In the name of God Amen the eighteenth day of November 1726 I Thomas Gwyn the elder of the parish of Penalt in the County of Monmouth, yeoman, being sick & weak in body but of sound & perfect memory praise be given to almighty God for the same and knowing the uncertainty of this life on earth & being desirous to settle things in order doe make this my last will and testament in manner & form following, that is to say, First and principally I commend my soule to almighty God my creator assuerly that I shall recive full pardon & free remission of all my sins & be saved by the precious death & merits of my blessed saviour Jesus Christ & my body I commit to the earth from whence it was taken & to be decently buried in Christian buriall at the discression of my executors here after named & as touching such worldly estate as the Lord in mercy hath lent me my will & meaning is the same shall be imployed and bestowed as here after by this my will is expressed and first I do revoke, renounce, frustrate & make voyd all wills by me formerly made & declare and appoint this my last will & testament. First I do desire that my funerall expences be all paid & discharged and that my legaces shall be all paid in som convenient time after my deceas. Item I give & bequeath towards the reparation of the Chathederall Church of Landaff four pence. Item I give & bequeath unto my grand children the children of Thomas Rosser my sonn in law twenty shillins apeece & two yearling heyfers. I do give to Thomas Rosser’s two daughters Elizabeth & Magdalen and five shillings I do give to Mary Rosser my daughter the wife of the sd Thomas Rosser. Item I do give & bequeath unto Ann Watkins my daughter the wife of Edward Watkins my sonn in law five shillings. Item I do give & bequeath unto my sonn John Gwyn all my houses & lands which I have in the Town & parrish of Treleck in the County aforesaid in the Diocese of Llandaff to him & his heyrs for ever but if it shall happen that the sd John Gwyn shall having no issue lawfully begotten by his own body, then the sd house & lands shall fall to Thomas Gwyn his brother & his heyrs forever. Item I do give to my sonn Thomas Gwyn all my lands that I have in the parrishes of Penalt and Mitchell Troy to him & his heyrs forever and in licke manner if he ye sd Thomas Gwyn shall die having no issue lawafully begotten by his own body then it shall fall to John Gwyn his brother & his heyrs forever and if the sd John Gwyn & Thomas Gwyn do die having no issue then the aforesd houses & land or lands shall return & fall as an inheritance to the next of theyr relations. Item all ready moneys whatsever I have in my keeping I do give & bequeath unto my sonn Thomas Gwyn. Item all the moneys yt is due to me upon bills, bonds, & leases or any other writing I do give & bequeath to John & Thomas Gwyn my two sonns & equally to be divided between them & all my stock of sheep, cattle, horses & piggs equally divided in licke manner. Item all my houshold goods I do leave it to my wife Pacience to be at her disposing & five pounds a year of current money of Great Britain to be paid her yearly during the term of her naturall life. That is to say fifty shillings upon every feast day of St John ye Baptist & fifty shillings upon every Christmas day in every year during the term aforesd and to receive & take no more then one hundredpounds from Edward Watkins my sonn in law that is due to me by way of mortgage. Item I do consitute, apoint & ordaine my two sonns John & Thomas Gwyn to be joyntly & severally my whole & sole executors of this my last will & testament. In witnesse whereof I have here unto put my hand & seale the day, month & year first above written. Thomas Gwyn
Sealled & delivered in the presents of George George; George Harris; Philip Harris
(Latin) 21 Oct 1729. Probate given to John Gwyn & Thomas Gwyn, sons & executors named in the said will.
(Latin) Proved at Abergavenny 21 October 1729 by John Gwyn & Thomas Gwyn, sone & executors.
A true and perfect inventary of all the goods and chattels of Thomas Gwin of the parrish of Cemcarvan in the County of Monmouth, yeoman, deceased the third day of May 1728 is as followeth.
£ s d
Imp’rs his wearing apparell 1 0 0
It three brass caldrons & one brass crock & other brass 1 0 0
It all the peuter 0 2 6
It beding and lining 2 10 0
It two hoxheds, 4 killderkins with bedsteeds, tables, benches with
other wooden lumber 1 0 0
It five yearllings 3 15 0
It six bull ox 24 0 0
It four small cows with three calfs 10 0 0
It five young cattell 9 0 0
It one score of ewes & lams 3 0 0
It fortie small sheep 5 0 0
It and old hors and mare 1 10 0
It eight small piggs 2 0 0
It a small quantitie of wheat & otts 1 10 0
It and ijorn frying pan & other kittchin jorns 0 2 6
It the implements of husbandry 1 0 0
It four covers of otts at Penalt 0 15 0
It three covers of wheat at Penalt, reasonable crops 1 0 0
It two covers of barly in Michell Troy 0 15 0
It one acre of otts in Mitchell Troy 0 5 0
It fowr covers of otts at Treleck, reasonable crop 0 15 0
Total 70 0 0
Aprized by us being first sworn James Blower, Thomas Probyn
(Latin) Exhibited at Abergavenny 21 October 1729 by John Gwyn & Thomas Gwyn sone & executors.
Transcribed from a photocopy by Dave Woolven, 2 Aspen Way, Malpas Park, Newport, South Wales
NP20 6LB Tel 01633 858 359 5 September 2000