The Will of Joseph Stones dated May 20th, 1680

Acknowledgment Alan B. Drage - The History of Mosborough School

We know very little of Joseph Stones, although he was obviously a man of some substance as he owned Mosborough Hall and lands attached to it.

The following extracts from his Will were, of course, written in the old English of the Restoration period, and I have re-written the various items in the language of to-day, and our present money system.

His lasting memorial is the old village school and it all started from his Will stating that he left the following:-

'A copyhold cottage, with a certain number of acres of land adjoining, to his executors upon special trust that they and their heirs shall every year and forever bestow and pay all the rents, issues and profits thereof upon such person and persons as shall be chosen schoolmaster by the heirs of me, the said Joseph Stones, for the teaching and instruction of fifteen poor children within the Bierlaw of Mosborough aforesaid or shall suffer or permit the said schoolmaster to live or dwell upon the same. And if my said Trustees shall let the same to any person or persons for one year (but no longer to let the same) they shall let the same at the full value thereof and pay the rents to the uses aforesaid.'

The following valuations in the Will of various items are most interesting and I have changed the pounds, shillings and pence to our present currency.

In the Hall Chamber, a four-poster bed with canopy and hangings, a feather bed, bolster, pillows, rug, three blankets, mattress and coverlet - total value £8.05.

The Kitchen Chamber, however, has a half-headed bedstead, a feather bed, a bolster, a pillow, 3 blankets and a coverlet valued at just 51p.,then just 19p. for a 'chaff bed'. The brass clock, with weights, on the stairs, is itemised at exactly £1.00.

Housewives will be interested that three flitches of bacon and five ox tongues stood at a mere 25p. for the lot. Publicans (and customers) will be very pleased to note that the ale cellar had two large barrels and two lesser barrels at 75p. the lot, all full.

The wagon house showed 2 corn wagons £6.00., a water cart 50p., an ox sled 25p., two ploughs (with iron on them), an old plough and two sleds, all for 66p.

Six oxen (beasts of burden in those days) £28.50., a fat pig at £1.50., with a calf 'at the stake' for 25p. (Compare the fatted calf in the parable of the Prodigal Son).

In the stables a pair of coach mares were valued at £10.00. and a coach and harness for four horses stood at £16.00.

Sounds like a lot of good bargains doesn't it? It wasn't all that good then though, life expectancy well under 40 years of age on overall average, pitiful wages, health, housing and nourishment were of extremely low standards and disease was rife.

Be thankful for our present-day standards - I am.

David English