When read in conjunction with Thomas Buttes' Will, we find a man of considerable wealth who, it would seem, moved his household almost in its entirety to Catton near Norwich. Had we encountered him from this document alone we would not have found many clues to suggest he had ever been connected with Ryburgh.
The death of his wife Bridget in 1570 and his subsequent quarrel a decade later with Thomas Waterman who he appointed Rector in 1576 may perhaps have been a part of the reason for this removal to Catton. As yet, more research needs to be carried out on that question.
An inventory of his plate and jewels and fabric, (shortly to be added to these pages) which he made in the 1560's and 70's, may well illustrate some of the items in the blanket valuation of jewels and plate given here in the Inventory. Just as today, when people move house, they take many of their belongings with them and thus a lot of what we find herein must once have been in the Hall at Ryburgh.
Mr. Shelton's Chamber, [presumed to be Henry Shelton, his godson and named in the will as one of his executors] is the only other of the rooms besides Buttes' at Catton designated personally in the inventory. It is perhaps not unreasonable to suppose that he may have been resident as some form of companion or providing a caring role for Thomas in his old age. As to the value of the goods and chattels, the sum may well be an underestimate as the value would be reflected in the subsequent size of the Probate fee. I would point the reader to David Yaxley's excellent "A Researcher's Glossary of words found in historical documents of East Anglia" published by Larks Press for guidance and explanation of some of the less familiar items to be found here until such time as I can include such information here.
Regrettably there is no indication where in Catton his house was situated. It would seem that a strong contender would be the Manor House which survives today though much altered but still with surviving Tudor elements. As far as I am aware, there is no other surviving dwelling in Old Catton that would fit the bill but of course, his Catton house could have suffered the same fate as Ryburgh Hall at the hands of subsequent modernising owners
An Inventorye with th’appraysement of
the goodes and chattelles of Thomas Buttes
Esquier taken at Catton the xvth day
of Februarye in the yearre of our Lord 1592
George Horseman John Russell
George Smithe James Morrant gents
In his owne chamber
A lyverye bedsteade
A Fetherbed with a bowelster
A Cannypie of grene saye & fowr curtaines
Two white blanckettes xlv s
A box with handcherchiefe & other tryfles viij s
A payer of Spectacles of silver & gylte vj s viij d
A payer of silver Spectacles vj s viij d
A long box with a horse heade on yt ij s
A lytle cofer with other boxes in yt iij s iiij d
A lytle Truncke ij s vj d
A lytle barred truncke vj s viij d
A great barred cheste vj s viij d
Tenne flaxen shirtes l s
Eyght flaxen pilloberes xij s
Three payer of course Sheetes xv s
Fower payer of fyne Shetes xl s
One table cloth fowr cowberd clothes tenne
Napkynes fowr towelles all of Damaske l s
A table clothe fower towelles ij cupberd
clothes & Eleven all of course Dyaper xxiiij s
An other table clothe ij towelles ij cupberd
clothes and xvij napkynes all of course dyaper xxxiij s iiij d
Fower playne table clothes xiiij s
Three cupboard clothes viij s
Two dozen of Napkyns xij s
Fyve towelles vj s viij d
An old cofer xij s
A new boxe of waynescote iij s iiij d
A lyverye table with a grene clothe ij s vj d
A cappe pann of brasse v s
A loading pistale armed vi s
A musket rest with a rapyer blade ij s
A horsemans turke with a rest in the ende xx s
A halfe pyke xij s
A Battell axe ij s
Seaven Javelinges ix s
Fower Partizans xiij s iiijd
A hooke to cutt busshes xij s
A Lowhande sworde iij s iiij d
A case of Pistalls x s
Fower single Pastalles xiij s iiij d
Three wooden Targettes xviij d
Two clubs ij s
A payer of Bellowes xij d
A carved box of wainscote with loose
papers in yt iij s
************
In the chamber over the butterye
A posted bedsted with a teaster of paynted clothe x s
A bedd & a bowelstere xlvi s
Two blankettes a damicke coverlett and
a tanny clothe vs
A lyvery bedsted iv s
A bed & boulster xxx s
Two damacke coverlettes lyned and
a blewe rugge v s
A fetherbed ij boulsters ij blankettes & a coverlett xl s
New page
An open Presse iij s
A Flaskette xii d
A lyverye table with a carpitt ij s
Furre to face a gowne & iij payer of Martyns xx s
A barred cheste vi s viij d
**********
In the chamber at the stares head
A chayre imbrodered iij s iiij d
A litle ioyned chayre xij d
A litle stoole xij d
A lyvery cupberd with a grene carpett ij s vi d
A payre of white yron Andyrons a payer
of dogges a fyer panne & a payre of tonges viij s
A fyer forke xvj d
Apayer of bellowes xij d
**********
In the gallerye
Three bunches & certeine coules of matres iij s iiij d
Fyve shefe of Callyver arrowes v s
Fyve shefe of Arminge arrowes v s
Two Arminge Bowes iij s
A lytle fowlding bedsted of waynescote vi s viij d
Two stoole flaskes with souch boxes v s iiij d
Eleven other flaskes of woode with souch boxes xvi s
One white wroughte flaske with souch boxes ij s
Syxe playne flaskettes of horne v s
Eleven porteflaskes of seales skynne & ij of Buffe iiij s
Tenne playne Callyvers l s
Two blacke halberdes with studes armed vi s viij d
Two playne white halberes armed with
white mocadowe vj s
One playne halberd xij d
Three browne bylles iij s
Tenn bandeleires v s
Two shefe of musket arrowes ij s viij d
A clocke with the furnyture xx s
A great Urnne v s
A lesser Urnne iij s viij d
Eleven Pikes xv s
Nyne Soldyers cappes iij s
Seaven Scarfes of mocadow v s
Two muskettes with their Restes xiij s iiij d
A fowlinge peece v s
A bushe knife iiij d
Fower brasen quartes iij s
A duble Pistall vj s viij d
An olde Pulham worke coverlett ij s viij d
**********
In Mr Sheltons chamber
A posted bedsted with a teastor of
damaske and the curtaines xiij s iiij d
A Fether bed & boulster a pillow ij blankettes xl s
and a Coverlet
A Truckell bedd ij s vj d
A Fetherbed & boulster ij blanketes
and a Coverlet xx s
A foote Cloth of Clothe v s
A Chayre and a litle cupberd iij s
**********
In the kitchinge Chamber
A trucle bedd xvj d
A Fetherbedd & Boulster ij blankettes
two olde Coverletes xvj s
New Page
folded at the top!
A Fetherbedd & ????????????
in the chimney ?????
A Flannell Coverlet of nedleworke xiij s iiij d
A blacke & red wollen coverlet v s
Sixe course table clothes xij s
Fower other table clothes xiij s iiij d
Fower Cowberd clothes of Lorkaram xiij s iiij d
Fower other cupberd clothes ij s viij d
Syxe dozen and tenn Napkyns xxvj s viij d
Two olde course table clothes ij s
One olde cupborde clothe xij d
Two olde Towelles ij s vj d
A cheste xx d
**********
In the brushinge chamber
Nynetene payer of course sheetes iiij Li xv s
A payer of fyner sheetes v s
A payer of Fustian blanketes v s
Three payer of other sheetes and a
Pillowbeare xv s
Two warminge Pannes viij s
Sixe Chamber pottes iiij s
A Damaske cloake with one tare xx s
A dupasatye cloake furred with blacke Lamb
& faced with black conyie xl s
A velvet Jerkyn xx s
A blacke Cotten Dublet xxx s
A payer of black velvet hose xiij s iiij d
A Damaske cloake with iiij sc tares faced with velvet xl s
An old damaske cloake with ij yardes of velvet x s
A clothe cloake faced with velvet xx s
Sixe pillowes xv s
A wyndowe cusshinge of Cotten iij s iiij d
Fower cusshinges of Arras xx s
A wyndow cloth of nedle work xiij s iiij d
A longe Grene Carpet x s
A matteris iij s iiij d
A payer of white Andyrons vj s viij d
Eyght brasen Candlestickes viij s
Certeine brands and files and other
necessarie tools iiij s
A glasse Lanterne xx d
An olde Buckler & measuringe lyne
another brand & two lether buckettes xvj d
Three brasse plates xviij d
Two cuttinge sawes xviij d
A chesse boarde with the menne xij d
A dogges chayne & certeine old yron xviij d
A box with vij snafles & iij bytes v s
certeine other boxes xij d
A box with two stampes for pewter and
certeine other thinges in yt viij d
A box of Gunpowder xij d
Two Truckles vj d
Certeine books xx s
A litle Casket xij d
A Presse wherin his apparrell laye vj s viij d
A light horsemans Sadle with the furniture v s
End of page
A Jacke covered with clothe iij s iiij d
Fyve Souldeyers cassocks v s
xv scarfes of yellow and bluwe mocadowe v s
The presse wherin the armor lyeth x s
A truncke ij s
Certeine hampers with ould harris armor
& a box with oulde mayle x s
A cofer vj d
**********
In the Hall
A longe table & fyve shorte formes x s
Tow standinge deskes & ij other deskes ij s
A wicker Skreene viij d
A payer of brasen Andyrons broken v s
Aracke for sea cooles with ij barres of yron vj s viij d
A fyer shovel forke & tonges iij s
Two hanginge plates ij d
**********
In the Parlour
A payer of brasen Andyrons iij li vj s viij d
A fyre panne tonges & bellowes iij s iiij d
A longe table 14 stoules a longe &
a shorte forme xx s
A carpet of olde Arras iij s iiij d
A dozen of Cusshons ij s
Two great chayers iiij s
A Cesterne of Copper x s
A Lyverye cupberd with a grene carpit ij s vj d
A litle square table with a grene clothe ij s vj d
**********
In the Butterye
A Voyder knife xviij d
xxj Candlestickes of brasse xiiij s
A bason and Ewer with a danske pewter pott iij s
A great pewter pot xviij d
Three smalle pewter & ij Salte ij s vj d
A bason and Ewer of pewter xviij d
A quarte pot of pewter vj d
**********
In the Kytchinge
An yron Jake with a racke & iij spytes to yt xvj s
Fyve Spyttes v s
A payer of yron dogges xvj d
Two yron peeles xiij d
A longe drippinge panne xviij d
Three lesser drippinge pannes iij s
Two morers & a pestell v s
A broken Ladle vj d
A fryinge panne of Brasse a scimior
of brasse a slyce & iiij xx( = score?) ladles iij s iiij d
Two fryinge pannes of yron xvj d
A bakinge panne with a cover viij d
One lytle copper kettle xij d
One great Copper kettell ij s
Two other small Kettelles xviij d
Three brasse pottes vj s
A chafer iij s iiij d
One skyllet & a posnet of pot brasse ij s
Thre skilletes & a posnet viij d
End of page
fold of page does not allow a view of the first item at the top of the page.
A lite.. chafy…..
Fower choppinge lnives viij d
Two Grydyrons xij d
A fyre panne & fyer forke viij d
Thre payer of pothookes ix d
**********
In the Larder
A bakinge pan with a tray & other
trifles iij s
A Cullender of brasse vj d
**********
In the inner chamber
over the backhouse
A great brasse pott xiij s iiij d
The biggest pot next x s
One lesser that that v s
An other Lesser than that iij s iiij d
A posnett of brasse xij d
Skyllet with a Cover xij d
Three Skilletes xviij d
Three olde Skilletes viij d
One great Chafinge dishe xij d
A lytle Chafyn dyshe x d
One brasse panne with eares ij s
Thre brasse pannes vj s
A longe Copper Kettle x s
A rounde Copper Kettle iij s iiij d
A great Caldron with ij Ringes v s
One kettle of brasse xviij d
xviij Cheeses xiij s iiij d
**********
The chamber over the backhouse
A bedstede with a Seelinge of waynescott v s
A bedd a boulster ij Coverlettes & a
Coverlet of Pullham worke xiij s iiij d
A Truclebed xx d
An ould fetherbed a boulster ij blankettes
and ij Coverletes v s
A Cupberd with a Carpett ij s
A Chayre vj d
A blacke bill vj d
**********
In the Backhouse
A payer of yron Rackes v s
A payer of yrons to make a Seacole fyre
with ij barres ij s
A Close Stoole ij s vj d
Two Trevettes xij d
One greate breade brasse panne v s iiij s iiij d
A Saltinge trough xvj d
A Leade x s
A Watteringe pott of brasse x d
Nyne ould vesselles a broken Busshell
& a halfe a busshell iij s
Two harvest botles x d
**********
In the Fyshe Chamber
xxx tie warpe of salt fish xx s
xviij tenne warpes of Lynge xxx s
Tenne Bee Hyves xx d
A Syve vj d
A dogge wheele vj d
**********
More in the Chamber over
the bachouse
A Garnish of Pewter with his
Creste on it xxxviij s iiij d
A [S]till ij s vj d
Two dosen of plate trenchers vj s
Two Chargers and a plate with T B on there iij s iiij d
xxiiij tie dishes and platters with his
on them & eleaven saucers xiiij s
Sixe rounde Porringers with T.B. ij s
Tow Platters with T.B. vj s viij d
xv tene smale pewter dyshes with TB vj s
xiiij Sawcers with T.B. ij s iiij d
Fower porringers with eares & T.B. xij d
Tow other porringers with his armes viij d
Three plates
**********
In the Yarde
A Sowe, a younge bore & a shott xvj s viij d
Eleven peeces of Square tymber x s
**********
Goodes at Walsingham
Two Troffes & certeine old plankes
& burninge woode xv s
Seacoles & billett & certeyne
oulde Caskes sould to Dame Jayne Buttes xx s
The Lease there sould to Willm
Fayerfax Cxx li
**********
Sheepe that Came from Thornham
One hundredth of yonge wethers
sold to Mr Willm Barrowe xxx li
56 ould wethers sould to Mr Frank Asheley 2xvli xvij s iiij d
**********
More at Catton
In Plate and Jewelles CC li
In redie money CCC li
Dettes sperate owinge to Mr Thomas Buttes
the Testator xxx li
Dette desperate lykewise owinge to the said
Testator xxv li
For the final page of the Inventory in Latin, I am indebted to Robert Collingwood and his Rootschat forum colleagues, "horselydown66" and "Bookbox" for its deciphering and translation
Ex(hibitu)m fuit h(uius)mo(d)i Invent(ariu)m p(er) m(agist)ros
Ric(ard)u(m) Aunger(um) et Isacu(m) Asshelye
armigeros execut(ores) una cu(m) Henrico
Shelton generoso in Testamento
sive ultima voluntate Thome
Butt(es) armigeri def(uncti) vicesimo
secundo die mensis ffebruarij
Anno d(omi)ni iuxta cursum et
computac(i)onem Eccl(es)ie Anglicane
mill(esi)mo Quingen(tesi)mo nonagesimo
secundo p(ro) pleno &c sub p(ro)testac(i)one
de addendo sive diminuendo q(uo)d
si &c
The subject inventory was produced by masters
Richard Aunger and Isac Asshelye
esquires together with Henry
Shelton gentleman executors of the testament
or last will of Thomas Buttes esquire deceased the twenty
second day of the month February
the year of the Lord by the course and
computatation of the English church
thousand five hundred ninety
two as a whole etc subject to declaration
of addition or reduction that
if etc