Robert Bracewell's Estate

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An Appraisement of the Estate of Mr ROBERT BRACEWELL

May 11th 1668

one pcell of young hoggs	1800
Six Cowes wch values	3000
two young Bulls of a year old	300
two Cowes att	800
one draught oxe att	700
one Mare & horse coult	3000
one fether Bedd boulster one )
pillow 2 blancketts one rugg )	1000
curtaines & vallens )
nine Shillings in money & 3 ringes	400
one silver Tankard one dram cupp )
& three silver spoones )	500
one Chest Drawers	250
Two Chests one cubberd drawers	200
one Couch one warmeinge pann	100
one round Table	200
one old chaire & chest	30
6 diap Napkins 1 table cloth	200
2 cubberd clothes & cushion	300
one old Chest & Trunck	40
one glass att	500
one Table att	300
five paire of shoes at	100
one Coverlet for a bedd	400
one pcell of black broadcloth	150
one pcell of qr ling broadcloth	30
five yards Kerses att	100
one yard 3/4 of flannin	20
one pcell of weareing clothes	700
one fether bedd 4 Coverings & one )
hamacke Curtaines & vallens )	900
one pcell of beddinge att	100
two gunnes att	200
one old Chest & Trunck att	100
one old fether bedd pilloe 2 coverings	400
one pcell of old bedinge att	20
one Emptie bll att	40
one parcell of Books att	500
one pcell of old pewter att	300
(Total)	17680
(2nd Column)
4 Iron potts & a brass Candelsticke	300
one old brass Kettell	50
one bell metell skillett at	40
one morter frieinge pan dripping )
pan & one spitt at	80
one per Andirons tongs fire shovel	40
fower pott rackes & grandiron	100
one old brass Kettell att	50
one pcell of earthern ware at	60
one pcell of tubbs & lumber at	200
one pcell of old Iron att	200
one round table at	100
two bed steades at	100
one Servant boy at	800
Summe in all is	19800
Debts good & desperatt in all	16000
	35800

Chattell belongine to the estate that are abroad att Severall places, att ROBERT STOACKES

8 Cowes, 2 bulls 6 three yeare old heiffers and 5 two yeare old heiffers

1 Cowe at Coll PITTS

1 Cowe at Mr JOHN PITTS

1 Cowe at Mr NICHOLAS SMITHES

1 Cowe at Mr THOMAS TABERERS

1 Cowe at Mr JOHN HARDY

1 Cowe att Mr DANNIELL BOUCHERS

1 Cowe att JOHN VICCORS

1 Cowe att WILLIAM WEST

1 yearlinge att WILLIAM WEST
__
30

An old Boate not appraised, neither the Cattell above named, But all things else that is Charged
to Account is appraised by Us

GYLES DRIVER
BENJAMIN BEALE
ROBERT COLEMAN
FFRANCIS AYRES

Recorded 9th June 1668

P Mr Jno Jennings, Clr Curt.

Will & Deed Book 1, Vol. 2, page 55

Commentary by Carey Bracewell

Clearly this is the estate of a Virginia aristocrat, worth more than 50,000 pounds of tobacco in movables alone. Evidently our ancestor had one of the best herds of dairy cattle around, which he generously shared with certain well to do neighbors. Note that sons in law ROBERT STOKES and WILLIAM WEST had already collected their bovine inheritances from him. The “sold Boate” not appraised was doubtless anchored on his landing on Pagan Point (Cypress) Creek, used for carrying himself and sometimes tobacco down to Jamestown. Some other observations:

1. We may estimate the value of a pound of tobacco at about 75 cents in present day money.

2. The first room inventoried was obviously his bedroom. A “boulster” was something resembling a mattress, to support the “fether Bedd”; “vallens” was the familiar valance; “cubberd drawers” was a large chest with drawers; “diap{er} Napkins” were table napkins that protected the diner’s chest from grease splatters, wine spills, etc.; “cubberd Clothes & cushion” were cloth articles that covered a large chest, making it into a kind of settee; “glass” meant a large mirror; “qr ling boardcloth” is believed to have been white broadcloth, part of a parson’s attire; “Kerses” means Kersey, a coarse ribbed woolen cloth for hose and work clothes; the “Emtie bll” was doubtless a large tobacco barrel; “grandiron” was the horizontal metal arm from which other
utensils were hung; and the “Servant boy”, like the maid servant ELIZABETH HALL named in his will, were white indentured servants. {I am indebted to my sister, Patti, in Dallas who is a collector of seventeenth century antiques for the identification of some of these rarer items}.

3. The “debts good & desperatt “may refer to the cattle “on loan” and/or to warehoused tobacco belonging to the estate.

An Account of Mr. ROBERT BRACEWELLs estate both Creditor & Debitor

Mr ROBERT BRACEWELLs estate Credited as )
by Appraisement in Goods & Chattel )	19800
In Good and Separate Debts	16000
To one Cowe received of Mr TABERER )
not appraised nor delivered & sould )	600
Since by Mr IZARD
To an old boate sould & ditto	350
To one Cowe more sould & ditto	470
To one Calfe sould	100
By a Crop of tob: made in Ann:o 1668	1440
	38760

By one Cowe receaved of Col PITT )
not appraised nor delivered )

Mr BRACEWELLS estate Credited by the )
profitt of the Mill from July 1668 to )	Bar: corne
the last of January last past )	13 1/2
13 tn: barrells & 1/2 of meale & corne )

To English grain the mill )	bushells
gott in the time aforesaid Wch )	12
Remained in the Mill )

Mr ROBERT BRACEWELLs estate Debitor )
by severall disbursements in building the mill )	30968
& by severall paymts in debts & charges upon )

Remaineinge in badd debts as they came )
into Mr IZARDs hands )	4800
Rest in goods undisposed of	11280
To a bill of Mr DRIVERs Since the ballance	380
	47428

Paid unto JAMES BAGNALL One Cow receaved of Coll
PITT as a legacie given by Mr ROBERT BRACESWELL
unto Said BAGNALL

Debitor by 3 barrells & 1/2 of meale paid JOHN )
POOLE for a debt Mr BRACEWELL was indebted to )	bar: corne
the said POOLE. )	3 1/2

By 3 bar: of Corne the Mill was indebted unto )
Mr IZARD for the workmen & families while )	3
the Mill did not go: )
By Fower barr:l of Corne paid Mr KNOWLES )
paid for the poision {italicized} of the Children )	8
And 4 barells of Corne paid on: Wm OLDIS )
upon the aforesaid Account being )
	14 1/2
	13 1/2

Rest due to Mr IZARD	1 bar Corne
To the Servants Corne	3 barrells
To MARY PARMENTOR	1 barrell
Ballance	8668
To Capt GREENE	800
To Servant clothes	400
To MARY PARMENTOR for washing the children	100
To Mrs CARTER	200
To the Clk & Sher: for ffees unto
GREENE & CARTER	88
	10256

A Just Acc:o errors excepted this 10th Jany 1669

REBECCAH IZARD

Recorded 10th January Ann:o 1669

John Jennings Clr: Recordes

Will & Deed Book 1, Vol. 2, page 81

Commentary by Carey Bracewell:. We get some interesting insights from this document into conditions and happenings around the Bracewell plantation in the year and a half following the Immigrant's death. We now know the approximate value of the “old boate” or sloop that doubtless took the Reverend out to visit his neighbors on pastoral or political business. Remember that it was easier to travel by water than land in those days, when there were only Indian paths for roads and the creeks had not yet silted in. Notice that hardly any tobacco was planted in 1668 less than 1500 pounds harvested. We get some notion of the mill's production before it was rebuilt, i.e. the output for July 1668 the beginning of the grain harvest until the end of January following: 14 tons of corn”meale” and wheat (“corne”). The “English grain” is anybody's guess wheat, probably, but could have been a combination of other English grains. The 3 barrels debited for “Mr IZARD for the workmen & families while the Mill did not go:” was during 1669 when the mill of being rebuilt.

The 4 barrels each to Mr KNOWLES and WILLIAM OLDIS is another enigma: “poision” here means “room and board”, i.e. this is probably tuition for Mr KNOWLES' boarding school.

Several cousins will no doubt be interested in MARY PARMENTOR's appearance in this document inasmuchas there were PARMENTORs BRASWELL later turned up in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. The document says she was paid 100 pounds of tobacco “for washing the children” but doubtless that meant their laundry. These were healthy teenaged boys who could wash themselves if they were so inclined. <g>

Disbursm.ts made by RICHARD IZARD & Sevrall Debts by him paid on the estate of Mr ROBERT BRACEWELL Deceased
Tob

lefthand column	Tob
To 26 lb of brass 126. to mending the dam 80 . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	206
To JOHN ______ 160 To thousand nails 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	215
To haleinge the Mill stones & Timber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	100
To _____ of _______ 10 to ANN MADISON for __________ 100. . . . . . .	110
To 2 gall wine to take the stones out of the shep. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	34
To ROBt SMITH for bringing the Mill stones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	500
To THO: CLARK & JA: BAGNALL to build the Mill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	600
To JN:O ________ towards buildinge the Mill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	2930
To ditto pd more towards the buildinge of the Mill pd CHA: TAPLADYE. . . . . . . .	2100
To Majr Gent: BENNETT for Millstones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	5000
To BENJ: BRALS for goinge upp to receive the Mill stones .. . . . . . . . . . . . .	100
To AMBROSS BENNETT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..	700
To GEO: _______ for Smiths work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	100
To making leasses & writeings for the lettinge out of the Mill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	350
To JOHN GAURDINOR FOR Saweinge planck for the Mill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	600
To JOHN COKE for carring up of hoggs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	100
To Cap: JENNINGS 222 to THO: GREENE 400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	622
To Col PITT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	246
To Maj: HILL by Col PITT as apperith by Mr SKINNERs Accompt . . . . . . . . . .	800
To THO: GREENE paid More. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	400
To JEREMIAH MARTIN pr order. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	1800
To the sheriff for ffees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	103
To Majr HILL____ pr order. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	862
To THOMAS WEBB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	225
To Wm OLDIS pr order of Court 17 pounds ster: being in tobaco: . . . . . . . . . . . .	3200
To Doctor ASHLEY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	920
To Doctor HIATT pr Ord & for fees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	426
To FFRA: AYERS attey to Wm WILSON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	1800
To Mr AYRES for a wether. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	150
To Capt BRIDGER assignee to JOHN WHITE. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	880
To Capt. JININGS for ffees. . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	683
To bill to Mr IZARD. .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	128
To funerall chardges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	795
To bill to Mr DRIVER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	380
	281651

Acc:o Errors excepted this 30th Janry An:o 1669

REBECAH IZARD

(righthand column)

An acc:o of Disbursements for Mr BRACEWELLs two Sonnes And the Servants

An:o 1668 & An:o 1669

To 1 paire of shoes 25: lb 4 lb soape 32 lb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .	57
To 2 hatts 44:lb Six pounds of Soape 48 lb. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	92
4 yards l/4 of blew lininge for drawers 48 & for pecketts
& makinge 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	58
Six shirts cont 15 ells att 15 lb pr ell . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .	225
for making & thread. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	50
2 ______ 8 & to THO: MOSS for makinge closse 80 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	88
To making of fower shirtts & thred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	30
To _________ for ROBt BRACEWELL & one Servant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	304
to three hh {hogsheads?} & 1/2 to pack the Crop. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..	96
To 2 pr shoes for the Servant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..	60
To 8 ells 1 yrd of Canvas for the boy E maide Servant . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .	130
To 1/2 a ell of Canvas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...	5 1/2
To makinge of drawers e thread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .	20
To 2 pr stockings for the boy .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	24
To 2 hoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..	36
To 4 ells Canvas for the Serv.t boy making e thred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	68
To THO: MOSS for makinge his two Sonnes two waisscoats
& buttons & thred. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	30
To 2 pr blew drawers cont 4 yards & 1/2 & to makinge & thred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	74
To 2 pr worsted Stockings . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	60
To 1 pr Canvas drawers for the Servant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..	20
To 5 yrds 3/4 of Kerssy for his two Sonnes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	150
To ditto one yard 3/4 flanninge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	30
To 2 pairs of shoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	60
For ther boardinge & schooleing this year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	1300
To two ______ waisscoats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..	60
To a prcell of ________. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .	30
Som.	3157 1/2

Recorded 10:th January An:o 1669
Pr me Jno: Gen_____ Record:

Record of Wills, Deeds, Etc. Vol. 2, 1661 1719, page 80.

Commentary by Carey Bracewell: From the ellipses one can readily see that this document is illegible in places. Given that the records were buried in the soil of Isle of Wight for a time during the Revolutionary period to prevent their burning by the Redcoats, we are lucky to have them at all! It is also easy to visualize the rebuilding of the mill from this account. Evidently THOMAS CLARK and JAMES BAGNALL had overall supervision of the project while JOHN “GAURDINOR”(?) and CHARLES TOPLADY did the actual building. The millstones doubtless arrived in Jamestown and getting them hauled to the Bracewell Plantation was no small feat. We see that the mill was leased after it was rebuilt, per Rev. ROBERT's will. In the midst of these busy proceedings, we discover that wine was used “to take the stones out of the shep” and that the plantation was still in the hog business as per the 100 pound disbursement to JOHN COKE for “carring up of hoggs”, probably meaning upriver to Jamestown. The 17 pounds sterling payout to Wm OLDIS was surely tuition and board for the boy's schooling, and also yields up the approximate value of tobacco per hundredweight (3200 divided by 17).

We learn that our distinguished ancestor had not one doctor attending him but two! What a contrast with most of his descendants on the Southern frontier who never saw a doctor from cradle to grave. We even know his funeral charges (795 pounds), most of which was probably for the casket. Curious about the “wether” bought from WILLIAM AYRES? That still means an adult castrated sheep.

REBECCA's disbursements for the clothing of the BRACEWELL boys and the household staff may interest some readers more than castrating sheep or rebuilding mills. We can see that the young scions dressed to suit their class, waistcoats, blue lined drawers and all. An “ell” is an archaic measure equal to 45 inches. THOMAS MOSS was evidently the family tailor and certainly worked cheap by today's standards! From the third from last disbursement, we see that the boys got at least 1 1/2 years of schooling by 1670, even though they were in their mid to late teens before starting school.