Know all men by these presents that we Mary Franklin of the parish of Landaff in the County of Glamorgan, widow and Thomas Franklin of the same parish, gardiner are held firmly bound unto the Right Reverend Father in God Richard by Divine permission Lord Bishop of Landaff in the sum of two hundred pounds of good and lawful money of Great Britain to be paid unto the said Lord Bishop or to his certain Attorney his executors administrators or assigns To which payment well and truly to be made we oblige ourselves and each of us jointly and severally for the whole our heirs executors and administrators firmly by these presents sealed with our seals Dated the twentieth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty four

The Condition of this Obligation is such that if the above bounden Mary Franklin widow, the relict and Administrator of all and singular the goods chattels and credits of John Franklin deceased late of the parish of Landaff in the County of Glamorgan and Diocese of Landaff do make or cause to be made a true and perfect inventory of all and singular the goods chattels and credits of the said deceased which have or shall come to the hands possession or knowledge of the said Mary Franklin or into the hands and possession of any person or persons for him and the same so made to exhibit or cause to be exhibited into the registry of the Consistory Court of Landaff at or before the last day of May next ensuing and the same goods chattels and credits and all other goods chattels and credits of the said deceased at the time of her death which at any time after shall come to the hands or possession of the said Mary Franklin or into the hands and possession of any other person or persons for him do well and truly administer according to law. And further do make or cause to be made a true and just Accompt of him said administrator at or before the last day of November 1785 and all the rest and residue of the said goods chattels and credits which shall be found remaining upon the said administrator’s Accompt the same being first examined and allowed of by the Judge or Judges for the time being of the said Court shall deliver and pay unto such person or persons respectively as the said Judge or Judges by his or their decree or sentence pursuant to the true intent and meaning of a late Act of Parliament made in the two and twentieth and three and twentieth years of the Reign of our late Sovereign Lord King Charles the Second intituled an Act for the better settling of intestate’s estates shall limit and appoint. And if it shall hereafter appear that ant last will and testament was made by the said deceased and the executor or executors therein named do exhibit the same into the said Court making Request to have it allowed and approved accordingly if the said Mary Franklin above bounden being thereunto required do render and deliver the said Letters of administration (approbation of such testament being first had and made) in the said Court then this Obligation to be void or else to remain in full force and virtue.

Sealed and delivered in the presence of James Davies NP; Mary Franklin; Thos Franklin. 20^th May 1784

The above Mary Franklin was sworn well and faithfully to administer &c to exhibit an inventary &c and to render an acct &c and that the goods chattles & credits of the dec’d do not amount in value to the sum of twenty pounds. Before me Benj Hall, Surrogate

Transcribed from a photocopy by Dave Woolven, 2 Aspen Way, Malpas Park, Newport, South Wales. NP20 6LB Tel 01633 858 359 8 October 2001

NOTE: I have used a proforma for the above. The wording of the original may differ slightly