Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · 1d

There's still time to grab your ticket for a FREE 'WILLS PROJECT' EVENT

Join @lsangha.bsky.social & musician Chris Hoban this Saturday for a FREE performance of history & music inspired by #EarlyModern wills 📜🎵

📍Exeter Phoenix
📅Sat 11 Oct
🕐13.30

Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stories-an...

www.eventbrite.co.uk

4 7

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · 8d

3. Catch up on our latest 'Will of the Month' blog post!

September's post was written by Dylan Cox, a 3rd year Exeter History student 📜

You can catch up on all of our 'Will of the Month' posts - over 20! - on our website 💻

@uoearchhist.bsky.social #history
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...

🧵3/3

A 1720 drawing of Bridewell Prison, seen from above, from “The Prospect of Bridewell” from John Strype‘s An Accurate Edition of Stow’s “A Survey of London“ (1720) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridewell_Palace#/media/File:Prospect_of_Bridewell.jpg

5 9

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · 8d

2. Read our Autumn Newsletter! 📰

We've recently circulated our latest project update - with details of what we've been up to over the last 6 months! 📜🎨🎵

Download the pdf or plain version from our news page:
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...

@uniofexeterhass.bsky.social #skystorians
🧵2/3

1 4 6

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · 8d

📢 A round up of our recent news 📢

1. UPCOMING 'WILLS PROJECT' EVENT:

Join @lsangha.bsky.social and musician Chris Hoban for a FREE performance of history & music inspired by #EarlyModern wills 📜🎵

📍Exeter Phoenix
📅Sat 11 Oct
🕐13.30

Register here:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stories-an...
🧵1/3

Stories and Songs: Wills as Windows onto Past Lives

A unique performance of history and original music inspired by Tudor, Stuart and Georgian wills.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

1 9 16

Reposted by The Material Culture of Wills Project

Dr Laura Sangha @lsangha.bsky.social · 10d

Chris and I are really excited to be part of the FUTURES Festival and to have the chance to perform the wills music in the Phoenix Auditorium, following our sold out event earlier this year.

A box of printed programmes for the event 'An Evening of Stories and Songs: Wills as Windows onto Past Lives', presented by Arts and Culture. Chris Hoban and Laura Sangha. Another box contains 'Complete Song Lyrics' booklets, words by Chris Hoban.

1 3 7

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · 9d

📢 A FREE wills project event - Exeter, 11 October 📢

Project co-investigator @lsangha.bsky.social & Creative Fellow musician Chris Hoban invite you to join them for a unique performance of history and original music inspired by #EarlyModern wills 📜 #history

Register for your free ticket below 👇

Dr Laura Sangha @lsangha.bsky.social · 10d

🎺ANNOUNCEMENT!🎺

STORIES & SONGS: WILLS AS WINDOWS ONTO PAST LIVES

Join Chris Hoban and I at #Exeter Phoenix for a unique performance of history & original music inspired by #Tudor, #Stuart & Georgian wills! 🗃️

FREE! Claim your ticket: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1738865536...

Stories and Songs: Wills as Windows onto Past Lives

A unique performance of history and original music inspired by Tudor, Stuart and Georgian wills.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

3 9

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · 10d

📢 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT 📢

September's 'Will of the Month' post is live on our blog 📜

Written by Dylan Cox, a 3rd year Exeter History student, it explores the will of a C17th London gentleman, and his charitable bequests & mourning rings 💍

#skystorians #history

sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...

A photograph of a gold mourning ring and a small gold crucifix. Catalogues caption: an Example of a ‘Enamelled gold mourning ring, The hoop with a skull reserved in black enamel inscribed Non hic Sr. N. S. obt 30 June 86, England, date 1686’. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2025 https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O125929/mourning-ring-unknown

5 11

Reposted by The Material Culture of Wills Project

Dr Laura Sangha @lsangha.bsky.social · 12d

I really liked the fact that Dylan chose to research a 'boring' will from our collection - one with very few personal or sentimental bequests. As you will read, even wills like this contain a lot of rich historical detail.

Bravo Dylan!

1 2 9

Reposted by The Material Culture of Wills Project

Dr Laura Sangha @lsangha.bsky.social · 13d

📢SEPTEMBER WILL OF THE MONTH📢

It's a special one! Written by Exeter undergraduate student Dylan Cox, who undertook work experience with the project team. He explores the will of a London gentleman 👇

#EarlyModern 🗃️ @leverhulme.ac.uk @uniofexeterhass.bsky.social

sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...

A drawing showing a large complex of buildings - tall walls with lots of windows, it looks a bit like a prison. At the top text reads 'The Prospect of Bridewell'.

1 5 16

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · 14d

Dylan reflects on a will that contains mainly financial bequests, and comments on different ‘styles’ of will-making 📜💸

He also reflects on the process of this type of archival research more broadly 📝

Thank you Dylan for sharing your research!

@uoearchhist.bsky.social #skystorians #history
🧵2/2

3 6

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · 14d

📢 NEW WILL OF THE MONTH POST 📢

We're delighted to share this very special post by Dylan Cox, a 3rd year History student at Exeter. 📜

Dylan has transcribed & researched the will of a London gentleman who made several bequests, including to Bridewell prison 🧵1/2

sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...

2 6 17

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · 16d

In Case You Missed It: Last week we circulated our Autumn 2025 Newsletter 🍂✉️

Want to catch up on what we've been up to recently? You can now read it over on our website 👇

#history #EarlyModern #skystorians

Dr Laura Sangha @lsangha.bsky.social · 17d

ICYMI: last week the Wills Project circulated our autumn newsletter, with an update on what we've achieved over the past 6 months or so.

#EarlyModern 🗃️ @leverhulme.ac.uk @uniofexeterhass.bsky.social

Download the pdf or plain version from our news page: sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...

7 7

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · 21d

We'll be sending out our Autumn 2025 Newsletter tomorrow 🍂✉️
Sign up to our mailing list before then to receive a copy in your inbox! 👇

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · 22d

In the next few days we'll be circulating our Autumn 2025 project newsletter! 🍂✉️

To receive a copy and find out what we've been up to over the last few months, make sure you're signed up to our mailing list: forms.office.com/e/JbUEq4Za1u

@leverhulme.ac.uk @uoearchhist.bsky.social #history

3 8

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · 22d

In the next few days we'll be circulating our Autumn 2025 project newsletter! 🍂✉️

To receive a copy and find out what we've been up to over the last few months, make sure you're signed up to our mailing list: forms.office.com/e/JbUEq4Za1u

@leverhulme.ac.uk @uoearchhist.bsky.social #history

6 13

Reposted by The Material Culture of Wills Project

Julia Gebke @juliagebke.bsky.social · 26d

Who would have thought that early modern wills could create such a burst of creativity! 👏 This post reminded me of the fascinating artsy and sensory ways to engage with history. There is still so much to explore...

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · 27d

📢 ICYMI: in our new blog post Laura Sangha talks about her collaboration with a musician to explore wills, history and creative approaches 👇

sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...

#EarlyModern 🗃️

A photo montage showing Laura Sangha and Chris Hoban talking to people, looking at wills, visiting a museum. There are also images of people creating linocuts at a workshop, and of a will.

3 5

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · 27d

📢 ICYMI: in our new blog post Laura Sangha talks about her collaboration with a musician to explore wills, history and creative approaches 👇

sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...

#EarlyModern 🗃️

6 4

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · 29d

📢NEW WILLS PROJECT POST!📢

In the post our project Co-Investigator Laura Sangha recounts what happened when she collaborated with musician Chris Hoban in order to explore the wills in our sample.

sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...

#EarlyModern 🗃️

7 22

Reposted by The Material Culture of Wills Project

Dr Laura Sangha @lsangha.bsky.social · Sep 3

Japanner, Horse Boiler or Oatmeal Man - which is leading the 'best testator occupation' race for you?

🪑🐴🥣

Emily Vine @emilymayvine.bsky.social · Sep 3

I've found a new favourite - simply identified as "OATMEAL MAN" 🥣🥣🥣

4 8 32

Reposted by The Material Culture of Wills Project

Dr Laura Sangha @lsangha.bsky.social · Sep 2

Jukes listed his occupation as a 'Japanner' ('japanning' is a European imitation of East Asian lacquerwork), which is interesting, but not as interesting as Thomas Dugdale of Dirty Lane, Southwark, who described himself as ... 'Horse Boiler'.

🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

The first lines of a will, that read 'I Thomas Dugdale horse Boiler of Dirty Lane'.

5 7 20

Reposted by The Material Culture of Wills Project

Dr Laura Sangha @lsangha.bsky.social · Sep 2

When John Jukes wrote his will in 1784 he said he didn't mind where his grave was so long as it wasn't damp.📜🪦💧

'i will and desire to be buried in a decent manner, if in the country to be buried at jedgly, if in london where you please, but let it be a dry ground and a good stone over'.

2 3 32

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · Sep 2

We post regularly over on our blog - this includes our 'Will of the Month' series, as well as other discussions of research and project updates 📜✍️📚

We've now been writing blog posts for 18 months: you can search and filter all of them to find what you're looking for 👇
#skystorians #history

Dr Laura Sangha @lsangha.bsky.social · Sep 2

📢WILLS WEBSITE UPDATE📢

I've just added some new 'tags' to the index page of our blog, making it easier for you to find posts and full transcriptions about the wills we've featured

#EarlyModern 🗃️

sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...

A list of the tags used on the wills project blog:

16th century

17th century

18th century

Women’s wills

Men’s wills

Full transcriptions

Animals

Books

Burial

Charity

Clothing

Creative Fellow

Digital Humanities

Financial devices

Furniture

Global goods

Grandchildren

Jewellery

India

Jewellery

London

Making wills

Maritime

Project methodology

Rural

Silverware

Slavery

Tableware

Teaching

Urban

Volunteers

Work tools

5 10

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · Aug 28

📢 In Case You Missed It 📢

Our August 'Will of the Month' post is now live on our blog! 📜

It explores the will of a Huguenot 'Master Weaver', who lived in Stepney and made a bequest of 'all the Loomes and Harnesses belonging to a Weavers’ Trade' 🧶 #skystorians 👇

sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...

A book showing colourful flowery designs for woven silk. The book is opened and set against a black background. Design for woven silk from the ‘Leman Album’, pencil, pen and ink, watercolour and bodycolour on laid paper, possibly by James Leman, 1734. James Leman was a second-generation Huguenot refugee, and silk weaver and designer who was living and working in Spitalfields at the same time as our featured testator. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O65210/design-leman-james/ © Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2025

11 33

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · Aug 27

Thank you, that's great to hear!

3

The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · Aug 27

This is very interesting! We'll keep an eye out for similar examples - although I (this is Emily from the project) can't think of any off the top of my head - thanks for sharing it.

1 3

Reposted by The Material Culture of Wills Project

Leicestershire VCH Trust @leicsvcht.bsky.social · Aug 27

Loughborough 1678 and an unusual request in a will - That my Body be buried in my Garden (and it may have been, as there's no burial in the parish registers)

1 7 24