The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-10-23
OLD LONDON HOUSEHOLDS.
Picture of an English Home in tn
Fourteenth Century.


the inventory of the household furniture
of such a pair in the fourteenth century
1t is notths only document of the kind
which exists, but it is interesting be-
cause it forms part of a story which
remains unfinished.
The inventory belongs to the year
1887. The proprietor's name was Hugh
lie Bevere; that of his wife, Alice Hugh
lie Bevere was a craftsman of the better
sort, but not master. lie was so we'll
off that the furniture of his house, in.
Guiding clothes was valued at e12 ISIS.
4d., which, being interpreted into
modern money, means about 9200. He
had been married but a short time
which caused this inventory to be drawn
up. The newly married pair lived in a
house consisting of two rooms, one
above the other. The lower room,
which was the kitchen and keeping
room in one, was divided from the houses
on either side by solid stone walls; it
had a chimney and a fireplace;
the walls were hung round with
kitchen utensils, tools, and wea-
pons; window opened to the street,
the upper part of which was glazed
while the lower part could be closed by
a stout shutter; the door opened into
the street; there was another door at
the back which opened upon buttery,
where there stood ranged in row six
casks of wine. One folding table and
two chairs served for their wants, be-
cause they were not rich enough to en-
terrain their friends. A ladder led to
the upper room, which was an attic or
garnet, built of wood and matched with
rush: Here was the bed with mat
ress, three feather beds, and two pill
lows. A great wooden Golfer held their
household gear; here were six blankets
and one serge, a coverlct with shields
of sendale "a kind of thin silk, eight
linen sheets, four table-cloths. The
clothes, which were laid in chests or
hung upon the wall. consisted of three
surcoats of worsted and ray: one coat
with a hood of perset (peach-colored
ciothi, and &aotl.cr of worSted: two
robes of perset; one of medley, furred;
one of scarlet, furred: great hood of
sendale with edging; one camise (only
one0; and half a dozen save-napes
(aprons). One perceives that the in
ventory omits many things. Where, for
instance, were the hosen and the
shoon? For kitchen utensils there were
brass pots, a CRATE, andirons, basins,
washing vessels, tripod, an iron horse,
an iron spit, a frying-pan, funnel,
two anllers Ctubs), etc. They had one
candlestic1 ''of lattone;" two plates,
an aumbrey cabinet, or small cup
board); curtains to hang before the
doors to keep out the cold; cushions
and green carpet; and for the hus-
band a haketon, or suit of leather
armor, and an iron headpiece. OF
knives, forks, wooden plates, cups,
glasses, or drinking measures, there is
nothing said at all. But it is evident
that the house was provided with every
thing necessary for solid comfort;
plenty of kitchen vessels, for instance,
and plenty of soft feather BEDS blank
cts, pillows, curtains, and sheets.
Every morning at o'clock, after a
bunch of bread, substantial slice of
cold meat, and pull at the black jack
of small ale, Hugh lie Bevere walked
off to his days work. Then Alice, left
at home, washed and secured, made
and mended, cooked the dinner, talked
to the neighbors, and, when all was
done, sat in the doorway enjoying the
sunshine and spinning busily.
They had been married but short
time. There were no children. Then
one knows nothing; no one must
judge harshly; there may have been
jealousy; there may have been cause
for jealousy; perhaps the woman had a
tongue unendura BILE fourteenth CEN
fury tongues were cruelty sharp; per-
haps the man had a temper uncon-
trolled lin that century there were
many such); but no one knows, and,
again, we must not judge-then, | say,
the end came, suddenly and without
warning. When it was all over, some
of the neighbors thought that they had
heard high words and a smothered
shrek, but then we often think we
have heard what probably happened.
In the morning Hugh lie Bevere went
not forth to his work as usual; Alice did
not open the door; the shutters re-
manned closed. The neighbors knocked;
there was no answer. They sent for the
alderman, who came with his sergeants
and broke open the door. Alas! alas!
They found the body of Alice lying
stark and dead upon the floor: beside
her sat her husband with white face and
haggard eyes, and the evidence of his
crime, the knife itself, lying where he
had thrown it.
They hailed him to the lord mayors
court They questioned him. He made
no reply at first, looking as one dis
traught; when he spoke, he refused to
plead. For this, in later times, he
would have been pressed to death.
What was done to him was almost as
bad; for they took him to Newgate, and
shut him up in cell with penance, that
is to say, on bread and water, until he
died.
This done, they buried the unfortunate
Alice, and made the inventory of all the
chattels, which the city confiscated, and
sold e12 1Ss. i'd, out of which, no doubt,
they paid for the funeral of the woman
and the penance of the man. The rest,
one hopes, was laid in masses, as
far as it would go, for the souls of the
hapless pair. Death has long since re-
leased Hugh lie Bevere; he has entered