{"id":8353,"date":"2026-07-01T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T03:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/?p=8353"},"modified":"2026-06-30T19:27:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T19:27:02","slug":"will-of-the-month-a-curate-of-cumberland-who-lost-all-his-goods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/materialcultureofwills\/2026\/07\/01\/will-of-the-month-a-curate-of-cumberland-who-lost-all-his-goods\/","title":{"rendered":"Will of the Month: A curate of Cumberland who lost all his goods"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Emily Vine<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This month\u2019s post explores the will of John Adeson, a curate of Caldbeck in Cumbria, who died in 1540. Adeson was directly involved in the turmoil of the Henrician Reformation, and known primarily today for his link to the case of Elizabeth Barton, the \u2018Holy Maid of Kent\u2019. Barton was executed for treason in 1534, after prophesying against Henry VIII\u2019s divorce from Katherine of Aragon, and predicting the king\u2019s death were he to marry Anne Boleyn.[1]<\/a> Our testator, John Adeson, was accused, along with Bishop John Fisher, of \u2018misprision\u2019, or concealing Barton\u2019s crimes.[2]<\/a> Following a Bill of Attainder, Fisher, Adeson, and others were forced to forfeit their personal estate, but Adeson\u2019s subsequent hasty conformity to the Royal Supremacy ensured he avoided Fisher and Barton\u2019s fate of execution. In his will, made shortly before his death from natural causes some six years later, he referred to this period as \u2018the tyme of my trowbles\u2026 when I lost my goodes\u2019 referring to property \u2018taken away by the kinges officers\u2019.[3]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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St Kentigern’s Church, Caldbeck – view from just inside the side kissing gate https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:St_Kentigern%27s_Church,_Caldbeck.jpg<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Despite having forfeited many goods to the \u2018kinges officers\u2019, Adeson\u2019s will is that of a man whose fortunes had rapidly improved in a short period of time. In his later years, he regained favour, and was rewarded with comfortable clerical positions at Loughborough and Caldbeck, whilst retaining a residence in London. His will is evidence that he owned large numbers of richly described material possessions: it contains 38 bequests in total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018my Shaving basyn at Caldbecke and an other Shaving basyn at Lughborowe\u2019<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While described as the curate of the small village of Caldbeck, and dying there, Adeson\u2019s goods and furniture were divided between Caldbeck, London, and Loughborough; Caldbeck and London are 300 miles apart, Caldbeck and Loughborough 200. Adeson referred to \u2018my great byble at London\u2019, \u2018one pair of blanckettes and all the Shetes that are at london and the best cheest there\u2019, but also \u2018a violet Gowne and a beedde which is at Caldbecke\u2019, as well as \u2018my Shaving basyn at Caldbecke and an other Shaving basyn at Lughborowe\u2019. Having personal and everyday items like shaving basins at different residences suggests that Adeson moved between these three locations fairly frequently: it is unclear how \u2018present\u2019 he was in either of the geographically disparate parishes he served.<\/p>\n\n\n

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A seventeenth-century shaving basin, similar to those owned by Adeson at Caldbeck and Loughborough, \u00a9 Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2026 https:\/\/collections.vam.ac.uk\/item\/O158033\/basin-unknown\/<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Adeson did use his will to make charitable bequests to his parishes: \u2018every poore house in lughborowe\u2019 would receive \u20184 quarters of Rye and 4 quarters of barlye\u2019 as well as \u20184 quarters of pese\u2019 (marrowfat or yellow split peas, used to make pease pottage). Yet regarding the fabric of the church buildings themselves, he claimed \u2018in my conscience\u2019 that he was not liable to pay for any repairs to the churches at either Caldbeck or Loughborough, because the \u2018the parishe knowith howe I found it and what Reparacions I have made upon\u2019 and \u2018neither of them hath decaid in my tyme\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the new pewter and brass \u2018which came from london\u2019<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his rich descriptions of his material possessions, Adeson carefully accounted for where many had come from, describing how he and another priest bought and chose things from both London and Loughborough markets. Adeson\u2019s nieces received \u2018all the newe pewder vessell and newe brasse vessell which came from london to be devided betwixt them\u2019, as well as \u2018one paire of newe shetes of the [next] best that I have\u2026 and to either of them a course coverlet which I bought at london\u2019. Several of Adeson\u2019s possessions had been bought by one Sir Richard Grene, described as a parish priest of Loughborough. Grene had purchased \u2018a coveryng for a bedd which was bought at Lughborowe\u2019, while Adeson also mentioned \u2018a brasse pott the best which ^ Sir Richard bought\u2019, and \u2018a salt seller with a cover which Sir Richard Chosith\u2019. The will shows that these priests had the means to buy multiple new objects, and to exercise choice in what they bought: the mention of the \u2018best\u2019 brass pot implies that several had been purchased.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Tapestry fragment woven in wool and silk, depicting a unicorn, Flanders, ca.1500, \u00a9 Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2026 https:\/\/collections.vam.ac.uk\/item\/O84543\/tapestry-unknown\/<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

As well as new, or \u2018best\u2019 items, there were also old. Adeson\u2019s sister Janet would receive \u2018haulf my oulde pewter vessell and brasse at Caldbeck and the old cheare\u2019. Yet in general, his living quarters were well furnished and decorated: he referred to coverings of \u2018Tapesterie worke\u2019, \u2018hangynges of redde and Grene say\u2019, and a less expensive \u2018testour paynted which hangith in the best chamber\u2019 (implying of course that there were several chambers). Large items of furniture were found in each of his three residences, including several featherbeds, as well as \u2018a newe cheyre\u2019, \u2018the spruse chest\u2019, \u2018the best cheest [in London] and a litle lectern with a Coffer and a lock upon it the table and trestells\u2019. He also bequeathed several fine-sounding items of clothing, including \u2018my violet gowne withe the hoode\u2019, \u2018a long blacke gowne faced with saten\u2019, and \u2018a Jacket of saint Thomas worsted furryd with ffox and lambe\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018what boke that he will chose in my chamber of one or twoo volumes\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As befitting a clergyman, Adeson distributed multiple books, many of which were theological in nature. William Clercke, parish priest of St Margaret’s, New Fish Street in the City of London, was allowed to take \u2018what boke that he will chose in my chamber of one or twoo volumes\u2019. Adeson\u2019s nephew at London could have all \u2018suche bokes as he will chose there\u2019 (in the London residence) as well as \u2018twentie pounde in money to fynd hym at his lernyng\u2019. These bequests imply that Adeson kept a substantial collection of books in his London lodgings. Henry Fletcher, vicar of Malling in Kent, would have \u2018all the bokes that he hath of myne and all my Quars of simons writen that I have\u2019, referring to \u2018quires\u2019 or pamphlets of sermons that Adeson had drafted himself in his role as preacher. Adeson\u2019s conformity to evangelical reform was further evidenced by his ownership of \u2018the text of the bibill in a great volume\u2019, \u2018the newe Testament in Englishe\u2019 and \u2018the bishops boke callyd the Institucion of a christian man\u2019. The latter was the output of a 1537 synod of bishops – Henry VIII had ordered select extracts from it to be read out to church congregations.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Frontispiece of The Institution of a Christen Man (1537), known as the Bishops\u2019 Book, which Adeson owned a copy of. Internet Archive https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/institutionofchr00chur\/page\/n5\/mode\/2up<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

As a man who had previously had many of his goods \u2018taken away by the kinges officers\u2019, it is perhaps unsurprising that John Adeson so carefully itemised his possessions in his will. His careful description of what things looked like or were made of, who bought them and from where, shows the care of someone who knew what it was like to have very little. His later life and material wealth perhaps provides a striking contrast to those martyred for their conscience around this time: Adeson chose prompt conformity, and was rewarded not only with his life but also with a comfortable living. Ironically, two central aspects of his life after 1534 which are most prominent in his will could both be criticised by proponents of evangelical reform. In moving frequently between Caldbeck, Loughborough, and London, he was perhaps guilty of being an \u2018absentee\u2019 priest \u2013 one of the accusations levelled against the pre-Reformation clergy. It was this \u2018absenteeism\u2019, combined with the \u2018pluralism\u2019 of holding more than one clerical position, which would have contributed to Adeson\u2019s amassing of wealth, allowing him to rapidly replace the goods previously forfeited. In his descriptions of fine clothing, and three households furnished with large numbers of goods decorative, new, and recently bought, Adeson did not appear to adhere to the modest lifestyle most befitting the rural parish clergyman.<\/p>\n\n\n