NLW Ref: LL/1752/48
In the name of God Amen the 12th day of November in the year of our Lord God 1751 I Robert Williams of the parish of Goytrey in the County of Monmouth yeoman being sick and weak in body but of sound perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto God therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament: That is to say: Principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it, and for my body I recommend it to the earth to be buried in a Christian like and decent manner att the discretion of my executor hopeing to have pardon for my sins by the mighty power and mercy of God. And as touching such worldly estate where with it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I give devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form.
Imprimis I give and bequeath to James Howell husband to Margarett my wife’s niece all and singular my lands messuages tenements whatsoever with full and free liberty and power to cutt any cordwood or any trees growing on my lands for his own purpose without doing any willfull waste as cutting young oaks or apple trees or the like waste. I give my lands and tenements as above mentioned to James Howell and his now wife during their natural; lives excepting out of my lands yearly and every year the sum of two pounds and tenn shilings of good and lawfull money of England to be raised or levied out of my lands and to be payd to my sister Jane the widow of Thomas Mirick yearly and every year during her natural life by the said James Howell or Margarett his wife or their heirs but and if the above named James Howell and Margarett his wife or their heirs do neglect to pay the fifty shilings yearly; I do give power to my sister Jane to enter into one half of my land for the payment therof. And it is my will that the [said] James Howell shall have six months liberty to pay the money after the time that the money is due and the same liberty to his heirs after … And after my sister Jane’s decease I do give two pounds and tenn shilings of lawfull money to Sarah my niece and daughter of the sd Thomas Mirick and Jane my sister to be payd by James Howell or his heirs yearly and every year during her natural life but and if the sd James Howell or his heirs do neglect to pay the fifty shilings of good and lawfull money every year to the sd Sarah Mirick I do give power to her to enter into one half of my land for the payment thereof. And after Sarah Mirick’s decease if so that she have no children or child by marriage out of her own [body?] alive after her I do give all my lands to James Howell and Margarett his now wife and their heirs for ever. But if Sarah Mirick aforesaid have children or child of her own body alive after her I give two pounds and tenn shilings every year to be payd to her children or child by James Howell or his heirs and then for ever but and if the said James Howell or his heirs do neglect to pay Sarah Mirick’s children or child if she have any after her I do give power to them or him to enter into one half of my lands for the payment thereof. It is my will that James Howell and Margarett his wife cannot sell my lands nor take money in it if it do happen that my sister Jane and Sarah Mirick do die before them having no child but it is my will that James Howell’s children or child by Margarett his now wife shall enjoy it and their heirs for ever after their father and mother’s decease.
I likewise give to James Howell and Margarett his now wife all my houshould goods and moveables excepting out some small quantity of goods my brother Hector Williams left in my house which I give to my sister Jane as soon as I be buried. I also give to James Howell the sum of thirty pounds that lieth in the hands of John Gwilim of Goitrey viz as morgage in his land, and tenn pounds that lieth in the hands of John Rosser son of James Rosser of Goitrey parish aforesaid and tenn pounds that lieth in the hands of Walter Edwards of Lannover dier by Bonds. I do give power to the sd James Howell or his heirs to take and keep the morgage papers and the wrightings of John Gwilim’s land aforesaid with the two Bonds of John Rosser and Walter Edwards aforesaid and rise the money when he please without any leave or consent of the executor. I also give to James Howell a cow called Brithi and a heifer called Lilly and a mare coult and a calf and my piggs and my … and my cheese and butter and meat and corn and hay and so forth.
I likewise constitute make and ordain Margarett widow of Thomas Williams my brother to be my executor if she will be willing to manage the affair her self or take some honest man in this my neighbourhood to assist her and bury me decently and hansomely. I desire James Howell and his wife to take care that I shall be buried as I do desire and have a good grave stone upon my grave and a man of this parish of Goitrey to work the stone for my grave. But if she choose not to be my executor I do choose James Howell to be in her stead. I give to my couson James Griffiths and his three children five pound a piece that is twenty pounds between them to be payd by my executor so soon as she cane rise them where they be due.
Item I give to David Griffiths two children five pound a piece that id tenn pound between them to be payd by my executor so soon as she can rise them. I give to the poor people of the parish of Goitre one pound to be distributed by William Andrews of this parish to them that are not troublesome to the parish. I desire the executor to pay the twenty shilings by the space of one month to the hand of William Andrews aforesaid. Item I give to my sister Jane Mirick above mentioned … called? … so soon as I be buried. If she do not go in my own use I mean the … It is my will that James Howell do put his two sons James and John apprentices to some trade that the lads liketh.
I likewise give to my Godsons William Evans and William Howell five pound a piece of good and lawfull money to be payd by my executor so soon as she can rise them where they be due as aforesaid.
I also distribute of my few cows after this manner except I do live to use them my self. If so be the executor is not to be called in question or give any account concerning them.
I do give to Mary daughter of the within mentioned James Griffiths a cow called Smily? as soon as I be buried.
Item I give to Ann daughter of the within mentioned David Griffiths a cow called Mwyny as soon as I be buried.
Item I give to Jane Mirick my sister a cow called Hoyuen? as soon as I be buried.
Item I give to Sarah daughter of the said Thomas Mirick a cow called Rowny as soon as I be buried.
Item it is my will that every man or woman that payeth me interest of money shall have a pair of new gloves att my burial.
Item I give all my wearing apparrel to the within mentioned James Howell.
And I do utterly disallow revoke and disannul all and every other former Testaments Wills and legacies bequests and executors by me in any ways before this time named Willed and bequeathed ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written. The mark of Robert (X) Williams
Sign’d, seal’d and declared by the said testator as his last Will and Testament in the presence of us the subscribers viz Walter Griffith, William Mathew, Walter Evans
This Will was proved at Landaff on the nineteenth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fifty two before the Reverend Mr Thomas Charles, Clerk, the Chancellor’s Surrogate, by James Howell one of the executors in this Will named, who was first on the holy Evangelists personally sworn well and faithfully to execute the same, to exhibite an inventory &c & to render a just account of his administration of the same, when thereunto lawfully required (Margarett Williams, widow, the other executrix in this Will named renouncing the burthen of the execution thereof)
February the 19th 1752
Margarett Williams, widow, one of the executors in this Will named renouncing the burthen of the execution thereof. James Howel the other executor in the said Will nam’d was sworn well & faithfully to execute the same to exhibit an in’y &c and to render an account &c before me Thomas Charles, Surrogate
February the 17th 1752
This is to certify the men in the post belonging to Landaff Court or any person or persons to whom it may concern; That I Margarett Williams of the parish of Lanwenarth in the county of Monmouth widow being left executor to Robert Williams of Goitrey parish and County aforesaid now deceased. I do hereby give power and authority to Ann Griffiths my couson to be executor or manage the sd affects in my stead by reason of my old age and not able to travell. As wittness my hand Margarett Williams
Wittnesses Walter Evans; the mark of William (W) Evans