There are several websites which perform this calculation. One is http://www.measuringworth.com But it makes a lot of difference whether you are thinking in terms of prices or wages. This particular site comes up with 40 shillings in 1719 being worth in 2008: In terms of the Retail Price Index :- 273.97 pounds In terms of Average earnings:- 3091.05 Only dates from 1254 to 2008 areavailable. John Barton ----- Original Message ----- From: "A Lee" <alee231@btinternet.com> To: "Judith Werner" <typehey@comcast.net>; <old-english@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, July 04, 2009 8:29 AM Subject: Re: [OEL] Fw: Executor who is a minor in 1719 will > Can anyone assess how much, in current money, 40 shillings (2 GB pounds) > would be? Although it doesn't look a great deal now, I think it may have > been very different in 1719. This is nearly 300 years ago and inflation > must have had an enormous effect on cash values since then. > > Audrey > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Judith Werner" <typehey@comcast.net> > To: <old-english@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Thursday, July 02, 2009 4:05 PM > Subject: [OEL] Fw: Executor who is a minor in 1719 will > > >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: <eve@varneys.org.uk> >> To: "Chris Bartlett" <woodcom@ihug.co.nz>; >> <old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com> >> Sent: Thursday, July 02, 2009 6:51 AM >> Subject: Re: [OEL] Executor who is a minor in 1719 will >> >> >> |> >> | > Hello all >> | > >> | > We have a bit of a strange situation where a son who is only 5 >> years >> | > old is made the sole executor of a will. The following is the text >> of >> | > the will. >> | > >> | > "I Give & Devise to my son John whom I make full & sole Executor >> of >> | > this >> | > my Will hereby revoking all former Wills by me heretofore made. And >> I >> | > do appoint my brother Coney Tunnard & Mr John Robertson junr to be >> | > Trustees and Guardians for all my said children and their estates >> | > untill their respective ages of one & twenty years & desire them to >> | > take upon them ye said Trust and for their trouble in the >> management >> | > thereof I give them forty shillings for every year they shall act >> | > therein" >> | > >> | > Was this a normal situation where all children were minors. John >> was >> | > the only living son. >> >> Absolutely. The testator prudently made a will which would hold till he >> died (I take it his wife was already dead); he did not wish to predict >> the >> date of his own death, always hoping it might not be untill the son >> was >> of age. However, perhaps being more realistic, he provided named >> guardians for the children until such time as John was 21, and they >> were paid a relatively small sum for their trouble (plus actual >> outgoings, which would be accounted for and charged against any >> profits they made by running the farm/business/estate/) >> The Uncle was the natural guardian, who would have been >> appointed anyway (though a fee would have been charged for making >> that appointment, which testator therby avoids.) >> >> >> >> >> >> ==================================== >> WEB PAGE: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ >> ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=OLD-ENGLISH >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> OLD-ENGLISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> >> -- >> Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. >> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >> Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: - Release Date: <unknown> >> >> > > > > > > ==================================== > WEB PAGE: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ > ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=OLD-ENGLISH > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > OLD-ENGLISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > __________ NOD32 4212 (20090703) Information __________ > > This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. > http://www.eset.com > >