On this day in 1704 Nathaniel Long wrote an order for Bowrey to pay Mrs Jane Phillips £7. The receipt on the reverse dated a week later shows that it was in respect of a house in Mansell Street, Goodmans Fields a short distance from where Bowrey lived in Well Close Square, Wapping.
Bowrey owned some houses in Goodmans Fields which was being developed around this time but why he is paying Mrs Phillips is unclear. What is interesting, however, is the note Long has added to the order. He invited Bowrey and his wife to Richmond to eat the first beans and peas of the season. It is a reminder of a time when food eaten was truly seasonal and new season’s produce was a treat to share with friends.
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