Friday, November 30, 2007

Mr. Robert Bracewell's Estate Account

[1669-10 Jan] An Account of Mr ROBERT BRACEWELLs estate both Creditor & Debitor/

Mr ROBERT BRACEWELLs estate Credited as )
by Appraisement in Goods & Chattel )..............................19800

In Good and Separate Debts ..................................................................16000

To one Cowe received of Mr TABERER )
not appraised nor delivered & sould ) ....................................................................600
Since by Mr IZARD

To an old boate sould & ditto ....................................................................350

To one Cowe more sould & ditto ....................................................................470

To one Calfe sould ....................................................................100

By a Crop of tob: made in Ann:o 1668...............................1440
................................................................_______
..................................................................38760

By one Cowe receaved of Col PITT )
not appraised nor delivered )

Mr BRACEWELLS estate Credited by the )
profitt of the Mill from July 1668 to )......................Bar: corne
the last of January last past ) ...............................................................13 - 1/2
13 tn: barrells & 1/2 of meale & corne )

To English grain the mill )
gott in the time aforesaid Wch ) ................................................................Bushels
Remained in the Mill ) ..........................................................................12

Mr ROBERT BRACEWELLs estate Debitor )
by severall disbursements in building the mill )
& by severall paymts in debts & charges upon )
the Children & Servants as p Acc.o approx..............................30968

Remaineinge in badd debts as they came )
into Mr IZARDs hands ) ...................................................................4800

Rest in goods undisposed of ..................................................................11280

To a bill of Mr DRIVERs Since the ballance............................380
....................................................................________

..........................................................................47428

Paid unto JAMES BAGNALL One Cow receaved of Coll
PITT as a legacie given by Mr ROBERT BRACESWELL
unto Said BAGNALL/

Debitor by 3 barrells & 1/2 of meale paid JOHN )
POOLE for a debt Mr BRACEWELL was indebted to )..............bar: corne
the said POOLE. ) ................................................................3 - 1/2

By 3 bar: of Corne the Mill was indebted unto )
Mr IZARD for the workmen & families while )...........................3
the Mill did not go: )

By Fower barr:l of Corne paid Mr KNOWLES )
paid for the poision {italicized} of the Children )...................8
And 4 barells of Corne paid on: Wm OLDIS )
upon the aforesaid Account being )

...............................................................14 - 1/2
...............................................................13 - 1/2
.............................................................._________

.............Rest due to Mr IZARD 1 bar Corne

..........To the Servants Corne 3 barrells

......................To MARY PARMENTOR 1 barrell
............................................................___________

...........................................................Balance 8668

To Capt GREENE......................................................800

To Servant clothes..................................................400

To MARY PARMENTOR for washing the children..........................100

To Mrs CARTER.......................................................200

To the Clk & Sher: for ffees unto GREENE & CARTER....................88
................................................................_______

..................................................................10256

A Just Acc:o errors excepted this
10th Jany 1669

P me REBECCAH IZARD

Recorded 10th January Ann:o 1669

P me John Jennings Clr: Recordes

Will & Deed Book 1, Vol. 2, page 81

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Commentary. We get some interesting insights from this document into conditions and happenings around the Bracewell plantation in the year and a half following the Immigrant's death. We now know the approximate value of the "old boate" or sloop that doubtless took the Reverend out to visit his neighbors on pastoral or political business. Remember that it was easier to travel by water than land in those days, when there were only Indian paths for roads and the creeks had not yet silted in. Notice that hardly any tobacco was planted in 1668--less than 1500 pounds harvested. We get some notion of the mill's production before it was rebuilt, i.e. the output for July 1668-the beginning of the grain harvest--until the end of January following: 14 tons of corn "meale" and wheat ("corne"). The "English grain" is anybody's guess--wheat, probably, but could have been a combination of other English grains. The 3 barrels debited for "Mr IZARD for the workmen & families while the Mill did not go:" was during 1669 when the mill of being rebuilt.

The 4 barrels each to Mr KNOWLES and WILLIAM OLDIS is another enigma: "poision" here means "room and board", i.e. this is probably tuition for Mr KNOWLES' boarding school.

Several cousins will no doubt be interested in MARY PARMENTOR's appearance in this document in as much as there were PARMENTORs BRASWELL later turned up in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. The document says she was paid 100 pounds of tobacco "for washing the children" but doubtless that meant their laundry. These were healthy teenaged boys who could wash themselves if they were so inclined.

Contributed by Carey Bracewell