{"id":4257,"date":"2025-11-14T13:34:53","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T13:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?page_id=4257"},"modified":"2026-01-19T08:02:50","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T08:02:50","slug":"wills-as-songs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wills-as-songs\/","title":{"rendered":"Wills as Songs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong>***NEWSFLASH: Chris Hoban is releasing an album titled A TIME OF MINDING***<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We are thrilled to bring you the news that Chris is recording an album of songs written and composed by by him as Creative Fellow on the wills project. If you would like an email notifying you of when the album is released (with a link to purchase) please add your name and email address to <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLScY_ITuoTNXgzC9VPLJp8xSVKHh1Inn-C9eNFBSllqoKbGdDQ\/viewform\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">this online form<\/a> &#8211; your email will not be used for any other purposes. The form also contains a link to the complete lyrics to the album! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:9px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"131\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner1-1024x131.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4299\" style=\"width:1450px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner1-1024x131.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner1-300x38.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner1-768x99.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner1-1536x197.png 1536w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner1-2048x263.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">What happens if you bring an artist together with academic researchers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the University of Exeter, we are in the privileged position of being able to answer this question, since our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Arts and Culture<\/a> team offer unique <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk\/creative-fellowship\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&#8216;Creative Fellowships&#8217;<\/a> &#8211; short term placements that bring creative practitioners into research settings to explore artistic and academic process. In late 2024 the Co-Investigator on the wills project, Dr Laura Sangha, was chosen as a host for one of these Exeter Arts and Culture Creative Fellows. She collaborated with the composer, arranger, songwriter and performer <a href=\"https:\/\/chrishoban.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chris Hoban<\/a> during a six month placement from January &#8211; June 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike arts funding in the form of commissions, Arts and Culture fellowships are exploratory placements that use current research as a springboard for conversation, reflection and collaborative development of ideas. This page is a record of how Laura and Chris&#8217; collaboration developed, and what they got up to for their project <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk\/creative-fellowship\/will-as-windows-to-past-lives\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&#8216;Wills as Windows onto Past Lives&#8217;<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div ><style>#sp-ea-4305 .spcollapsing { height: 0; overflow: hidden; transition-property: height;transition-duration: 300ms;}#sp-ea-4305.sp-easy-accordion>.sp-ea-single {margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #e2e2e2; }#sp-ea-4305.sp-easy-accordion>.sp-ea-single>.ea-header a {color: #444;}#sp-ea-4305.sp-easy-accordion>.sp-ea-single>.sp-collapse>.ea-body {background: #fff; color: #444;}#sp-ea-4305.sp-easy-accordion>.sp-ea-single {background: #eee;}#sp-ea-4305.sp-easy-accordion>.sp-ea-single>.ea-header a .ea-expand-icon { float: left; color: #444;font-size: 16px;}<\/style><div id=\"sp_easy_accordion-1763190771\"><div id=\"sp-ea-4305\" class=\"sp-ea-one sp-easy-accordion\" data-ea-active=\"ea-click\" data-ea-mode=\"vertical\" data-preloader=\"\" data-scroll-active-item=\"\" data-offset-to-scroll=\"0\"><div class=\"ea-card sp-ea-single\"><h3 class=\"ea-header\"><a class=\"collapsed\" id=\"ea-header-43050\" role=\"button\" data-sptoggle=\"spcollapse\" data-sptarget=\"#collapse43050\" aria-controls=\"collapse43050\" href=\"#\" aria-expanded=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"ea-expand-icon eap-icon-ea-expand-plus\"><\/i> The Wills That Inspired Songs<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"sp-collapse spcollapse spcollapse\" id=\"collapse43050\" data-parent=\"#sp-ea-4305\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"ea-header-43050\"> <div class=\"ea-body\"><h3><strong>Song<\/strong>: <strong>Month\u2019s Mynde<\/strong><\/h3><p><strong>Will<\/strong>: Thomas Hunte or Hunt, Alderman of Exeter, Devon, 5 July 1548. PROB 11\/32\/164.<\/p><p><strong>Blog post with full will transcription and song lyrics<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/2024\/09\/24\/will-of-the-month-an-alderman-of-exeter-and-his-locked-box\/\">An Alderman of Exeter and his locked box<\/a><\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><h3><strong>Song: Fellows in Service<\/strong><\/h3><p><strong>Will: <\/strong>Margaret Cooke of Hornchurch, Essex, 31 March 1552. PROB 11\/35\/123.<\/p><p><strong>Blog post with full will transcription and song lyrics: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/2025\/05\/27\/will-of-the-month-a-tudor-lady-in-waiting-and-her-missing-book-of-hours\/\">A Tudor Lady-in-Waiting and her missing \u2018Book of Hours\u2019<\/a><\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><h3><strong>Song: Scrivener\u2019s Blues<\/strong><\/h3><p><strong>Will: <\/strong>John Tylney, Scrivener of Bury Saint Edmunds, Suffolk, 3 October 1552. PROB 11\/35\/311.<\/p><p><strong>Blog post with full will transcription and song lyrics: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/2024\/05\/21\/will-of-the-month-a-suffolk-scrivener-and-his-second-best-trousers\/\">A Suffolk \u2018Scrivener\u2019 and his second-best trousers<\/a><\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><h3><strong>Song: The House of Denton, O!<\/strong><\/h3><p><strong>Will<\/strong>: William Denton of Chieveley, Berkshire, 22 June 1604. PROB 11\/104\/219.<\/p><p><strong>Blog post with full will transcription and song lyrics:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/2025\/01\/28\/will-of-the-month-a-berkshire-gentleman-and-his-object-histories\/\">A Berkshire Gentleman and his object histories<\/a><\/p><h3><strong><br \/>Song: Blow His Old Trumpet<\/strong><\/h3><p><strong>Will:<\/strong> John Lux of Powderham, Devon &#8211; Mariner &amp; Trumpeter, 20 September 1609. PROB 11\/115\/255.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk\/details\/r\/D915660\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Link to The National Archives copy of this will<\/a>.<\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><h3><strong>Song: Fairest Winds<\/strong><\/h3><p><strong>Will:<\/strong> [Rear Admiral] Thomas Trenchfield, St Mary Cray, Kent, 21 October 1656. PROB 11\/258\/444.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk\/details\/r\/D812782\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Link to The National Archives copy of this will.\u00a0<\/a><\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><h3><strong>Song: Lay My Body Down<\/strong><\/h3><p><strong>Wills: <\/strong>James Liddell, Gentleman of Lacock, Wiltshire, 04 June 1664. PROB 11\/314\/179. Richard Fuller, Sexton of Saint Dunstan in the East, London, 27 May 1680. PROB-11-362-608. &amp; others.<\/p><p><strong>Blog post with full will transcription and song lyrics: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/2025\/04\/22\/will-of-the-month-a-wiltshire-gentleman-and-his-funeral-pall\/\">A Wiltshire Gentleman and his funeral pall<\/a><\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><h3><strong>Song:<\/strong> <strong>The Rings on my Fingers<\/strong><\/h3><p><strong>Will: <\/strong>Will of Alice Walter, Widow of Saint Sepulchre, City of London, 04 September 1665. PROB 11\/317\/428.<\/p><p><strong>Blog post with full will transcription and song lyrics<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/2024\/10\/29\/will-of-the-month-alice-walter-and-her-deaths-head-ring\/\">Alice Walter and Her \u2018Deaths Head\u2019 Ring<\/a><\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><h3><strong>Song: Sonnes of the Boddy<\/strong><\/h3><p><strong>Will:<\/strong> John Allen, Gentleman of Knightsbridge, 31 December 1666. PROB 11\/322\/532.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk\/details\/r\/D806047\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Link to The National Archives copy of this will.\u00a0<\/a><\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><h3><strong>Song: Anniseed Clear <\/strong><\/h3><p><strong>Will:<\/strong> Edward Betenson of Wimbledon in the County of Surrey, 04 April 1690 (proved 19 March 1700). PROB 11\/455\/48.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk\/details\/r\/D640689\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Link to The National Archives copy of this will.\u00a0<\/a><\/p><p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><h3><strong>Song: Naughty, Nasty Persons<\/strong><\/h3><p><strong>Will:<\/strong> Whitelock Bulstrode of Heston, Middlesex, 16 May 1723. PROB 11\/601\/90.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk\/details\/r\/D629805\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Link to The National Archives copy of this will.\u00a0<\/a><\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><h3><strong>Song: No Satten Hatbands<\/strong><\/h3><p><strong>Will:<\/strong> Emily Rogers, Widow of Pilton, Devon, 01 September 1785. PROB 11\/1134\/4.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk\/details\/r\/D418111\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Link to The National Archives copy of this will.\u00a0<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ea-card sp-ea-single\"><h3 class=\"ea-header\"><a class=\"collapsed\" id=\"ea-header-43051\" role=\"button\" data-sptoggle=\"spcollapse\" data-sptarget=\"#collapse43051\" aria-controls=\"collapse43051\" href=\"#\" aria-expanded=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"ea-expand-icon eap-icon-ea-expand-plus\"><\/i> Laura&#8217;s Blog Posts<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"sp-collapse spcollapse spcollapse\" id=\"collapse43051\" data-parent=\"#sp-ea-4305\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"ea-header-43051\"> <div class=\"ea-body\"><p><strong><em>Explore the collaboration from Laura Sangha&#8217;s point of view in these three blog posts.<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?attachment_id=4311\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4311\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4311 \" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1842\" height=\"236\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner.png 7313w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-300x38.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-1024x131.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-768x99.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-1536x197.png 1536w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-2048x263.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1842px) 100vw, 1842px\" \/><\/a><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/2025\/02\/10\/the-wills-project-welcomes-creative-fellow-chris-hoban\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Wills Project Welcomes Creative Fellow Chris Hoban<\/a> &#8211; &#8216;in regular conversations we are sketching out our shared areas of interest, those themes and features of wills that most catch our eyes (and ears)&#8217;. A blog post by Laura written early in the fellowship explaining why she applied and how she and Chris had begun. Includes coverage of a trip to The National Archives in Kew to see original wills in person.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?attachment_id=4317\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4317\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4317\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1850\" height=\"237\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-1.png 7313w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-1-300x38.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-1-1024x131.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-1-768x99.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-1-1536x197.png 1536w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-1-2048x263.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1850px) 100vw, 1850px\" \/><\/a><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/2025\/09\/09\/history-and-art-history-as-art\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">History and Art \/ Art as History<\/a> &#8211; &#8216;The work of transforming the stuff that survives from the past (texts, objects, landscapes, buildings \u2026) into histories is a creative act, just as much as the process of turning it into a song, an illustration or a conversation.&#8217; A blog post by Laura written at the end of the fellowship reflecting on everything that had happened. Includes coverage of a trip to the Victoria and Albert Museum and a Linocut Print Workshop.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?attachment_id=4319\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4319\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4319\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/PER-post.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1850\" height=\"237\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/PER-post.png 7313w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/PER-post-300x38.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/PER-post-1024x131.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/PER-post-768x99.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/PER-post-1536x197.png 1536w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/PER-post-2048x263.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1850px) 100vw, 1850px\" \/><\/a><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/per\/2025\/09\/29\/whats-in-a-will-using-public-engagement-to-add-depth-to-a-project\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">What&#8217;s in a Will? Using Public Engagement to Add Depth to a Project<\/a> &#8211; &#8216;I\u2019ve been working with Chris Hoban, a musician and creative practitioner, and he wanted to think of what we were doing as a three-way dialogue: me, him, and the testators&#8217;. An interview with Laura where she discusses public engagement with the wills project generally.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ea-card sp-ea-single\"><h3 class=\"ea-header\"><a class=\"collapsed\" id=\"ea-header-43052\" role=\"button\" data-sptoggle=\"spcollapse\" data-sptarget=\"#collapse43052\" aria-controls=\"collapse43052\" href=\"#\" aria-expanded=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"ea-expand-icon eap-icon-ea-expand-plus\"><\/i> Chris&#8217; Reflective Diary<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"sp-collapse spcollapse spcollapse\" id=\"collapse43052\" data-parent=\"#sp-ea-4305\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"ea-header-43052\"> <div class=\"ea-body\"><p><strong><em>To capture his side of the collaboration, Chris Hoban wrote three reflective diary entries. <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?attachment_id=4323\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4323\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4323\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1842\" height=\"236\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-2.png 7313w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-2-300x38.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-2-1024x131.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-2-768x99.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-2-1536x197.png 1536w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Top-banner-2-2048x263.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1842px) 100vw, 1842px\" \/><\/a><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk\/news\/wills-as-windows-on-to-past-lives-reflection-diary-february\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">February Diary Entry<\/a>: &#8216;I am squinting at a photocopy, of a microfilm copy, of a scrivener\u2019s copy, of a seventeenth century will&#8230;&#8217;. Chris muses about our visit to The National Archives, the materiality of wills, printed ballads, a widow from North Devon, and the challenges of transforming historical documents into music.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?attachment_id=4325\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4325\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4325\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Reflection-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1842\" height=\"236\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Reflection-2.png 7313w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Reflection-2-300x38.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Reflection-2-1024x131.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Reflection-2-768x99.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Reflection-2-1536x197.png 1536w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Reflection-2-2048x263.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1842px) 100vw, 1842px\" \/><\/a><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk\/news\/wills-as-windows-on-to-past-lives-reflection-diary-march\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">March Diary Entry<\/a>: &#8216;Some voices require careful attention in order to be \u2018heard\u2019. Others blaze from the rooftops&#8230;&#8217;. In this post Chris gives us an insight into how he works, considers the different voices that emerge from wills and the sometimes very surprising stories that get related by testators. He also shares some lyrics inspired by the will of a seventeeth-century mariner.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?attachment_id=4327\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4327\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4327\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Reflection-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1842\" height=\"236\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Reflection-3.png 7313w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Reflection-3-300x38.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Reflection-3-1024x131.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Reflection-3-768x99.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Reflection-3-1536x197.png 1536w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Reflection-3-2048x263.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1842px) 100vw, 1842px\" \/><\/a><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk\/news\/chris-hoban-april-reflection-diary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">April Diary Entry<\/a>: &#8216;One will jumped out at me, because of the very unusual repetitive number patterns which were cited over and over again in the list of bequests &#8211; not to people who existed, but who might exist in the future&#8230;&#8217;. In this post Chris discusses some of the stories in the wills that have caught his eye, and he shares more of his wills inspired lyrics.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ea-card sp-ea-single\"><h3 class=\"ea-header\"><a class=\"collapsed\" id=\"ea-header-43053\" role=\"button\" data-sptoggle=\"spcollapse\" data-sptarget=\"#collapse43053\" aria-controls=\"collapse43053\" href=\"#\" aria-expanded=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"ea-expand-icon eap-icon-ea-expand-plus\"><\/i> Linocut Workshop<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"sp-collapse spcollapse spcollapse\" id=\"collapse43053\" data-parent=\"#sp-ea-4305\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"ea-header-43053\"> <div class=\"ea-body\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?attachment_id=4329\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4329\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4329\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Linocut-workshop.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"7313\" height=\"938\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Linocut-workshop.png 7313w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Linocut-workshop-300x38.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Linocut-workshop-1024x131.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Linocut-workshop-768x99.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Linocut-workshop-1536x197.png 1536w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Linocut-workshop-2048x263.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 7313px) 100vw, 7313px\" \/><\/a><\/p><p>In the course of their conversations, Chris and Laura often returned to early modern ballads, the most popular form of music in early modern England. Ballads were hugely popular &#8211; the pop songs of the day &#8211; and they have therefore become a vital source of evidence for historians, particularly those interested in England\u2019s cultural landscape and people&#8217;s everyday lives. These ballads linked the oral culture of the majority with the literate world of the written word, since the lyrics were not only sung, but were also printed and sold as \u2018balladsheets\u2019. These were very cheap, one-page publications, which were very often illustrated with a woodcut image. Below are two original balladsheets &#8211; these are from the <a href=\"https:\/\/ebba.english.ucsb.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">English Broadside Ballad Archive,<\/a> where you can view hundreds more examples, and even listen to recordings!<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?attachment_id=4333\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4333\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4333 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Ballad-egs.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"980\" height=\"306\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Ballad-egs.png 2500w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Ballad-egs-300x94.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Ballad-egs-1024x320.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Ballad-egs-768x240.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Ballad-egs-1536x480.png 1536w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Ballad-egs-2048x640.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 980px) 100vw, 980px\" \/><\/a><\/p><p>Chris and Laura were reflecting on the ballads\u2019 combination of text, tune and image and started to wonder what adding a visual element to their own collaboration would bring \u2013 what if people were given some of Chris&#8217; lyrics sparked by the wills and were asked in turn to draw on their creativity to illustrate them? The Arts and Culture team put the duo in contact with Emma Maloney of Exeter\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.doubleelephant.org.uk\/\">Double Elephant Print Workshop<\/a> and she expertly assisted them to organise a print workshop at the University of Exeter on a sunny day in May 2025 where attendees did just that. Participants were given wills and lyrics to read in advance, and were asked to create a linocut (much quicker and easier to work with than wood) that would illustrate one of Chris&#8217; songs.<a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?attachment_id=4347\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4347\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4347\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"6250\" height=\"1359\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design.png 6250w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design-300x65.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design-1024x223.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design-768x167.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design-1536x334.png 1536w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design-2048x445.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 6250px) 100vw, 6250px\" \/><\/a>On the day Chris performed some of the songs that participants were illustrating, the first time any of them had been aired. Afterwards everyone got stuck in with their carving tools and ink rollers. The attendees outdid themselves, creating the beautiful prints that illustrate this page and which can be seen below in all their glory. Many illustrators drew inspiration from \u2018The Rings on My Fingers\u2019, Chris\u2019 song inspired by the will of Alice Walter, a widow of London who died in 1665. A halyard shanty about a Devon mariner who sold his trumpet so that his crewmates could have a party also proved popular, as did the very traditional memento mori motif, the grinning skull.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?attachment_id=4379\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4379\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4379 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2015\" height=\"1424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design1.png 2000w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design1-300x212.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design1-1024x724.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design1-768x543.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design1-1536x1086.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2015px) 100vw, 2015px\" \/><\/a><\/p><p><em>Prints created by (from top left-right): Esme Thompsett (hand with 3 rings above); Emily Vine (4 grinning skulls); Kit Barton (ship in colour); Laura Sangha (shield); Jane Tozer (black and white ship); Fiona Rourke (hand); Kit Barton (4 rings); Kate Watson (red ring); Sarah-Jayne Ainsworth (gold rings motif); Jane Witkin (trumpet player). <\/em><\/p><p>After the workshop Laura used Chris&#8217; song lyrics and prints produced at the workshop to create an Arts and Culture ballad &#8211; The House of Denton, O!<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?attachment_id=4349\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4349\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4349 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-House-of-Denton-O.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1041\" height=\"736\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-House-of-Denton-O.png 2000w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-House-of-Denton-O-300x212.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-House-of-Denton-O-1024x724.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-House-of-Denton-O-768x543.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-House-of-Denton-O-1536x1086.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" \/><\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ea-card sp-ea-single\"><h3 class=\"ea-header\"><a class=\"collapsed\" id=\"ea-header-43054\" role=\"button\" data-sptoggle=\"spcollapse\" data-sptarget=\"#collapse43054\" aria-controls=\"collapse43054\" href=\"#\" aria-expanded=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"ea-expand-icon eap-icon-ea-expand-plus\"><\/i> An Evening of Stories and Songs<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"sp-collapse spcollapse spcollapse\" id=\"collapse43054\" data-parent=\"#sp-ea-4305\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"ea-header-43054\"> <div class=\"ea-body\"><p><strong><br \/>&#8216;An Evening of Stories and Songs&#8217; took place at the Devon and Exeter Institute on the Cathedral Green on a very hot evening in June 2025.<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?attachment_id=4401\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4401\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4401\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Credit-Steven-Haywood_edit.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1430\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Credit-Steven-Haywood_edit.png 2500w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Credit-Steven-Haywood_edit-300x172.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Credit-Steven-Haywood_edit-1024x586.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Credit-Steven-Haywood_edit-768x439.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Credit-Steven-Haywood_edit-1536x879.png 1536w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Credit-Steven-Haywood_edit-2048x1171.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\" \/><\/a>Chris and Laura&#8217;s Arts and Culture collaboration has been exciting, surprising, challenging and extraordinarily enriching. It sent them off in many different directions \u2013 to a trumpeter\u2019s ship, to plague ridden London, to the house of an Exeter alderman with a tombstone in the hall, and to the Devon coast to collect seaweed. Along the way they talked to other historians, to archivists, to other creative practitioners and more. As the collaboration drew to its official close, they decided they would like nothing more than to share its fruits with a wider audience, including many of the people they had encountered during their explorations. They therefore put together a joint performance that wove history with music.<\/p><p><em>Full story coming soon!\u00a0<\/em><\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"hUlnq0WDnk\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.exeter.ac.uk\/faculty-of-humanities-arts-and-social-sciences\/archaeology-and-history\/research-project-investigating-material-culture-and-historic-wills-inspires-night-of-history-and-music\/\">Research project investigating material culture and historic wills inspires night of history and music<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><p><div class=\"iframe-container\"><iframe class=\"embed-responsive-item\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Research project investigating material culture and historic wills inspires night of history and music&#8221; &#8212; University of Exeter News\" src=\"https:\/\/news.exeter.ac.uk\/faculty-of-humanities-arts-and-social-sciences\/archaeology-and-history\/research-project-investigating-material-culture-and-historic-wills-inspires-night-of-history-and-music\/embed\/#?secret=pBPWKttYx0#?secret=hUlnq0WDnk\" data-secret=\"hUlnq0WDnk\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ea-card sp-ea-single\"><h3 class=\"ea-header\"><a class=\"collapsed\" id=\"ea-header-43055\" role=\"button\" data-sptoggle=\"spcollapse\" data-sptarget=\"#collapse43055\" aria-controls=\"collapse43055\" href=\"#\" aria-expanded=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"ea-expand-icon eap-icon-ea-expand-plus\"><\/i> FUTURES: Festival of Discovery<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"sp-collapse spcollapse spcollapse\" id=\"collapse43055\" data-parent=\"#sp-ea-4305\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"ea-header-43055\"> <div class=\"ea-body\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?attachment_id=4389\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4389\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4389\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"4250\" height=\"1063\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design2.png 4250w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design2-300x75.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design2-1024x256.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design2-768x192.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design2-1536x384.png 1536w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Untitled-design2-2048x512.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4250px) 100vw, 4250px\" \/><\/a><\/p><p>Following their very successful evening performance at the Devon and Exeter Institution Chris and Laura were invited to bring their histoy and music to the FUTURES: Festival of Discovery 2025. The Festival showcases research happening across the south west of England, with events taking place in Exeter, Bristol, Plymouth and Bath. Though the event took place after the end of the Arts and Culture fellowship, they once again generously supported the collaboration by providing additional funding.<\/p><p>Chris and Laura performed their &#8216;Stories and Songs&#8217; on stage in the Phoenix Arts Centre in Exeter city centre. Chris once again managed to put together a stellar ensemble of musicians to bring his compositions to life, and there was a really excellent turnout &#8211; more than a hundred people came to the Auditorium to learn more about the wills and see and hear Chris&#8217; songs performed.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?attachment_id=4391\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4391\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4391 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/1000034509-e1763231194934.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"637\" height=\"542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/1000034509-e1763231194934.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/1000034509-e1763231194934-300x255.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/1000034509-e1763231194934-1024x870.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/1000034509-e1763231194934-768x653.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 637px) 100vw, 637px\" \/><\/a><\/p><p><strong><br \/>Chris Hoban<\/strong> (accordian, guitar, vocals).<br \/><strong><br \/>Matthew Aaronson<\/strong> (guitar), <strong>Serena Rosewood<\/strong> (recorder) from Exeter University Folk Society.<br \/><strong><br \/>Paul Kolendo<\/strong> (violin 1), <strong>Imogen Cleary <\/strong>(violin 2), <strong>Tristan Tatum<\/strong> (viola), <strong>Caspar Herberg<\/strong> (cello) from Exeter University Symphony Orchestra.<br \/><strong><br \/>Roger Webster<\/strong>, Topsham&#8217;s notable Hurdy-Gurdy player<br \/><strong><br \/>Laura Sangha<\/strong>, historical interludes.<\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><p><strong>What the Audience said:<\/strong><\/p><ul><li class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">\u201cThe Stories + Songs performance was wonderful. What a great way to bring history to life\u201d<\/span><\/li><li class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">\u201cGenius way of [presenting] old and new. Relatable in many ways.\u201d<\/span><\/li><li class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">\u201c Very inventive, informative + creative!\u201d<\/span><\/li><li class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">\u201cThe creativity was fantastic, it really brought the history to life\u201d<\/span><\/li><li class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">\u201cMuch better than expected! Brilliant\u201d<\/span><\/li><li class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">\u201cThoroughly enjoyed! It was engaging, interesting &amp; fun! The songs really captured the individuals\u2019 characters &amp; made me feel like I knew them! What a unique &amp; cool project idea \u2013 it was really fab\u201d<\/span><\/li><li class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">\u201cThis was so good \u2013 disseminating research through music. Very unique. Thanks!\u201d<\/span><\/li><li class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">\u201cfantastic afternoon \u2013 would like to know if there are any CDs of Chris\u2019 music,\u201d<\/span><\/li><li class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">\u201cI wasn\u2019t sure what to expect but I was truly blown away by the originality &amp; talent. Looking forward to finding out more about the Wills project!\u201d<\/span><\/li><li class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">\u201cThe combination of the information and songs worked really well together. I would like it to have gone on &amp; on. Great to have all the musicians too.\u201d<\/span><\/li><li class=\"cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body\"><span class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">\u201cLoved the quartet!\u201d<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?attachment_id=4397\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4397\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4397\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-Lost-Sound1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"6250\" height=\"1359\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-Lost-Sound1.png 6250w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-Lost-Sound1-300x65.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-Lost-Sound1-1024x223.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-Lost-Sound1-768x167.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-Lost-Sound1-1536x334.png 1536w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-Lost-Sound1-2048x445.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 6250px) 100vw, 6250px\" \/><\/a><\/p><p><strong>Press<\/strong><\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"c3ICdEI3qn\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.exeter.ac.uk\/faculty-of-environment-science-and-economy\/exeter-academics-lead-free-public-festival-of-inspiring-science-and-culture\/\">Free public festival of inspiring science and culture this month with the University of Exeter<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><p><div class=\"iframe-container\"><iframe class=\"embed-responsive-item\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Free public festival of inspiring science and culture this month with the University of Exeter&#8221; &#8212; University of Exeter News\" src=\"https:\/\/news.exeter.ac.uk\/faculty-of-environment-science-and-economy\/exeter-academics-lead-free-public-festival-of-inspiring-science-and-culture\/embed\/#?secret=zE8NUHkCDx#?secret=c3ICdEI3qn\" data-secret=\"c3ICdEI3qn\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"S74N0esrqH\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/per\/2025\/11\/10\/lights-camera-action-performance-and-film-at-the-futures-festival\/\">Lights, Camera, Action! Performance and Film at the FUTURES Festival<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><p><div class=\"iframe-container\"><iframe class=\"embed-responsive-item\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Lights, Camera, Action! Performance and Film at the FUTURES Festival&#8221; &#8212; Public Engagement with Research (PER) at the University of Exeter\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/per\/2025\/11\/10\/lights-camera-action-performance-and-film-at-the-futures-festival\/embed\/#?secret=4Ti6AlbiF9#?secret=S74N0esrqH\" data-secret=\"S74N0esrqH\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ea-card sp-ea-single\"><h3 class=\"ea-header\"><a class=\"collapsed\" id=\"ea-header-43056\" role=\"button\" data-sptoggle=\"spcollapse\" data-sptarget=\"#collapse43056\" aria-controls=\"collapse43056\" href=\"#\" aria-expanded=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"ea-expand-icon eap-icon-ea-expand-plus\"><\/i> John Lux goes to Sidmouth Folk Festival 2025<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"sp-collapse spcollapse spcollapse\" id=\"collapse43056\" data-parent=\"#sp-ea-4305\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"ea-header-43056\"> <div class=\"ea-body\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?attachment_id=4395\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4395\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4395\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-Lost-Sound.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"6250\" height=\"1359\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-Lost-Sound.png 6250w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-Lost-Sound-300x65.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-Lost-Sound-1024x223.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-Lost-Sound-768x167.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-Lost-Sound-1536x334.png 1536w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/The-Lost-Sound-2048x445.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 6250px) 100vw, 6250px\" \/><\/a><\/p><p>Chris is a regular at the legendary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/c9wyl2r44gjo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sidmouth Folk Festival<\/a>, which has taken place in the Devon coastal town in the first week of August every year since 1955, attracting tens of thousands of visitors each time. In 2025 Chris returned to the festival to perform alongside<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelostsound.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> The Lost Sound: Dartmoor Folk Choir<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/steveknightley.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Steve Knightley<\/a> in a packed main tent on the Ham. One of the songs he peformed with The Lost Sound was\u00a0<strong>\u2018Blow his Old Trumpet\u2019, <\/strong>his halyard shanty based on the will of a seafarer and ship\u2019s trumpeter called <strong>John Lux (PROB 11\/115\/255)<\/strong>. John Lux was from the parish of Powderham in Devon, just up the road from the University of Exeter, and he made his will in 1609 <span data-contrast=\"auto\">near the start of the reign of James I.<\/span><\/p><p>This rough footage, recorded from the audience by Laura, captures the magic that happens when Chris performs the song. As the audience joins in to sing the refrain and wish John Lux a health, a direct connection between Devonians past and present is made &#8211; John wished his fellow seafarers to make merry after his death, and we in turn now honour his wish by remembering his life. For a full performance of the song see the &#8216;Recording&#8217; section below.<\/p><div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\"><div class=\"iframe-container\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"embed-responsive-item\" title=\"Chris Hoban, &#039;Blow his Old Trumpet&#039; at Sidmouth Folk Festival.\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/a0R4cBVIFao?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><p>&nbsp;<\/p><div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\"><div class=\"iframe-container\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"embed-responsive-item\" title=\"Chris Hoban, &#039;Blow his Old Trumpet&#039; (end), at Sidmouth Folk Festival.\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Cd8gC9pImLE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><p>&nbsp;<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ea-card sp-ea-single\"><h3 class=\"ea-header\"><a class=\"collapsed\" id=\"ea-header-43057\" role=\"button\" data-sptoggle=\"spcollapse\" data-sptarget=\"#collapse43057\" aria-controls=\"collapse43057\" href=\"#\" aria-expanded=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"ea-expand-icon eap-icon-ea-expand-plus\"><\/i> Recording: Wills as Songs on the Radio<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"sp-collapse spcollapse spcollapse\" id=\"collapse43057\" data-parent=\"#sp-ea-4305\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"ea-header-43057\"> <div class=\"ea-body\"><p><strong><em>In October 2025 Chris was invited onto Exeter&#8217;s local community radio station, Phonic FM. He talked about his collaboration with Laura and the wills project team, and played two songs inspired by wills.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p><p>The first song was <strong>&#8216;The Rings on My Fingers&#8217;.<\/strong> This s<span data-contrast=\"auto\">ong has its roots into the will of the London widow <\/span><strong>Alice Walter (TNA PROB 11\/317\/428)<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, proved in 1665 &#8211; you can read Emily Vine&#8217;s blog post about the will and see a full transcription <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/2024\/10\/29\/will-of-the-month-alice-walter-and-her-deaths-head-ring\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>. Laura is also particularly interested in this will as she is writing a chapter on finger rings for the project&#8217;s edited collection of essays. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As you will see the lyric really captures how the objects people owned carried meaning, conveyed emotions and were used to navigate personal relationships. This is particularly true of rings, which were the most commonly owned and bequeathed item of jewellery from the top to the bottom of society. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">These wearable personal items were more intimate and higher status gifts because they had a physical connection to the body of the deceased and were a direct link to them. It\u2019s not surprising to find that testators often referred to rings in personal and unique terms, as Alice does, allowing us to learn a lot about their function, their previous owners, and their sentimental and symbolic importance.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\"><div class=\"iframe-container\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"embed-responsive-item\" title=\"Chris Hoban - Rings On My Fingers (one )\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OXwB1-7n4nI?start=75&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><p>&nbsp;<\/p><p>The second song that Chris performed was a complete contrast: <strong>&#8216;Blow his Old Trumpet&#8217;<\/strong> was based on the will of a seafarer and ship&#8217;s trumpeter called <strong>John Lux (PROB 11\/115\/255)<\/strong>. John was from the parish of Powderham in Devon, just up the road from the University of Exeter, and he made his will in 1609 <span data-contrast=\"auto\">near the start of the reign of James I. His very short testament is one of <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">a set of wills of Powderham mariners that are in The National Archives collection, a reminder of the importance of the sea to early modern Devonians.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">John is one of the most humble testators that feature in Chris&#8217; songs, he had very few possessions to his name. Since John appointed his brother as executor of his will, and he left his assets to men of his ship\u2019s company it is likely that he was a bachelor. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">John\u2019s will touchingly evokes the community of fellows that made up his extended family \u2013 the ship\u2019s surgeon receives five shillings, and the ship\u2019s master, his mate and many others of the ships company are witnesses to the will. The unique bond that existed between these men rings out through John\u2019s wish that the company should \u2018drinke and be merrye withall\u2019 after his death, and the spirit of that line carries straight through to Chris\u2019 composition. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\"><div class=\"iframe-container\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"embed-responsive-item\" title=\"Chris Hoban - Blow His Old Trumpet (two )\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_pM5i1MiU5M?start=10&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><p>&nbsp;<\/p><p>You can also listen to the full recording of the show below &#8211; but as this was recorded on a phone the sound quality is not as good as the clips above. You do get to hear Chris talk about another of his projects, as the <a href=\"https:\/\/quaywords.org.uk\/residencies\/chris-hoban-autumn-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Writer-in-Residence for Quay Words<\/a> for Autumn 2025 &#8211; Chris is creating a series of songs inspired by the history of Exeter Quay and the River Exe.<\/p><div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\"><div class=\"iframe-container\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"embed-responsive-item\" title=\"Chris Hoban on Phonic FM - complete sound file\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vGEGP4UfyyI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ea-card sp-ea-single\"><h3 class=\"ea-header\"><a class=\"collapsed\" id=\"ea-header-43058\" role=\"button\" data-sptoggle=\"spcollapse\" data-sptarget=\"#collapse43058\" aria-controls=\"collapse43058\" href=\"#\" aria-expanded=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"ea-expand-icon eap-icon-ea-expand-plus\"><\/i> A Time of Minding: Singing the Wills at Topsham Folk Club<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"sp-collapse spcollapse spcollapse\" id=\"collapse43058\" data-parent=\"#sp-ea-4305\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"ea-header-43058\"> <div class=\"ea-body\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?attachment_id=8015\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8015\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8015 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Time-of-minding.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"324\" height=\"458\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Time-of-minding.jpg 905w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Time-of-minding-212x300.jpg 212w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Time-of-minding-724x1024.jpg 724w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/Time-of-minding-768x1086.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 324px) 100vw, 324px\" \/><\/a><br \/><strong>On Sunday 18 January 2026, Chris Hoban was joined by classical and folk musicians for &#8216;A Time of Minding: Singing the Wills of England&#8217;, presented by the legendary Topsham Folk Club.<\/strong><\/p><p>Chris and his band (The Executors!) enthralled a sold out crowd in Matthews Hall, retelling in music the moving, joyful and absorbing stories of English wills. They were joined by actor Martin Reeve, who read extracts from the wills that inspired the music, adding a vital new dimension to what was an extraordinary evening. The audience, laughed, gasped, sang and perhaps even shed a tear as we remembered and honoured the lives of our testators.<\/p><p><strong>Chris Hoban<\/strong>, vocals, accordion, guitar<br \/><strong>Paul Downes<\/strong>, acoustic guitar, banjo, mandocello<br \/><strong>Cordelia Morris<\/strong>, flute, recorder<br \/><strong>Adrian Balletto<\/strong>, electric guitar<br \/><strong>Roger Webster<\/strong>, hurdy gurdy<br \/><strong>Lizi Thompson<\/strong>, violin<br \/><strong>John Fox<\/strong>, violin<br \/><strong>Sophie Davies<\/strong>, viola<br \/><strong>Niki Skeldon<\/strong>, cello<br \/><strong>with Martin Reeve<\/strong> reading extracts from the wills.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"694\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/AC-Primary-Badge-Logo-Black-1024x694.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4403\" style=\"width:204px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/AC-Primary-Badge-Logo-Black-1024x694.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/AC-Primary-Badge-Logo-Black-300x203.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/AC-Primary-Badge-Logo-Black-768x520.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/AC-Primary-Badge-Logo-Black-1536x1041.png 1536w, https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2025\/11\/AC-Primary-Badge-Logo-Black-2048x1388.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>***NEWSFLASH: Chris Hoban is releasing an album titled A TIME OF MINDING*** We are thrilled to bring you the news that Chris is recording an album of songs written and composed by by him as Creative Fellow on the wills project. If you would like an email notifying you of when the album is released [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1473,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-sidebar-boxed-feature-img.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Wills as Songs - The Material Culture of Wills, England 1540-1790<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/wills-as-songs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Wills as Songs - The Material Culture of Wills, England 1540-1790\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"***NEWSFLASH: Chris Hoban is releasing an album titled A TIME OF MINDING*** We are thrilled to bring you the news that Chris is recording an album of songs written and composed by by him as Creative Fellow on the wills project. 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