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Houses in the 17th Century in the parish of Barwick in Elmet

From the Barwicker No.86
June 2007



With the continuing change of style in building and furnishing houses during the seventeenth century, many people were changing the use to which a room was originally intended. Many of the names given to rooms in the north of England are different from those in other parts of the country. For example the name ‘hall house’ in some parts of Yorkshire was known as the ‘dwelling house’ in the north west of England. Halls in houses of the gentry were intended to be used as a place to entertain visitors, to eat, to play musical instruments etc. The hall house on the other hand would probably be also a place to cook as well as to eat and would contain at least one table, some chairs and a form and possibly a range.

Parlours were sparsely furnished bedrooms which would often be used by servants or minor family members. They could also be used as storage rooms as well as for sleeping. The best parlours usually faced south which would give more light than the lesser parlours which usually were located at the back of the house.

Chambers also had two uses in that as well as being a bedroom they could be used as a sitting room. It is quite possible that this is what Edward Hunt’s house was like. Edward lived at Lazincroft(1) and was buried at Garforth in 1694. He had two chambers. The main chamber over the kitchen would probably also be used as a sitting room as it contained one bedstead and one feather bed plus bedding, one rug, six chairs, one presser (2) two tables and one chest. The second chamber over the hall contained fewer items of furniture i.e. one half-headed (3) bed, one feather bed plus bedding and other hustlements(4). Edward also had a kitchen containing a range, a pair of racks, two spitts, 3 brass pots, 3 brass pans and other hustlements. In the hall house there was a table, six chairs, one form and a range.

There was also a brew house which showed that Edward brewed his own ale and a dairy. Edward’s will was proved in Nov. 1694 and he had plenty of corn (valued at £30) in the barn which no doubt he had harvested before the winter set in. His total estate was valued at £82. 5s. 6d. which was quite a sizeable estate in those days.

Wills and probate inventories can give us a fascinating insight into how people lived in the late 17th Century in Barwick-in-Elmet. Of the two documents the inventory is far more accurate than the will as it is an account of what the deceased owned and in some cases the debts owed and owing. The inventory was taken as soon as possible after death usually by friends or neighbours. The will on the other hand is what the deceased ‘thought’ he/she had. Sometimes bequests were made with insufficient funds to fulfil them. Many such documents did not survive but several of the ones which did can be found in Wills, Registers and Monumental Inscriptions of the parish of Barwick-in-Elmet, Edited by George Denison Lumb, F.S.A.

PAULINE ROBSON
Notes
(1) Lazincroft has been spelt several ways over the years but this is the way it was spelt in the will and inventory. (other forms of spelling are: Lazencroft, Lasencroft etc.)
(2) half- headed bed - one with wooden back of medium height, short corner posts, and without a canopy.
(3) presser - large shelved cupboard for keeping clothes, linen, books etc
(4) hustlements – miscellaneous tools and other items


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