"bordden chere"?

[ElizabethHerts]

I have been transcribing a will from 1639 and have a "bordden chere".
I have googled and have found two hits for "borden chaire" in inventories.

Has anyone an idea of what type of chair this is?

[Jill]

"Borden" in middle English means made of boards, so I'm guessing it means a chair with a seat made of boards rather than a rush seat.

Middle english dictionary (http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?type=id&id=MED5542)

[Phoenix]

There are also online references to borden beds. I would imagine it means formed out of boards (as opposed to cane bottomed, or a windsor chair with a solid seat & poles at the back.)

[ElizabethHerts]

Thanks, Jill and Phoenix. I imagined that it would be made of wood. I love inventories and the glimpses they give into household goods and furniture.

[Phoenix]

With you on that, Elizabeth. It fascinates me how very different inventories can be.

[ElizabethHerts]

I've seen inventories pages long, and yet others that are just a few lines.
With the short ones, I can't help thinking that the person charged with making the inventory couldn't be bothered listing everything.

[Olde Crone]

Someone sent me an inventory of a mutual ancestor in the late 1700s, Isle of Man. It listed every broken pot and almost made me weep at the poverty and the earnest listing of every single item they had possessed in the world, hardly any of which was worth a penny.

The ones I like and which make me laugh are "my second best dress" "two pillowcases" and so on. This supposes that the executor KNOWS which her second best dress is and which two pillowcases she means.

OC

[Phoenix]

My favourite will leaves a table cloth with matching napkins to each of the testator's grandsons, and gold rings to the granddaughters.