Anne Williams – Brinker

A brinker is old Levels lingo for a person who owns land on one side of a reen, wall or pill and is responsible for its maintenance.

---

According to a Court of Sewers survey of 1720, stored at Gwent Archives, the widowed Anne Williams of Whitson was among the brinkers that owned land adjoining Monks Ditch. This meant that she was responsible for repairs to its embankment or wall along her length of land. When Anne died in 1723, her son William was required to arrange for an inventory to be made of her goods.

Anne ran a mixed farm. She had twenty-six cows of various ages and four calves; there was cheese and butter in her dairy. Seven horses were used to work the land on which she grew wheat. She also kept two pigs.

Inside the farmhouse, Anne's hall (main living room) contained two tables, a cupboard, chest, bench, five chairs and five stools. Elsewhere (probably in the kitchen) there was a settle, two benches and a chair padded with straw. Cooking utensils included two brass pans, a brass pot, a brass cauldron and two skillets (small kettles or pots, often with legs). Two iron pots and an iron grate were listed as 'belonging to the house'. Meals were served using a copper platter, seven pewter dishes and three pewter plates, and she owned fourteen spoons. Anne also had a tankard, a salt cellar and some wooden dishes.

One of her four beds had a feather mattress. The other three were described as 'dust beds', perhaps indicating that their mattresses were filled more simply — this was a time when the people often slept on pallets of hay. There were also two feather bolsters, pillows and sheets. Anne's clothing was not individually listed.

The total value of Anne's personal property was almost £82. Her inventory can be viewed on the National Library of Wales website.

---

National Library of Wales

---

People in the Landscape

Anne Williams is the inspiration for one of our ‘People in the Landscape’ sculptures.

More information…