Willen People

Richard Barnwell, yeoman and restoration farmer.
Richard Barnwell, yeoman of Willen, died 1671. He and his wife Elizabeth are recorded in the Willen church records as having a daughter Thomasin, in 1667. He was farming in Willen when Col. Robert Hammond was Lord of the Manor. On his death his property was surveyed and listed, ready for disposal. This 'Probate Inventory' as it is called is summarized below. It lists all his belongings, down to the coins in his pocket.
Personal possessions
1 clock, books, clothing, money, 2 guns, 1 sword, 1 belt
Animals
9 horses, 10 pigs, 60 cattle (including 43 oxen), 795 sheep.
Linen
6 table cloths, 43 naptkins, 35 sheets, 7 towels, 3 pillowcases
Fire irons
2 pairs handirons, 1 shovel, 1 tongs
Furniture
7 beds, 4 tables, 3 cupboards, 1 couch, 1 form, 5 chairs, 12 stools, 3 trunks, 1 chest, 2 screens, 6 carpets, 1 cushion
Pots and Pans
4 pots, 4 kettles, 3 skillets, 2 dripping pans, 1 skimmer, 1 back pan, 2 spits, 12 pestle & mortar
Tableware
1 flagon, 1 silver tankard, 1 bowl, 1 caudle cup, 6 silver spoons, 14 pewter plates, 3 plates, 2 basins, 2 pewter candlesticks
Brewing & cheesemaking equipment
2 bran pans, 1 still, 1 furness, 1 malt mill, 1 mashing vat, 12 cheese press
Farm equipment
ploughs, harrows, horse harness, 6 cribs, 2 hurdles, 3 long carts, 3 dung carts, 3 pairs wheels, one gig, 6 sacks, 3 cart ropes, fork, rake, hammer lath.
Types of crops or land
Orchard with fruit trees, peas, white grain (wheat, barley etc), hops, pasture for grazing, meadow for hay
Goods in storage
Faggots, malt, wheat, timber, wood, bean poles, coal, 3 flitches of bacon, cheese, 2 hoggsheads beer, 1 barrel wine
The total value of his goods was given as £1954 19s 2d. Thomas was obviously quite a rich man. A local labourer, who died just a few years later, had only £93 in goods. Thomas held land in other places besides Willen, these included: Chicheley, Clifton Reynes, Milton Keynes, Tickford, Little Woolstone, Moulsoe.