How rich were your ancestors?

[malcolm]

Fascinating to find that your ancestors were rich enough to be able to afford a memorial, or be buried inside the Chapel/Church, may be were fined for ignoring a law.

How about those who ignored the "Burial in Woollen Acts 1666-80" which, if ignored, cost the family a fine of £5.00 in 1680!

Can some one tell me what the equivalent would be today?

This information had to be noted in the parish registers at the time, whether buried in Wool or Linen or naked if very poor.

So were you part of a rich or poor family?

M

[maryb]

Hi Malcolm,

It would be wort £417-70 according to Currency Converter on The National Archives Site.

Maryb

[malcolm]

Thanks Maryb

Just think that would still be a lot in todays currency to add to a funeral bill just for the choice of a linen shroud.

It must have been particularly upsetting for those who were 'linen weavers' and had to be buried in wool to avoid the fine.

M

[jbancroft]

Hi Everyone,
I've just written an article on my blog about this very subject.
I'ts entitled "Rest in Fleece" and can be found be going to:
bancroftsfromyorkshire.blogspot.com
Best wishes for Christmas
Jar

[danmoorhouse]

Same calculation from an academic site - www.measuringworth.com/index.php

If you look at the retail price index calculation it comes out at being the equivalent of £659 and if you prefer to use average earnings as the baseline its the equivalent of £7580.

[malcolm]

Hi Jar
Thank you for the link and the background info..

The best thing about putting items in the forum is that many helpful articles are suggested and they are often not in locations that would normally come up on a Google search, or if they do, they are at number 3 million nine hundred thousand.

I have entered another thread which may prove useful concerning marriages, particularly in the 17th, 18th & early 19th Century prior to the Civil Registration Act in 1837.

Regard Malcolm