaged lines, for many decades to come.

A ring that was perhaps similar to Denton’s ‘Ringe w^th a Turques’. Enamelled gold ring with a hexagonal bezel with a turquoise in a cusped setting, West Europe, 16th century https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O118844/ring-unknown/ © Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2024

William Denton’s pride in his family name and ‘House’ extended to his identification of items adorned with his coat of arms. He left to his son John, who had also received William’s father’s turquoise ring, ‘my Ringe of gold w^thmy seale of Armes thereon’, and ‘the two Cushions of needle worke wrought on the frame w^th my Armes in them’. These bequests can be associated with ‘the material culture of lineage’ – a fashion for things decorated with heraldic imagery that flourished in gentry households in late Tudor and early Stuart England, the exact point at which Denton was making his will.[4] It is notable that these heraldic items were passed directly down the line of Denton’s eldest son, while the second son, as mentioned above, received the ring with Denton’s mother’s seal. In contrast the bequests made to Denton’s daughters, Anne and Elizabeth, were not family heirlooms, but sums of money.

*A steel knife with a coat of arms on the handle, c.1550 https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O109908/knife-unknown/ © Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2024*

‘Remember the dead’

As well as explicit references to the family coat of arms or seal, Denton’s will mentioned items engraved with family names or initials. John, the eldest son, was left ‘the two round silver boles newlye bought which have y^eletters for my name on them, and the silver bole that hath the letters for his owne name’. If Denton’s wife, younger son, or daughters had also had silverware inscribed with their initials, these were not mentioned in the will.

John was named the executor of the will, tasked, alongside his mother Mary, with carefully distributing William’s personal possessions and family heirlooms – the bulk of which were designed to pass to John himself. William made a final material bequest to the men charged with overseeing the will, who were given ‘Ringes of the value of fortie shillinges a peece made and given w^ththis poesie ingraved remember the dead’. This inscription, unlike the personalised decoration that adorned several of Denton’s possessions, is uncharacteristically general. Seventeenth-century mourning rings would often be inscribed with the name or initials of the person that they were made to commemorate, or occasionally engraved with a more bespoke motto. Perhaps Denton’s final act, in urging those who survived him to remember all the dead, was tied to his broader desire to preserve the legacy and memory of not just an individual, but also of those that came before him – of a family, a name, and a ‘House’.

[1] PROB 11/104/219, Will of William Denton of Chieveley, Berkshire, 22 June 1604

[2] Tara Hamling, ‘ “An Arelome To This Hous For Ever”: Monumental Fixtures and Furnishings in the English Domestic Interior, c.1560–c.1660’, in Andrew Gordon and Thomas Rist eds. The Arts of Remembrance In Early Modern England: Memorial Cultures of The Post Reformation (Routledge, 2013). p.83.

[3] Catherine Richardson, Domestic Life and Domestic Tragedy: The Material Life of the Household, (Manchester, 2006) p.76.

[4] Richard Cust, ‘The Material Culture of Lineage in Late Tudor and Early Stuart England’, in Catherine Richardson, Tara Hamling, David Gaimster eds. The Routledge Handbook of Material Culture in Early Modern Europe (Routledge, 2006)

Full transcription of the will of William Denton of Chieveley, Berkshire, 22 June 1604, PROB 11/104/219

PROB 11/104/219, Will of William Denton of Chieveley, Berkshire, 22 June 1604

Willi Denton

In the name of god Amen. I William Denton of Priors

Court in the parishe of Chiveley in the Countie of Berks Esquire being at this present time

in perfect state both in bodye and mind I praise god for the same, and yet waying w^th my

selfe the suddaine change that by gods providence daylie happeneth thereof doe therefore

ordaine and make this my last will and testament in maner and forme followinge ffirst

I bequeath my soule unto Almightie god my maker and creato^r, and my bodye to be

buried in Christian buriall hoping and assuredlie believinge of the resurrection of his only

sonne Jhesus Christ my onelie mediato^rand redeemer. And as concerninge the disposicion

of such temporall goodes, as it hath pleased god to blesse mee w^thall. my will and mind is

that they shalbe disposed in maner and forme followinge. ffirst I give unto the poore

people of Blackthorne, Ambersden, and Arnecott three powndes in money to be

distributed amongst them by the discretion of my brother Edward Denton w^thin one

moneth next after my decease. Item I give twentie shillinges unto the poore people in

iNorth Aston to be distributed amongst them by the discrecion of M^r William Shephard

there dwellinge wi^thin one moneth next after my decease. Item I give unto the poore people

of Curridge and Chiveley fortie shillinges to be distributed amongst them within one moneth

next after my decease by the discrecion of Mary my welbeloved wief w^thin one moneth

also next after my decease. Item I give unto John Denton my sonne my Ringe of gold w^th

my seale of Armes thereon and my Ringe w^th a Turques that was my ffathers. Item I

give unto him all my bookes both at London and Priors Court. Item I give unto him the

two great silver boles, and the two round silver boles newlye bought which have y^e

letters for my name on them, and the silver bole that hath the lres for his owne name

on yt and two of the three broad flatt boles that is parcell guilt, and the playne

silver salt that is ordinarilye at my table, and half a dozen of the better sort of silver

spoones beside his owne great guilt spoone. Item I give unto him the bedstead w^ththe

testerne valence and hanginges thereof of blew and white sea that is in the chamber

called the greene chamber and the greene cloth and border that the same chamber

is hanged w^th all, and the feather bed and bolster and two pillowes and the blanckettes

and coverledd that usually lieth thereon in the said chamber, and if this be given

away by my wief by any former graunt or guilt, then I give unto him the said John

Denton in lieu thereof the bedsteed testerne and hanginges and all the beddinge bolsters

and pillowes, coverlettes and blanckettes that art and usuallie be in the chamber, where I

my self and my wief doe lye, and the bedsteed and testerne featherbed and bolster and

the blanckettes and coverledd that usuallie lieth in the chamber within the same greene

Chamber, and two other new featherbeddes, w^th their bolsters, made sithence my mariage

and two paire of pillowes, and two payre of the better sort of ^woollenblackettes to them and one

of the best home-made coverlettes made sithence my marriage and two of the Irishe

Rugges. Item I give unto him the testerne and valence of blew and white Damaske

w^th the Curtaines of blew and white leven Taffata that I bought my self at Charelton

and the needle wrote chayre wrought with the honysuckles in yt made sithence my

marriage. And the two Cushions of needle worke wrought on the frame w^th my Armes

in them, and six other needle wrought Cushions of the better sort whereof one of them I bought

my selfe from Newberye by William Philliman and the longe Cushion of needle worke that

useth to stand in the great parlor windowe, the best Carpett of Arras or Tapestry worke

and the best Cubboord cloth of greene broad cloth with the border of needle worke wrought

on the frame and sett on the same and fringed with silk fringe, and the chayre of walnutt

tree that standeth in the great parlor, and the chayre of needle worke of honysuckles made

since my marriage and stand usuallie in the great chamber w^th all dependencies thereunto

Item I give unto him the table cloth of Damaske worke which I bought my selfe, and

the one half of all the better sort of my linnen that is in my wives owne custodie and in

the custodie of Katherin Goddard both sheetes, pillowbeares, table clothes, Cubberd

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Clothes, Towells and Napkins accordinglye as there ys a noate thereof of my owne hand

in my deske in my studye and my wief hath also another noat of the same and five payre of the

midle sort of Sheetes in the custodye of Katherine Goddard. Item I give unto him the one half

of all the better sorte of my pewter of all sorts, and of my Candlesticks accordinge to a note

alsoe of my owne hande and remayninge in my deske whereof alsoe my wief hath another in

her custodye. Item I give unto him the great Cipers Chest that standeth in the gallerye

and the two new wainscott Coffers that I bought of Thomas Lucas and my waynescott

presse that I also bought of him and my great trunke, and my litle trunck of Seale skynn

And all my timber of Oke and Ashe that is sawed for table plancks bedsteeds and other thinges

belonging unto them and all my halfe yuch boardes of waynescott. Item I give unto him

the short table that standeth in the hall w^th the frame and foorme thereunto and the Sq^uaire

table w^th the frame and Chayre that is in my studye at Prio^rs Court. Item I give unto him

the two new carpett Clothes of durance worke which I latelie bought, and also a paire of

Andirons tonge and fire shovell that w^th Copper heades and stand in the great chamber w^ch I

also latelie bought Item I alsoe give unto him all my beddinge and all thereunto belonging

Coffers and other goodes that I have in London and one obligacion and the benefitt thereof

wherein Richard Blanchard standeth bounde and unto mee in the some of three hundred xxx

powndes w^th a condicion that his sister Dorothy Blanchard should by a daye therin limited

make unto mee a release of ?xxs which was not performed accordinglye yt he deale hardlye

w^th him. Item I give unto him my gelding called Butcher. Item I give unto him my lease

and all my estate and interest in my ffarme of Sandford and the mill feild with all

other my pastures closes and meadowes in North Aston in the Countie of Oxon. And of

these thinges to him bequeathed I make him my sole Executo^r Item I give unto him and unto

my sonne Thomas Denton all my apparrell of all sortes to be devided between them as shall

seeme convenient by the discretion of Mary my welbeloved wief. Item I give unto the said

Thomas Denton the ringe w^th the seale of my mothers Comnizance thereon and the some

of two hundred powndes in money to be paied unto him by my Executo^r w^th in one moneth

or otherwise as tyme will serve after my decease. Item I give unto him one yerelie rent

of ten powndes by the yere out of the ffarme of Somertons and Mill Feild in North Aston

in the Countie of Oxon to be paied unto him at eyther of the feaste of Thannunciacion

of o^r blessed Ladye Mary the Virgin and Saint Michaell tharchangell which shall first

happen next after my decease by equally porcions w^thclause of distresse for non payment

w^thin twentie daies according to a deed or draft by mee thereof made unto him. Item I give

unto my daughter Anne Denton two hundred powndes in money to be paied unto her w^thin

one moneth after my decease by Mary my welbeloved wief, if it will please her to take

upon her to be my Execturix upon the Condicions hereafter mencioned. Item I give unto

the said Anne Denton two hundred pownde more to be paied unto her by fifitie pownde

a yere by John Denton my sonne out of the Manno^ror ffarme of Somertons in Northe

Aston in the countie of Oxon and all other my pastures closes and meadowes in Northaston

aforesaid whatsoever at two several payments, that is five and twentie powndes upon

the feast daie of Thannunciacion of o^r blessed Lady Mary the Virgin, and five and twentie

powndes more upon the feast daie of Saint Michaell tharchangell or w^thin twentie dayes

next after eyther of the said ffeaste daies of payment thereof accordinglie soe appointed as

aforesaid. The first payment thereof to be made at eyther of the said ffeastes which shall first

come and happen next after my decease and in default of payment thereof accordinglye.

That then yt shall and maie be lawfull to and for the said Anne Denton and hir Assignes

to enter in and upon the said ffarme, pastures, Closes, and meadowes or anye part or parcell

of them and eyther of them and there to distreyne for the same, or any part thereof togeth

w^th tharrerages thereof if any shall happen to be. Item I give unto Elizabeth Denton my

daughter fowre hundred powndes in money to be paied unto her at her full age of eightene

yeres by Marie my welbeloved wief if it will please her to take upon her to be executrix

upon the Condicions hereafter mencioned, and that the said Marye my welbeloved wife

shall in the meane time bringe her upp in meete and convenient sort, and to allowe and

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provide for her in convenient sorte meate drink and apparel or otherwise at the choise

of my said welbeloved wief to allow and give unto the said Elizabeth the some of twentie xx

powndes of lawfull English money yerelie until she the said Elizabeth Denton shall come unto

and accomplish her said full age of eighteen yeres to be paied unto her at two severall

paymentes by even and equall porcions that ys ten powndes upon the ffeast daie of the

Annunciacion of o^r blessed ladye Mary the Virgin and ten powndes more upon the ffeast daye of

St Michaell thearchangell. Item I give unto William Cox my Clerk ten powndes in mony

and to every of my yeomen in howshold twentie shillinges xxxxx ^{a piece} and black coates to all

my yeomen further my minde and will ys that the some of twentie powndes be bestowed

by my executo^rhereafter named for the settinge up of some monument of my deare and

loving ffather m^r John Denton in the Chauncell of the Church of Ambersden mencio=

ninge therein that he was the purrchaser of the manno^r of Ambersden and blackthorne

and the builder of the manno^rhowse of Amdersen and that my self as his sole executo^r

xx sed the same to be sett upp And of this my last will and testament whereof I have not

made any former Executor I ordaine and make my welbeloved brother Edward Denton

and my loving cozen S^r Thomas Denton knight and my loving brother in lawe M^r

Vincent Barry my Executo^rs of all the residue of my goodes and Chatelles, whereof I have

not before by this my present testament ordeyned and constituted my sonne John Denton

my sole Executo^r for the true and just execucion thereof and to take all the residue and

to paie all debtes and discharge all legacyes for and untill such time as Marye my xx

welbeloved wief shall become bownd unto them by her sufficient obligacion in the some

of one thowsand powndes, or otherwise by their discrecion for the satisfyenge payment

discharge of the said severall legacyes by me before given and bequeathed unto my said

children John Denton Thomas Denton Anne Denton, and Elizabeth Denton and the

bringinge upp of the said Elizabeth in good and convenient sort until her said age of

eightene yeres or otherwise to give and paie unto her twentie pownd yerelie untill

her said age accordinglie as is before mecioned and expressed, which beinge by the said

Mary my welbeloved wief done made and performed according to my playne intent &

meaninge. Then I doe by this my present last will and testament constitute ordayne and

make my said lovinge wief my sole executrix of this my last will and testament of all

the residue of my goodes and chattelles whereof I have not before by this my present

testament ordeyned and made my sonne John Denton my sole executo^r And doe give

and bequeath unto her all the residew of my goodes not before given or bequeathed or

meant and intended to be given and bequeathed. And the ordinarye ^{course of}charges in and

about my funerals being by her given, paied, allowed and discharged and she to paie

all and discharge all duties and legacies; And the nominating of the said Edward ~~

Denton Thomas Denton, and Vincent Boorye to be my executo^rs of this my last will

and testament to cease and determine in such sort as though they had never bene ~~

named but doe then ordaine them w^th hartie desire that they will take the paines

accordinglye to be the Overseers of this my last will and testament unto eyther of

whome my will and mind ys that there be Ringes of the value of fortie shillinges a peece

made and given w^ththis poesie ingraved remember the dead In witness whereof I have

subscribed my name this fowre and twentieth of Aprill one thousand six hundred thre

in the first yeare of the raigne of King James the first by the grace of god zce md that

the fowre and twentieth daie of Aprill in the yere of o^r Lord god one thowsand six

hundred fowre these eight leaves w^thin written were delivered unto the within

named John Denton by the within named William Denton close sealed as the last

will and testament of the said William Denton in the presence of William Coxe

William Hawkes and John Aslett. And the said will beinge soe sealed the last daie

of Aprill the yere above written was opened and unsealed in the presence of Edw.

Hirst Thomas Bruninge and William Cox. Be it knowne unto all men by

these presente That whereas mee S^r Thomas Denton of Hillesdon in the county

of Bucks knight, Edward Denton of Ambersden in the countie of Oxford esquire

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and Vincent Barry of Hampton Gaye in the said Countie of Oxon esquire were nominated

and appointed to be Executo^rs of the last will of William Denton of Priors court in the

Countie of Berk esquire untill such time as Marye his welbeloved wief should become

bownd unto us by her sufficient obligacion for the payment and discharge of the legacyes

therein bequeathed unto his fowre children John Denton Thomas Denton Ann Denton

and Elizabeth Denton and the bringing upp of the said Elizabeth or otherwise

to paie her twentie powndes yerelye as the said will more at large will appeare which

bond so to be made as aforesaid, the said Mary hath sealed and delivered unto us as her deede

for which consideracion and divers other good causes as hereunto especiallie movinge, knowe

ye further that wee the said S^rsThomas Denton, Edward Denton, and Vincent Barrye

are contented and well pleased that the said Mary shalbe and take upon him to be the

full and sole Executrix of the said last will and testament of the said William Denton in

as full and ample sort as wee the said Sr Thomas Denton, Edward Denton Vincent

Barrye or any of us might or could doe by vertue of the same will. And also doe

as and every of us by these presentes utterlye renounce and refuse to be Executors

of the said will In witness whereof wee have hereunto sett o^rhand and seales primo

die Junii Anno Regni domini mri Jacobi dei gra Anglie ffrancie et hitime Regis secundo et

Scotie tricesimo septimo Thomas Denton Edward Denton Vincent Barrye

Signed Sealed and delivered in the presence of Richard Blanchard John Herriet

William Coxe