Query about a will

[LindaS]

On another forum I go on - not FH a member who knows I do Genealogy has asked me if I know the answer to a query she has. She's said:
I have a Will from way way back on a less wealthy family line; in it the deceased willed his "best bed" to his favourite daughter (the other children got pots and pans, or nothing at all). What was that all about I have since heard about this bed thing from other people but nobody can shed much light on it.

Has anybody on here any ideas???

[dickiesam]

Hi,
I reckon he was simply leaving his 'best' bed to his favourite daughter. Perhaps it was the main bed in the household, and that being the case could have been the 'best' bed in his opinion. The 'best bed' may have been the most expensive piece of furniture in the household.

[MaryA]

I agree with Dickiesam, there was sometimes an inventory of goods taken and it would be noticed that there was only the one of each item, including clothes, each item being valuable to it's owner and worthy of mention as a bequest. A "best bed" could be left perhaps to somebody still getting their household together for marriage and didn't yet have one, or maybe to his "best" daughter.

One of mine left all his "clothes and wearing apparel" to his sister, apart from selling them I wonder what he thought she would do with them?

[Katie]

I have come across wills leaving feather pillows to members of the family. So not unusual to leave best beds. They have old Lancashire Wills at Preston which are interesting reading.

[Barbara B]

Didn't William Shakespeare leave his best bed to Ann Hathaway? Ironic really seeing as they hadn't lived together for years!

[LindaS]

Thanks all. Ive passed the replies on to the lady who asked me