Inventory of William Purchase/Purchis, dyer, 1608

Dyer was one of richest men in the1603 tax assessments (£5) for Basingstoke. His wealth is shown in his inventory where he possessed goods assessed at over £1400, with a warehouse and dye house. He had £120 worth of woad. The family were important from at least 1550 and Thomas had been a dyer from 1562. He owned legal and religious books including one Abridgment of Statute [law book], Ursinus Catechism [Protestant reformer}, a service book, one other book concerning law and The Exposition of the Revelation of St John. He held bonds and specialties worth more than £1000.

Although the inventory survives in Hampshire Record Office, the will was presumably proved or the subject of an appeal in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury as two subsequent judgements or sentences (1611, 1614) survive today. The will seems to have been lost.