Pièce MFP/1/1/1 - Household inventories of Reverend John Forth and Mrs Elizabeth Forth

1 volume

Inventories of the furnishings and contents of Reverend John Forth and Mrs Elizabeth Forth at Slingsby and Ganthorpe, taken in 1791 and 1806. Each inventory has been written at one end of the volume. Later notes have been made at the start of both inventories by FJM [Frederick Joseph Munby] in the mid 19th century.

Reverend John Forth married Elizabeth Woodhouse of 3 Blake Street, at St Helens Church on the 23 June 1791. They lived at Slingsby for 3 years before removing to Ganthorpe.

Detail from the inventory:
PART 1

At the front of the book is written: “An Inventory of the Linen, Plate, China, Glass, Delf, and Pottery Ware, Household Goods and Sundry Fixtures belonging to The Revd. Mr Forth and Mrs Forth at Slingsby Taken the Third Day of December 1791”. An index of the contents follows. Additions were made at various times up to 1806. A note (following the Index and dated 24th May 1797) includes:-

“Towels & Dusters &c. in the kitchen use all worn out, which were got when Mr & Mrs Forth begun housekeeping & they have got lately 6 long Roller Towels & 8 Dusters of the same sort of Stuff, the gift of Mrs Woodhouse which she got Spun & Wove”.

Items in the LINEN list include sheets and pillow slips “Marked E.W. the Gift of Mrs Woodhouse”; Cleveland cloth sheets and pillow slips for the best garret; Knaresborough cloth items for the servants; 1 large white Manchester quilting counterpain.

SILVER PLATE.
Mostly gifts, (wedding?) with names of donors. Some purchased, e.g. from Messrs Hampstone and Prince. The 1797 additions include marked items from the Woodhouse family; many gold mourning rings with names; some ivory fans, etc.

PLATED ARTICLES.
Including a plated cross, candlesticks and a case for wax candles. Names of donors.

JAPANNED ARTICLES.
Candle snuffers, coffee urn, types of trays.

CHINA.
Many items, some gifts with names. Includes ‘Nankeen basons’, blue and white china pickle or butter cups with handles

GLASS.
Includes, “1 Old Fashioned Cut Glass Bottle with Variagated Figures and a Screw Top the Gift of Mrs Wright”.

DELF.
Many items of Queen’s Ware and 1 Common Mustard Pot. …

POTTERY & EARTHEN WARE.
Includes “3 Pots for Pickled Meat the Gift of Mrs Woodhouse”.

HOUSEHOLD GOODS.
These are listed under the rooms etc. in which they are kept. These rooms, including the ‘Passage between the Hall & Kitchen’ provide clues to the size and layout of the building.

DRAWING ROOM.
Contained “2 Mahogany Card Tables, 1 -do- Pembroke Table and 2 -do- Octagon Tables”. There was also “1 Harth Brush the gift of Mrs Taylor Aunt to Mrs Forth”.

PARLOUR.
Here were 2 mahogany Elbow Chairs, (a pencil note reads, “the same as those in the drawing room”) and 4 Common Chairs; a “Polished Steel Fender with a Set of Fire Irons”; a “Handsome Mahogany Work Trunk”; an inlaid Cribbage Board and a Backgammon Table; “1 Pair of Stript Calico, Bound without Fringe & unlined, 1 Pair of Window Curtains -Do- without Fringe & unlined”.

BEST LODGING ROOM.
“1 Mahogany Bedstead with Full Hung White Dimity Furniture Lined with Calico and Fringed”; inlaid mahogany items.

DRESSING CLOSET.
A chest of drawers the gift of Mrs Woodhouse and a small mahogany dressing table.

SECOND BEST LODGING ROOM.
A mahogany half chest of drawers, a mahogany square swing glass, one drawer and 2 bass bottomed stained chairs

BACK LODGING ROOM.
A “Mahogany Camp Bed Stead with Dark Coloured Washing Furniture Lin’d with Calico”; “4 Mahogany Chairs Stuffed at the bottoms, unlin’d Covers the same as the Bed”; 2 Scotch Carpets.

BEST GARRET.
A camp bed stead with dark blue China furniture; a window curtain, the same as the bed in the Back Lodging Room; a large oak chest the gift of Mrs Woodhouse.

MAIDS GARRET.
A bedstead with common dark blue China furniture, a feather bed, table and chair etc.

MANSERVANTS ROOM.
A bedstead with common dark green China furniture, table, chair, “2 Pewter Chambers to each Room”.

BUTLERS PANTRY.
Included were “4 Painted Wood Spitting Boxes and Tobacco Box China Tobacco Stand with a Brass bottom”.

DAIRY.
Contained butter prints (gifts from Mrs Barber), a filtering jar and a “Large Tub to Salt Meat in lined with Lead”.

FORE KITCHEN.
A “Mahogany Coffee Mill with a Drawer the Gift of Mrs Wright”, a tin ‘chocolette’ pot with a mill, a brass mortar with an iron ‘pestal’ and a pair of steelyards and weights.

BACK KITCHEN.
Had a “Wood Horse to Brush Clothes on”, an iron salamander and a chicken coop.

SUNDRIES.
Consisted of two mail trunks and a small wood trunk – two were gifts.

FIXTURES.
Some large and others small, including a “Moveable Closet on the first Landing of the Back Stairs” and “28 Gilt Screws belonging to the Window Curtains”.

CATALOGUE OF BOOKS.
Subdivided:-

GREEK. Lexicon, Demosthenes, Greek Grammar, Greek Testament, etc.

LATIN. Virgil, Ovid, ‘Ciceronis Orationes’, Latin Prayer Books, Latin Testament, Erasmus, etc.

FRENCH. Grammar, Exercises, Moliere Plays, 8Vols., ‘Oeuvres de Voltaire’, Dictionary, etc.

MATHEMATICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL, MORAL, HISTORICAL &c ENGLISH BOOKS.
‘Barrows Geometric Lectures’, Astronomy, ‘Watts Logic’, ‘Euclids Elements’, ‘Chymistry’.
Bibles, Sacred Exercises, Miscellaneous Tracts, ‘Burns Ecclesiastical Laws’, ‘Burns Justice’.
‘Blackstones Commentaries’, ‘Chesterfields Letters’, ‘Swifts Miscellanies’, Roman Senate, English History, American History, ‘Guthries Geographical Grammar’, ‘Gazateer’, ‘Rhetorick’.
Following the original list is a list headed, ‘Books late Mrs Woodhouse’ and then ‘An Account of Books belonging to the late Mr Thomas Forth’.

STABLES.
“New Drab Pillion Seat and Cloth the Gift of Mrs Woodhouse”, “New Side Saddle, Dark Blue Cloth with a Buff border round and a Spring Stirrup with a Shoe of Blue Morrocco”, other saddles, girths, bridles, etc., collars, oil tin and oil brush, “Curry Combs and Brushes”, shovel, ”Corn Bing” and corn scuttles, “Ladder at the Slack”.

PART 2

A later inventory is written at the back of the book. “An Inventory of Household Furniture, Plate, Linen, China, Glass &c. belonging to the Revd. Mr Forth at Ganthorpe, taken June 10th 1806”.
“Mem. Caroline Eleanor Forth, the daughter of Mr Forth, was born at Ganthorpe on 2nd September 1806. She was married to Joseph Munby of York on 1 March 1827 from 3 Blake Street, at the Church of St Helen, Stonegate.”

Items of Household Furniture are listed first under the rooms and then by the type of articles.

MEN’S GARRET.
Beds and linen, walnut drawers, deal tables, looking glasses.

MAID’S GARRET.
Beds and linen, Drawers, deal dressing table, looking glass in walnut frame.

OTHER GARRETS.
“A (once) bright polished Kitchen Iron range belonging to the late Mrs Woodhouse’s House at York”, lead fire hearth, child’s carriage and a wooden horse, “An old Side Saddle with a broken Crutch and an old Pilion seat (late Mr Thos. Forth’s)”, various trunks.

DRAWING ROOM.
Inlaid mahogany tables, mahogany chairs, sofas and footstool. Glass faced fire screens in gilt frames, Wilton carpets and Dimity window blinds. “A whole Length Portrait of G. Woodhouse, Son to the late Mr Alderman Woodhouse (at 5½ years old) in a Gilt Frame”, portrait of J.W. Forth 6½ years old, taken by Mr Jackson.

BEST LODGING ROOM.
“A four posted Bedstead with Mahogany fluted Poles, & white Dimity Furniture”, a feather bed with linen, etc., various items of mahogany furniture, Wilton carpets, “Lent Mrs Williamson an easy Chair belonging this Room covered with green Stuff”. Other mahogany furniture and “Mr Forth’s (Coat of Arms) in a gilt frame”, in an adjoining dressing room.

CHINTS ROOM and CAMP ROOM.
A four posted bed in the former and a variety of items, mainly mahogany, in both.

MR and MRS FORTH’S LODGING ROOM and OLD NURSERY.
Another four posted bed and items of mahogany furniture, some listed as, (Mrs W.). In the Nursery, “A Patent Shower-Bath in the Closet from London cost £2.14s.8d” and “A Handsome Side Saddle (with spring Stirrup) of blue Morocco Leather and a blue Saddle Cloth edged with Buff”

DINING ROOM.
Items of furniture, mostly mahogany, a number of pictures listed as, “All belonging the late Mrs Woodhouse” and a small silver medal of King George the 2nd.

PARLOUR.

Mahogany furniture, a barometer, a number of engravings including the Prince of Wales and the Earl of Carlisle and, as in many other rooms, a Scotch carpet.

OFFICE.
Some mahogany furniture and “An half chist of old inlaid Wallnuttree Drawers”. a telescope and a “Gentleman’s Travelling writing Box”. A number of pictures of the family of Mrs Woodhouse, including William Williamson, late Vicar of York Minster.

HALL.
An eight day clock and a patent glass lamp for a wall. A patent water closet purchased for £10.10s.0d. Maps of the County of York and of the Ainsty. Most items are listed (Mrs W.).

KITCHENS and DAIRY.
Bellows, a firesconce lined with tin and roasting spits. Tea and coffee boilers and “A very large Fish Kettle Copper”. Pairs of steelyards, scales and weights. “A plate Cratch”, four milking pails and seven washing tubs. Three “Lead Milch Bowls” and a barrel churn.

LINEN.
A long list of items for bedrooms, dining room and kitchen. The majority appear to have belonged to, or be gifts from, Mrs Woodhouse.

CHINA CLOSET
Long list of items including, “13 Red and white Cups and 11 saucers and an old saucer to match”. `Some items are described as old fashioned and many are listed as belonging to the late Mrs Woodhouse, or to the late Mr Thomas Woodhouse.

WATCHES, RINGS AND TRINKETS.
Watches with number and maker’s name, e.g. “Mr Forth’s Gold Watch Maker’s Name Hampston Prince & Cattles York No. 4362”. Rings – “A handsome Ring with the late Mr Alderman Woodhouse’s Hair set round with Diamond Sparks, (cost 11 Guineas)”. “A Garnet Hoop Ring (Mrs W.)”

SILVER PLATE
Tableware, many items listed as gifts, e.g. “ A large Silver Sauce Boat marked E.W. which belonged to Mrs Forth’s Mother, the Gift of Mrs Williamson Widow of Mrs Forth’s Uncle”.
An additional list is headed, “May 23rd 1797. An Account of Silver Plate belonging to the late Mrs Woodhouse” and includes a cross with a lamp in the bottom, an inkstand and a drinking horn for the use of servants in the kitchen

JAPANNED ARTICLES.
Includes trays, snuffers, “4 Quadrille Baskets”, and “3 large Mahogany Waiting Waiters”.

GLASS.
Includes “4 large old fashioned Glasses”, two glass baskets, eight jelly glasses and “5 odd ones”.

KNIVES & FORKS
Includes 6 “new Buck-hafted Knives and Forks for the Kitchen and a Bread Knife Do. cost 7s.10d”

[Extracts provided by a volunteer.]

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