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A seventeenth-century tanner's inventory

Devon Notes & Queries, vol. 4, Part 4 (1906) p.123

by

Ethel Lega-Weekes

Prepared by Michael Steer

This annotated 'Note' records a 1683 inventory of goods in a court case between four 'querents' and its author's ancestor Richard Weekes, armiger, defendant. Antiquarian and genealogist Ethel Lega-Weekes was a frequent contributor to the Devonshire Association's Transactions. Google with the Archive Organization has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. The Internet Archive makes available, in its Community Texts Collection (originally known as Open Source Books), books that have been digitised by Google from a number of libraries. These are books on which copyright has expired, and are available free for educational and research use. This rare book was produced from a copy held by University of Michigan Library, and is available from the Internet Archive.

A Seventeenth Century tanner's Inventory

(Coram Rege Roll 2033, m, 764, Hilary 1683)

In a case between Phillibert Cogan, Daniel Ivie, John Tucker, William Bolitho, querants, and Richard Weekes, armiger, defendant, the following inventory is given of the goods that were in the possession of the querants 21 March, 25 Car. II, at Bridford:-

"De ducentis lauris (1) coriatoriis, q's Anglice Tan keeves (2) quingentis diceris (Anglice Dickers) (3) corii tanat [1] Anglice Tanned leather; quatuor mille pellibz, Anglice hides; quadragint' lauris coriatoriis cE - corio & pelibz repletis, mille oneribus Equinis (4) corticum (5) Anglice Barke; una furnace, sex Bovibz, dubaz equis, & dubaz pullis (6) equinis; ad valenciam mille lib [rarum]."

(1) N.E.D. Laver, a vessel, basin or cistern for washing- a 16th century form, lauer [O.E., laveoir, lavur; Lat. Lavatorium.]

(2) N.E.D. Keeve, kive…..now practically obs. Except in S.W. dialect, where the form is keeve…. a tub or vat specially for holding liquid in brewing and bleaching. Its O.E. form, cyf, may represent an O. Teut. Kubja, but has no exact equivalent in the cognate languages. (Qy.E L-W:

Is it akin to keel? Littleton has lacus- keel, a vessel for ale to stand and cool in.

(3) (Littleton) A dicker of leather, ten hides or skins, corioram decas.

(4) Horse loads?

(5) (Littleton) cortex (dub), the bark or pill of a tree.

(6) (Littleton) pullus, a foal.