Written by one Robert Draper to a Mr. Bilby, the shopping list includes pewter spoons, a frying pan, and “greenfish,” which is now known as unsalted cod. It also asks Mr. Bilby to send a “fireshovel” and “lights” to Copt Hall, which is 36 miles away on the other side of London.
Written in 1633, the note was uncovered during a multimillion dollar renovation of the famed Knole House. Constructed in the late 15th century and surrounded by 1,000 acres of forest, it is one of England’s largest houses.
