A Desirable Town House

Looking east from Silver Street into Butcher Row, Salisbury . Picture: Mary Siraut

Sarah Waters daughter of a Salisbury gentlemen from St Martin’s parish married James Thring of Langford and a mercer of the city at Holy Rood chapel, Southampton on 15 September 1737. John, brother of James and a yeoman of Langford promised to pay £500 to Sarah’s father in trust for her should she be left a widow. The marriage did not last long as James was buried at St Martin’s on 1 July 1740, aged c. 26 having died intestate. Sarah took out letters of administration.

James had taken a 21-year lease for £14 a year from Edward Hooper of Boveridge, Dorset in 1739 on a house on the south side of Minster alias High alias Poultry Cross Street, possibly the present Silver Street as it had a garden. He already occupied the property as assignee of Esther widow of the former tenant, John King.

In 1741 Sarah assigned the lease and sold the contents of what was presumably the marital home for £150 9s. 2d., to Benjamin Collins, stationer possibly because of her impending second marriage. An inventory was attached to the assignment and valued at c.£100, which seems very low.  She married secondly Henry Franklin, member of a wealthy Taunton drapery family, and died in 1765.

Unlike probate inventories there are no personal items but the same room by room inventory, possibly recording objects in the order they were noticed, starting with the best rooms up to the top of the house and then back down to the shop with its twelve window sashes and the well-equipped kitchen and brewhouse. The inventory is a detailed account of the contents of a well-furnished, early Georgian home indicating activities such as washing, ironing, baking, brewing, curing, flower growing and quilting, keeping a caged bird, drinking tea, coffee and chocolate, and smoking. There are interesting historic items such as Dutch tiles and coats of arms as well as modern touches like wallpaper.

I have modernised most spelling and left out the prices.

In the Parlour

Eight oaken chairs with leather bottoms, one mahogany table, one round tea table, one stove grate, two brass dogs, a fender, fire pan, tongs, poker, bellows and brush, one corner shelf, ten glasses, two salts and one canister, two iron locks, one long square table and two iron scrolls, one front of a cupboard and buffet.

In the Little Parlour

One oaken oval table, six rush bottom chairs, one brass fender, one stove grate and Dutch tiles, one corner shelf and five coats of arms, one pair of window curtains and rod, two iron locks.

In the Best Chamber

One bedstead with red curtains, one feather bed, bolster and two pillows weight 58lb, two blankets and one quilt, one easy chair and covering, two pair of window curtains and two rods, two pair of blue curtains, one chimney board, one pair of leather bags, one close stool box and pewter pan, one iron lock, one square deal table, six blinds, paper hanging and two rows of pins.

In the Yellow Bedroom

One bedstead with yellow curtains, one feather bed, bolster and pillows weight 60lb, two blankets and one quilt, one pair of window curtains and rod, one armchair and cushion, paper hangings, one small looking glass, one iron lock.

In the Green Room

One bedstead with green curtains, one feather bed, bolster and two pillows weight 64lb, one quilt and two blankets, one chest of drawers, one deal escritoire, one square table, one looking glass, three rush bottom chairs, one pair of window curtains and rod, one chimney board, paper hangings.

In the Blue Room

One bedstead with blue curtains, one feather bed, bolster and two pillows weight 103lb, one rug and four blankets, one old press and one old square table, one looking glass and one coverlet, one large chest and picture, one bell and three baskets.

In the Garret

Two hair lines, one old broken cupboard and seven brooms, one hanging shelf, one grate before a skylight; all the shelves in the ware room, one box, one old tub, two crates to hold bottles and one stopper.

In the Passage

One cupboard and shelves with two locks to the door, one print and hatch, three presses.

In the Shop

Twelve sashes in the whole front, shelves, backboards [later excluded], three nest of drawers and four counters, two boxes, three stools and two leather chairs, thirteen brass weights weight 14lb 5oz at troy weights, three pair of scales and one bell, two reels and one paddle, one desk, one lock on the glass door, two small window curtains and rods.

In the Brewhouse and Cellar

One copper furnace weight 54lb. one grate and lead and one small brass one weight 28lb, grate and lead, one lead cistern, one pump and pipe, one salting cistern at 45lb, three wooden horses, one shoot, one coal rake, one screen to dry clothes on, one horse for clothes and two ladders, three horses, one bin, three shelves, one half hogshead with iron hoops, one hogshead with iron hoops, one 40-gallon vessel with iron hoops, one other with wooden hoops, two half hogsheads, four barrels and two firkins, one powdering tub, one safe, two forks for drying clothes, one large deal box and one door, two trestles and lumber, a lock and key.

In the Kitchen

Two saws, two hammers, two mallets, one hook and one cleaver, three tin canisters, one chocolate mill and one mousetrap, earthen, stone and delph ware and cruet, one pull-up jack, weights 34lb and chain, two spits, one pair of brass candlesticks, one brass floor [sic] box, one copper coffee pot, one brass chafing dish, one brass ladle and one brass slice, one iron trivet, one pair of tobacco tongs, one flesh fork and snuffers, 9 iron sieves, one kitchen grate, fender, fire shovel, tongs and poker, and crane, one lifting grate weight 187lb, one andiron, one brass warming pan, two brass pots and covers weight 30 ½ lb, one little boiler weight 7lb, two stew pans, two sauce pans, two brass kettles weight 10 ¾ lb, one bell skillet, one brass skimmer, one basting ladle, one stand for irons, one tin grater, one funnel, one small grater, six brass cocks, one copper pot, one pewter colander, three dozen and two pewter plates, one water dish, one water pot, nine pewter dishes weight 26lb, one pewter basin, four iron candlesticks, three gridirons, two trivets, one pair of bellows and one salt box, one box iron, three heaters and two stands, six buck handle knives and six forks, one dozen ivory handle knives and one dozen forks, one bacon rack, lock and key, five chairs, one small chair, one lark cage, one joint stool and table, one cheese board and rolling pin, two coal boxes, one tin dripping pan, two barm workers, two tin shovels, three pewter spoons, three long brushes, five other brushes, one lantern, one flute, two wood sconces, two picture frames, one window curtain and rod, seven boxes, two stoves and grates, dresser and shelves and one towel roller.

In the Yard

One large and one small pail, two drippers, one flower tub, five coolers, three washing tubs, one mash tub, stirrer and huckmuck [strainer?], one tin bowl, one bucket and one bowl dish, three trendles and one other tub, one lee [lye?] box, one hop stainer [sic], one soap box, two ranges, one wooden dish, one cage, one rudder and one scrubbing brush, 14 dozen bottles, one settle, one chicken coop, one bottle rack, two sacks and one chopping board, flower pots, one piece of timber, trees and boughs in the garden, one quilting frame and lumber, one hand basket and three mats, one sand box and one tobacco sieve.

Linen

Three pairs of sheets, two bolster cases, four pillow cases, six table cloths, six towels, twelve knife cloths, six tea cloths.

Mary Siraut