This study is based on all the surviving probate inventories and their associated wills for two Hampshire cities, Winchester and Southampton, up to 1575. The first surviving inventory for Southampton Is dated 1447, whilst that of Winchester is dated 1500. This is the first in-depth study of furnishings, and interiors, for a whole range of socio-economic groups, from artisans to the urban elite, in the first three quarters of the 16th century. It fills the gap between the recent publication of royal inventories, and the earlier ones based on rural communities, and opens up a whole new perspective on the lives of this 'middling' group of people By comparing two quite different types of community: Winchester with its concentration of ecclesiastical, and educational institutions, and Southampton with its port and corresponding merchant, and maritime residents, it shows distinct differences in their household belongings.