{"id":1799,"date":"2024-07-23T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-23T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?p=1799"},"modified":"2024-07-25T09:46:45","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T09:46:45","slug":"will-of-the-month-a-lincolnshire-landowner-and-his-perewigges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/2024\/07\/23\/will-of-the-month-a-lincolnshire-landowner-and-his-perewigges\/","title":{"rendered":"Will of the Month: A Lincolnshire landowner and his \u2018Perewigges\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this month\u2019s post, one of our Expert Volunteers shares a fascinating will that he transcribed as part of our project.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Austen Hamilton, Project Volunteer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This month\u2019s post explores the will of Thomas Pechill, esquire of Normanton in Lincolnshire, which was composed in September 1665.1<\/a><\/sup> Pechill died within a few months of making his will, a lengthy document that spanned six pages, and contained considerable detail about household items and clothing, including silver spoons, a sugar box, a \u2018seeing-glasse\u2019, thigh-boots, and two wigs \u2013 his \u2018best perewigge\u2019, as well as one that he wore every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas Pechill the Landowner<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Normanton is a small village seven miles north of Grantham on the road to Lincoln. Thomas was a wealthy member of the local gentry, and his home was the Normanton manor house. The house is thought to have been built in the fifteenth century but was later destroyed by fire and a subsequent house was itself rebuilt in 1863.2<\/a><\/sup> Unlike Ralph Wright, the Lincolnshire farmer in an earlier blog<\/a>, Thomas, a wealthier landowner, does not dwell on farming or animals in his will, although there are bequests to servants of \u2018sheepe lockes\u2019 and \u2018old barley.\u2019 The only animals mentioned are horses. In particular, Thomas bequeathed his wife Mary \u2018my coach three Mares and one Colt vizt Two brown bay bald mares one bay Colt with a starre in his head bought at Slow Greene and our browne bay mare called Sewells mare with the harnesse and all other things belonging to the Coach\u2019.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Pechill\u2019s land was largely let out to tenants, four of whom were mentioned in the will \u2013 indeed one of them was left a specific bequest: \u2018a paire of old bootes in the Closset with Topps [and] a hatt.\u2019   This is one of two references specifically to boots with \u2018Topps.\u2019 These were the then fashionable thigh boots, originating with cavalrymen, whose top parts from the knee upwards were usually folded down. Like sailor\u2019s bell bottoms and 1960s flares, the wider the tops were, the more fashionable you were.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Fashionable formal dress 1630s. including boots with tops. V&A accession number T.58 to B-1910 https:\/\/collections.vam.ac.uk\/item\/O13918\/ensemble-unknown<\/a> \u00a9 Victoria and Albert Museum, London<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Thomas Pechill the family man<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well as horses, Pechill\u2019s wife Mary was also to receive \u2018Two silver candle potts with covers and twelve silver spoones \u2026 all my Drapes lynnens bedding pewter brasse and all other my household goods whatsoever (except for those bequeathed elsewhere).\u2019 In fact a considerable amount was bequeathed elsewhere. As agreed in their marriage settlement, Mary was also to retain the house during his daughter\u2019s minority, or for the rest of her life should his daughter die before attaining the age of twenty-one. More unusually, this clause was extended in the will, allowing her to retain the house for this time even if she should marry again, but only on condition that she kept the house and grounds in good repair and did not sell off the timber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is Thomas\u2019s daughter, also called Mary, who was the main beneficiary of the will and who was named as sole executor. She was seemingly his only surviving child and was still very young when the will was made as Thomas specified an annual allowance to her of \u00a330 up to the age of 12, increased to \u00a340 up to the age of 16, and thereafter to \u00a360 until she married or reached 21, whichever was earlier. That she was the child of a previous marriage is implied by the bequest of \u2018one Chest bound with iron standing in the high garrett and one double blacke trvnke in the Nursery which was her mothers with all the apparrell lynnene rings Jewells plate and other things in the said Trunke.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n

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Sixteenth or seventeenth century English iron-bound oak chest. Sir Henry Wellcome\u2019s Museum Collection (general) A242952 https:\/\/collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk\/objects\/co155464\/iron-bound-wooden-chest-chests<\/a> \u00a9 The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Providing for the future<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas\u2019s main concern was to retain the property intact, as is shown both by the setting out of an order of inheritance in the event of his daughter\u2019s early death and by detailed listing of the items to be kept in the house as heirlooms. Thomas left his house and his land to his daughter Mary, also providing alternative arrangements in case of her early death. Thomas\u2019s Cousin Robert Pechill was appointed a trustee during Mary\u2019s minority and overseer of the will together with Thomas\u2019s \u2018very good friend\u2019 John Towne. The trustees were permitted to sell anything for the benefit of improving the estate except for those many items specified as heirlooms, Thomas\u2019s books and items otherwise bequeathed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The books are not itemised, but the list of heirlooms gives a detailed impression of the house contents from the kitchen and offices to the garretts and extending to \u2018the Swyne trough and Stone roller in the yard.\u2019 Thomas specifically lists all the silverware to be left his daughter \u2018two silver Canns one large silver sugar box fower large silver plates – six silver Salts and one silver porringer and all other my plate\u2019 – except the \u2018douzen and an halfe of silver spoones, two candle potts and their covers\u2019 previously bequeathed to his wife. In fact the earlier bequest had listed only a dozen silver spoons. Let us hope this disparity did not result in a subsequent argument.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Seventeenth Century Sugar Box Height 12.5cm, width 21.1 cm. Made by John Sutton, hallmarked 1683-84, so twenty years after the date of the will. V&A accession number 53-1865. https:\/\/collections.vam.ac.uk\/item\/O10970\/sugar-box-sutton-john\/<\/a> \u00a9 Victoria and Albert Museum, London<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The will sets out in great detail the content of the great bedchamber and a second bedchamber, the gilt chamber, and the great parlour. The \u2018greate seeing glasse\u2019 (mirror) and \u2018landskip\u2019 (likely a \u2018landscape\u2019 painting) in the great chamber, and the monogrammed bedding in both bedchambers indicate a wealthy, fashionable household. So do the \u2018Two and twenty Turky worke Chaires and two stooles with Covers for all the chaires and stooles and greate Turky worke carpett Two lesser Turky worke Carpetts three leather Carpetts six Spanish Tables\u2019 in the great parlour.  <\/p>\n\n\n

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A turkeywork \u2018back stool\u2019 made in England 1649 (missing its feet). V&A accession number 428-1896  https:\/\/collections.vam.ac.uk\/item\/O60672\/chair-unknown<\/a> \u00a9 Victoria and Albert Museum, London<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Personal tokens<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well as the appropriate dispersal of household goods, Pechill\u2019s will also made provision for the distribution of mourning rings. There are forty or forty-one recipients listed (one may be included twice), including relatives, friends and members of the local gentry. The giving of rings or money to purchase rings dates back to the late medieval period but became extremely popular in the late seventeenth century. Thomas wanted his executors to buy rings of 20 shillings each for twenty-five people, and the other fifteen or sixteen were to be given 10 shilling  rings \u2013 at a total cost of about \u00a36,500 in today\u2019s money (purchasing power). It is not clear how he decided who would receive which ring.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Seventeenth century English gold mourning ring with enamelled death\u2019s head – British Museum number AF.1521 https:\/\/www.britishmuseum.org\/collection\/object\/H_AF-1521<\/a> \u00a9 The Trustees of the British Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Possibly because of the absence of a direct male heir who could make use of them, many bequests are of Thomas\u2019s clothes, boots, rapiers and pistols to his servants and his friends. A neighbour in Normanton, Richard Rooke, a witness to the will, was left \u2018my sad coloured Cloth Cloake with gold Buttons,\u2019 \u2018sad\u2019 being used then for any dark shade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most favoured servant was William Pechill, from his name likely a relative. He was bequeathed Thomas\u2019s everyday wig: \u2018my Perewigge which I weare every day\u2019. (His best wig went to one John Thorold, the recipient of a 20-shilling ring). William Pechill was also to receive \u2018all my shirts \u2026 bands handkerchiefs cuffes bootes topps and the rest of my lynnen\u2019, and a part of the remainder of his clothes which were to be shared with another servant, John Metheringham, together with \u2018the two best hatts two best rapiers and belts and two paire of best boots and all my shoes and stockings\u2019. While he divided up his clothing between his male servants, Thomas also specified that William was to have first choice! In his distinction between his servants, and between those who would receive a 10- or a 20-shilling mourning ring, many aspects of Thomas Pechill\u2019s will were carefully thought out, and such bequests reveal the nature of the relationships between Thomas and his beneficiaries.<\/p>\n\n\n