English Wills and Inventories

Author: Sir William Langford, Knight
Place of Composition: Possibly London
Date of Composition: Dated 1 October 1411 OS
Source of Text: Frederick James Furnivall, Fifty earliest English wills in the Court of Probate, London (London: Oxford University Press, 1964). Transcribed by University of Michigan Humanities Text Initiative.
Source of Translation: n/a
Conditions of Use: These texts may be copied freely by individuals for personal use, research, and teaching (including distribution to classes) as long as this statement of availability is included in the text. It may be linked to freely in Internet editions of all kinds, including for-profit works. Redistribution by commercial or not-for-profit content providers is expressly forbidden.

Also y be-queythe to Robert, myn̛ heldest son̄, a reed̛ bedde of worsteyd, with costers þat langytℏ þere-to, enbrawde with whyte fete, with a canvase, a materas, a pare of Blankettes .ij. pare of schetys; Also a basynet with a ventaile, a pare of vambrace and rerebrace, a pare of legge herneys, an holle brest-plate, a paunce of stele, a pare glovis of plate white. Also to Elyzabetℏ, wyfe of þe forseyd Robert, a boorde cloþe with .ij. towelles of deuaunt of oo sute. Also y be-queytℏ to William my son̄, an aburioun̄ of stele with a pallette couerte with reede velwette, a pare of glovys of plate blacke. Also to Henre my son̛, an aburioun̄, a ketil Hatte.

This inventory mentions both “black” and “white” plate, and has a harness without pisane or sleeves of mail.

Author: Sir Roger Salwayn, Knight
Place of Composition: Probably York
Date of Composition: Dated 26 October 1420 OS
Source of Text: Frederick James Furnivall, Fifty earliest English wills in the Court of Probate, London (London: Oxford University Press, 1964). Transcribed by University of Michigan Humanities Text Initiative.
Source of Translation: n/a
Conditions of Use: These texts may be copied freely by individuals for personal use, research, and teaching (including distribution to classes) as long as this statement of availability is included in the text. It may be linked to freely in Internet editions of all kinds, including for-profit works. Redistribution by commercial or not-for-profit content providers is expressly forbidden.

Also I wiƚƚ that Elyn̄ Saluayn̄, my brothir Gerard̛ doughtir, haue xl. marc̘. for hir mariage. Also I wiƚƚ þat Gerard̛ my brothir haue a newe fure of martirs, and I. habirgoun of millon̛. Also I wiƚƚ þat Ioℏan my brothir haue I habirgoun of Gesseran̄.

Here we have a late references to jazerant armour (the Middle English Dictionary suggests that this term did not enter English use before the fifteenth century, although it appears in the French inventory of Raoul de Nestle who died in 1302).