The relatively large value assigned to wearing apparel is not uncommon, but it does point up to us the high value assigned to clothing in their society which had to include sheep raising and hand spinning of cloth before the days of mills. “Best clothes,” such as wool suits were made to last for years. Black felt hats, often of beaver, one of which remains in the house in good condition, and black dress shoes were part of the apparel. In inventories, beds were singled out as items of value. The term “bedstead” is what we would call a bed. Remember Shakespeare directed in his will that his wife should receive his “second best bed.” Below I list the expenses of the administrator, Phineas Burgess: Cutting 58-1/2 cords of wood $48.75 Care and providing for my father from May 1, 1846 to May 15, 1850 100.00 Nov. 1 Doctor’s bill 10.37 Nov. 23 Funeral bill 11.50 Nov. 27 To appraise property 5.00 Nov. 30 Grave Stones 12.00 Six days service and expenses 12.00 -------- $199.62 These expenses compare with the Personal Estate of $157. The cost of the care and providing for his father after the age of eighty is illuminating. It averages under 10 cents per day for food and care and illustrates the cultural pattern under which people lived before nursing homes, social security and medical insurance. The prices for the doctor, funeral and gravestones speak for themselves. This will throws light on John Burgess, scion of the first Thomas, arriving on these shores in 1630. John was in the fourth generation after him, making a span of 220 years. [Illustration] CHAPTER XI. THE COMMUNITY: NEARBY, AND BEYOND In the 1790’s the total population of the town of Plymouth had grown to 3500 people. By today’s standards this seems to be slow growth, averaging an increase of about 200 people per year since 1620. After the first growth of the early decades Plymouth settled into a slow growth rate until recent times, partly because economic growth and settlements flourished elsewhere. Much of the area then could be called a basically rural countryside. There was a small village for the South Ponds area near the present small chapel, located at the beginning of the road into the South Pond Cemetery. The early Burgess and other settlers are buried there.[17] It may be assumed from perusal of deeds and a general acquaintance of the area that it had acreage with enough meadow, upland and woodland to provide a basis for a livelihood of varying quality from the land.