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There are those who would find life impossible without BOOKS. There are more who would find it intolerable without; them. Many, many more would find the quality of their lives impaired without books. Most of our forebears not only had little time to read books; they also lacked the ability.
One of the sources which throw a little, though not much, light on their literacy is the probate records. All wills and inventories from 1530 to 1850 have been examined (places like Studley and Bidford have yet to be tackled), of the several hundred wills and /or inventories which history has left to us, only a handful mentions books. Some others probably included books under general headings but gave no specific mention. Of the 25 probate records which do specifically mention them, It is possible in only 19 cases to assess the wealth of the deceased in 8 of these, each inventory totalled over £200, in 11 over £100. Generally speaking, those with books were comfortably off. In 9 cases the Bible is mentioned and in several others various religious works. One would very much have liked to come across book titles but in only 5 cases is this so. These are the books detailed, apart from Bibles.
| 1661 Margaret Yarnold, an apothecary’s wife, | Inventory total £951 | |
| Gerrardes Herball | Parryes Chirugery | |
| Crookes Anatomye | Doctor Gibbes Rochesse | |
| Anotations on the Bible | Rondelesis | |
| (total value £3.15.4) | ||
| 1685 Samuel Ticknor, Presbyterian minister | Inventory total £830 | |
| Mr.Pools Synopsi, part of his ‘Study of Bookes’ | ||
| (value £50) | ||
| 1725 William Cattell, shoemaker | Inventory total £19.10.0 | |
| As well as 3 Bibles and books, a Concordance | ||
| 1733 Edward Cox, tailor | ||
| 2 vols. Mr.Pools Annotations | ||
| 3 folios wrote by Wm.Perkins | ||
| 2 books in quarto,viz. one by 1 folio wrote by Mr.Gouge | ||
| Mr.Robt Bolton & the other by Mr.Brooks. | ||
| 1761 Thomas Burrows, bachelor | ||
| Jacob’s Law Dictionary | Bourn’s Justice 3 vols. | |
| Practice in King’s Bench 2 vols. | ||
| Attorney’s Common Pleas 2 vols. | ||
| Attorney’s Compleat Pocket 2 vols | ||
| Attorney’s Practice Epitomiz’d interleaved | ||
| Bohum’s Law of Tithes | Jacob’s Statute Law | |
| Shop Book | Bayley’s Dictionary | |
| Analysis of the Laws of England | ||
| 3rd vol. of the Universal History | ||
| A Manuscript Book of Presidents | ||
| American Travellor Vade | Mecum & Virgil | |
| Hamson’s Chancery Practice 2 vols. | ||
| Treatise of Distresses Replevins,etc. | ||
Other interesting things to be noted: Daniel Grove 1682, schoolmaster at Newport Free School, left 'all my school books’, worth £60, in an inventory of £647. Thomas Hawes 1610 left his books (8/-) in a chest, wherein were ‘writings, estreats and minutes’. Were these manor court records?
© Alcester & District Local History Society 1986