Description

Probate accounts, much scarcer than wills and inventories do not survive in comparable numbers around the country. This volume concentrates on the period when probate accounts were clearly identifiable documents. A list of names is included.

Berkshire Record Society, edited by Ian Mortimer (1999, ISBN 0 9524946 3 9)

Probate accounts are a rich but little-used source for social and economic history. They detail payments made during the administration of deceased persons’ estates: funeral expenses, debts, wages, the costs of running farms, shops and workshops, and disbursements for clothing, feeding and educating orphaned children. This volume contains a selection of the fullest and most interesting Berkshire accounts from among the fine collection in the Berkshire Record Office.

Peter Durrant