| Warter...living in an estate village |
HomesB. Village housing - continued from previous page
(for plan of Warter c. 1910 see Plan 5)The contents of a Victorian labourer's cottage
Little is known about the possessions of ordinary people in the 19th century. Fortunately when Thomas Cook, an agricultural labourer, aged 74, from Warter, made his will in March 1870 he listed what must have been the total contents of his cottage.
He left his 'dear wife Elizabeth Cook the following articles of household furniture which belonged to her at the time of our marriage':
One bed, bolster and pillow
Two pairs of blankets Three pairs of sheets Two quilts Three pairs of pillowcases Six silver tea spoons One pair of sugar tongs Four common meat spoons One pair of drawers fir [pine] One pair of bellows One looking glass To his children, Henry Cook of Warter, tailor, William Cook of Warter, agricultural labourer, John Cook of Grimsby, tailor, George Cook of York, shoemaker, and Ann wife of William Green of Stockton-on-Tees he gave the proceeds from the sale of:
One four post mahogany bed stead
One pair of mahogany drawers One mahogany dressing table One washing stand One close stool One warming pan Two feather beds Two bolsters Two pair of pillows One pair of blankets Three pairs of sheets Two quilts One corner cupboard One set of china Six kitchen chairs One kitchen table One clock (8 days) One small tea table One stool One squab Two brass candlesticks Two iron candlesticks Two brass pans small One fish kettle One copper kettle Two tin pans One churn One milk strainer Six milk bowls earthenware Six deep bowls or pankins earthenware One meal tub Three water tubs One oven range and grate Two fenders One set of fire irons One wheel barrow Two iron rakes One shovel One dig One gavelock Two spades Two hatchets Two bills One slash knife One pair of mittens, leather One hand saw, small One manure fork One potato fork Two rakes, wood Two bee hives and four stones of bacon. He gave his silver watch to his son Henry. Thomas Cook could not write and signed his will with a X [The vicar of Warter, the Revd Samuel Wilson, copied this will into his Memorandum Book.]
This well-furnished labourer's cottage contrasts with the brickyard cottage at Seaton Ross described above.
Reconstruct Thomas Cook's cottage. How many rooms do you think there were in Thomas Cook's cottage and what were they used for? Sort out the items listed above to their right location in the cottage, garden or outbuildings. Collect together some of the old-fashioned objects for a display, or illustrations of the objects.
