Mr. Robert Bracewell Disbursements on Estate

[1669-30 Jan] Disbursments made by RICHARD IZARD &
Sevrall Debts by him paid on the estate of Mr ROBERT BRACEWELL Deceased

Tob

To 26 lb of brass 126. to mending the dam 80............................206

To JOHN ______ 160 To 1 thousand nails 50...............................215

To haleinge the Mill stones & Timber.............................................100

To 1___ of ____ 10 to ANN MADISON for ____100..................110

To 2 gall wine to take the stones out of the shep.............................34

To ROBt SMITH for bringing the Mill stones................................500

To THO: CLARK & JA: BAGNALL to build the Mill........................600

To JN:O ________ towards buildinge the Mill.............................2930

To ditto pd more towards the buildinge of the Mill pd CHA:

TAPLADYE..................................................................................2100

To Majr Gent: BENNETT for Millstones...................................5000

To BENJ: BRALS for goinge upp to receive the Mill stones................100

To AMBROSS BENNETT......................................................700

To GEO: _______ for Smiths work.........................................100

To making leasses & writeings for the lettinge out of the Mill..........350

To JOHN GAURDINOR FOR Saweinge planck for the Mill......................600

To JOHN COKE for carring up of hoggs....................................100

To Cap: JENNINGS 222 to THO: GREENE 400.................................622

To Col PITT.............................................................246

To Maj: HILL by Col PITT as apperith by Mr SKINNERs Accompt.............800

To THO: GREENE paid More................................................400

To JEREMIAH MARTIN pr order............................................1800

To the sheriff for ffees................................................103

To Majr HILL____ pr order...............................................862

To THOMAS WEBB..........................................................225

To Wm OLDIS pr order of Court 17 pounds ster: being in tobaco:.........3200

To Doctor ASHLEY........................................................920

To Doctor HIATT pr Ord & for fees.......................................426

To FFRA: AYERS attey to Wm WILSON......................................1800

To Mr AYRES for a wether................................................150

To Capt BRIDGER assignee to JOHN WHITE..................................880

To Capt. JININGS for ffees..............................................683

To bill to Mr IZARD.....................................................128

To funerall chardges....................................................795

To bill to Mr DRIVER....................................................380

...................................................................._______

.....................................................................281651

Acc:o Errors excepted this 30th Janry An:o 1669

REBECAH IZARD

(righthand column)

An acc:o of Disbursements for Mr BRACEWELLs two Sonnes And the Servants

An:o 1668 & An:o 1669

To 1 paire of shoes 25: lb 4 lb soape 32 lb..............................57

To 2 hatts 44:lb Six pounds of Soape 48 lb...............................92

4 yards l/4 of blew lininge for drawers 48 & for pecketts & makinge 10...58

Six shirts cont 15 ells att 15 lb pr ell................................225

for making & thread......................................................50

2 ______ 8 & to THO: MOSS for makinge closse 80..........................88

To making of fower shirtts & thred.......................................30

To _________ for ROBt BRACEWELL & one Servant...........................304

to three hh {hogsheads?} & 1/2 to pack the Crop..........................96

To 2 pr shoes for the Servant............................................60

To 8 ells 1 yrd of Canvas for the boy E maide Servant...................130

To 1/2 a ell of Canvas................................................5 1/2

To makinge of drawers e thread...........................................20

To 2 pr stockings for the boy............................................24

To 2 hoes................................................................36

To 4 ells Canvas for the Serv.t boy making e thred.......................68

To THO: MOSS for makinge his two Sonnes two waisscoats & buttons & thred.30

To 2 pr blew drawers cont 4 yards & 1/2 & to makinge & thred.............74

To 2 pr worsted Stockings................................................60

To 1 pr Canvas drawers for the Servant...................................20

To 5 yrds 3/4 of Kerssy for his two Sonnes..............................150

To ditto one yard 3/4 flanninge..........................................30

To 2 pairs of shoes......................................................60

For ther boardinge & schooleing this year..............................1300

To two ______ waisscoats.................................................60

To a prcell of ________..................................................30

.....................................................................______

...............................................................Som. 3157 1/2

Recorded 10:th January An:o 1669

Pr me Jno: Gen_____ Record:

Record of Wills, Deeds, Etc. Vol. 2, 1661-1719, page 80.

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Commentary by Carey Bracewell. From the ellipses one can readily see that this document is illegible in places. Given that the records were buried in the soil of Isle of Wight for a time during the Revolutionary period to prevent their burning by the Redcoats, we are lucky to have them at all! It is also easy to

visualize the rebuilding of the mill from this account. Evidently THOMAS CLARK and JAMES BAGNALL had overall supervision of the project while JOHN "GAURDINOR"(?) and CHARLES TOPLADY did the actual building. The millstones doubtless arrived in Jamestown and getting them hauled to the Bracewell Plantation was no small feat. We see that the mill was leased after it was rebuilt, per Rev. ROBERT's will. In the midst of these busy proceedings, we discover that wine was used ôto take the stones out of the shepö and that the plantation was still in the hog business as per the 100-pound disbursement to JOHN COKE for "carring up of hoggs", probably meaning upriver to Jamestown. The 17 pounds sterling payout to Wm OLDIS was surely tuition and board for the boy's schooling, and also yields up the approximate value of tobacco per hundredweight (3200 divided by 17).

We learn that our distinguished ancestor had not one doctor attending him but two! What a contrast with most of his descendants on the Southern frontier who never saw a doctor from cradle to grave. We even know his funeral charges (795 pounds), most of which was probably for the casket. Curious about the "wether" bought from WILLIAM AYRES? That still means an adult castrated sheep.

REBECCA's disbursements for the clothing of the BRACEWELL boys and the household staff may interest some readers more than castrating sheep or rebuilding mills. We can see that the young scions dressed to suit their class, waistcoats, blue-lined drawers and all. An ôellö is an archaic measure equal to 45 inches. THOMAS MOSS was evidently the family tailor--and certainly worked cheap by today's standards! From the third from last disbursement, we see that the boys got at least 1 1/2 years of schooling by 1670, even though they were in their mid- to late teens before starting school.

Contributed by Carey Bracewell