A rare sequence of household inventories from a house occupied continuously by the Tollemache family since they built it c.1510. The four inventories, dated 1597, 1626, 1708 and 1741, cover the period when the family rose from gentry status to earldom and these listings of household possessions reflect this vividly. They itemise over 4,500 items, room by room, and are rich with evidence of dimensions and design, fabric and textile, construction and colour, recycling and upcycling.

A Glossary of Household Goods forms a substantial addition to the volume, of relevance to anyone with an interest in the life and furnishing of country houses from the 16th to the 18th centuries.

Published: May 2018