In the name of God Amen this is the
last Will and Testament of me Henry Nicholas of the Town of Newport in
the County of Monmouth shopkeeper whereby I dispose of all my personal estate
in manner following (that is to say) I give and bequeath to Rowland Nicholas
of the Town of Newport aforesaid in the said County glazier and Henry Morgan
of the City of Bristol linnen draper all and singular my household goods and
furniture estate shop goods and all other my personal estate whatsoever upon
this special trust and confidence that they the said Rowland Nicholas
and Henry Morgan and the survivor of them do and shall with all
convenient speed after my decease sell and dispose of all and singular my
personal estate to the best advantage and with the money arising by such sale
to pay and satisfy all my just debts and funeral expences and from and
immediately after payment thereof to apply and lay out at interest in their
names or the name of the survivor of them on the best security or securities
that they can or may get all such sum or sums of money that shall or may remain
in their hands upon such sale after payment of my debts and funeral expences as
aforesaid upon trust and to and for the sole use and benefit of my only son Henry
Nicholas now an infant of very tender years and that such interest money
shall be applied and paid for the maintenance and education of my said son
during his minority. And I do hereby
commit the care and tuition of my said son during his minority and until he
shall attain to the age of twenty one years to the said Rowland Nicholas
and when and as soon as my said son shall attain to his full age my will is and
I do hereby direct the payment of such principal money as aforesd together with
all interest thereof that may be then due and in arrear to my said son for his
only use and benefit. And in case my
said son shall happen to dye before he shall attain to the age of twenty one
years and in the life time of my mother Elizabeth Nicholas then and in
such case I give all the said principal money to my said mother. And in case she shall happen to dye in my
said son’s life time and during his minority and of his death in his minority
as aforesaid I give to the said Rowland Nicholas the sum of one hundred
pounds part of the said principal money and the residue thereof I give to my
brother Jacob Nicholas.
And whereas several persons stand and are indebted to me as appears by
my shop books and other securities in diverse sums of money I do hereby direct
my executors hereafter named to call in the same with all speed after my
decease for the purposes aforesaid. And
I do hereby nominate and appoint the said Rowland Nicholas and Henry
Morgan executors in trust of this my last Will and Testament for the
purposes herein before mentioned. And I
do hereby revoke all former Wills by me at any time heretofore made and
published. In witness wherefore I have
to this my said Will put my hand and seal the sixth day of November in the
eleventh year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the third by the grace
of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith and so
forth and in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seaventy
. Henry Nicholas
Signed sealed
published pronounced and declared by the said testator as and for his last Will
and Testament in the presence of us who subscribed our names as witnesses
thereto in his presence and at his request
Richard Griffiths of Newport;
Will Thomas; ….?
December 15th
1770. Rowland Nicholas one of
the executors in this Will named was sworn well and faithfully to execute the
same, to exhibit an inventory &c, and to render an acct &c (power being
reserved &c) before me Nath’l
Wells, Surrogate
This Will was
proved at Landaff on the fifteenth day of December in the year of our Lord one
thousand seven hundred and seventy, before the Reverend Nathaniel Wells, Clerk,
Master of Arts, the Chancellor’s Surrogate, by Rowland Nicholas 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 exhibit an
inventory &c, and to render a just account of his administration thereof,
when thereunto lawfully required (power being first reserved to Henry Morgan
the other executor in this Will named when he applys for the same)
Transcribed from a
photocopy by Dave Woolven, 2 Aspen Way, Malpas Park, Newport, South Wales. NP20 6LB
Tel 01633 858 359 28 January 2003