Poser 349 - Inventory of Elspet Clark, 1664

This week's poser is an extract from the inventory of the testament of Elspet Clark recorded in the Commissary Court of Caithness in 1664 (National Records of Scotland, CC4/3/1, page 207). Using the values of various livestock given in the inventory, we asked you:

What would be the price of a ewe which had no lamb?

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Answer:

Bear in mind that there were 12 pence in a shilling, and 20 shillings in a pound. The abbreviations for pounds, shillings and pence were respectively, l~, s~ and d~, from the Latin coins libra, solidi and denarii.

Therefore, a lambless ewe would have cost 1 pound and seven shillings (or 27 shillings). You could have sold 2 cows with calves and bought 19 ewes (and still had change).

Transcription

l~ s~ d~
Item ane kow w[i]t[h] calf 13 - 6 - 8
Item 2 yewes 2 lambes 04 - 00 - 00
Item 2 lambes 01 - 6 - 0
Item insicht plenishing 02 - 00 - 00
Item ane old plaid 01 - 00 - 00
Swma is 21l~ 12s~ 8d~

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