The financial diary of John Hayne

The Devon Record Office preserves the financial diary of John Hayne, an Exeter merchant of moderate wealth, which he kept between 1631 and 1643. It lists the costs of all the items bought for his household - food, clothing, household goods, and so on - and is a significant source in understanding social conditions in early 17th-century Exeter. Since it runs through the early years of the Civil War it gives interesting information about the impact of the war on citizens, such as the cost of armour and the foods available in the besieged city.

Acknowledgments: The Devon Record Office