In the name of God Amen the third day of May in the year of our Lord God 1696 I Ann John of Pencreek in the County of Monmouth, spinster, being very sick in body but of pfect mind & memory thanks be given to Almighty God therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my body & knowing that it is appointed for all men once to dye doe make & ordain this my last will & testam'’ vizt, principally & first of all I recommend my soul into ye hands of God & for my body I comend itt to ye earth to be buried in Xtian like & decent manner att ye discretion of my executrix nothing doubting but att the generall resurrection I shall receive ye same again by the power of God & as touching such worldly estate wherewith itt hath pleased God to bless me in this life I give, devise & dispose of the same in forme & manner following. Imp’rs I give & bequeath the sume of four pounds & ten shillings to pay & discharge all my funerall expences. Item I give & bequeath to my four god children John Richards, Henry Morgan, Ann Hugh & Easter Griffith ye sume of two shillings and six pence a piece. Item I give & bequeath to my brother Wm John ye sume of four pounds & the biggest of my [unreadable. DW] Item I give & bequeath to John Evan’s wife & William David his wife the sume of two shillings a piece. Item I give & bequeath to the poor of Lanhenock parish the sume of one pound. Item I give & bequeath to ye poor of the parish of Lanvrechvach the sume of one pound. Item I give & bequeath to the poor of the parish of Landewey the sume of ten shillings. Item I give & bequeath to Mr Davies to preach a sermon att my funerall the sume of ten shillings. Item I give & bequeath to Blanch Morgan one cow & all my old cloathes. Item I give & bequeath to my sister Mary John the sume of three pound ten shillings five sheep one feather bed one brass pott one cupboard three pair of sheets two pillow beers one trunk two boxes & all my wearing apparel, whom I likewise constitute make & ordain my only & sole executrix of this my last will & testam’t and I doe hereby utterly disallow, revoke & disanull all & every former testaments wills & legacies requests & execut’s by me in any ways before this time named, willed & bequeathed ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last will & testament. In wittness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand & seal ye day & year first above written. The marke of Ann John. Signed, sealed, published & declared in the p’sence of us John Mathews, Griffith Morgan, Thos Carpenter, John Powell, Mathew Powell
(Latin) Probate of the testament of Anne John of Pencreek, in Lanhenock, Mon & Diocese of Landaff, spinster, deceased, to Mary John, sister & executrix &c. Dated 22 October 1696. Phil: Maddocks NP, Reg’ins
A true & perfect inventary of the goods and chattell of Anne John of the pish of Lanhenock and the County of Monmouth and Diocese of Landaffe, deceased taken and apraysed by David William and John Mathew the fift day of September 1696 as followeth
Imp For her wearing aparell 3 0 0
It For five sheep at 1 0 0
It For one fether bedd and one boulster & one
brass pot 2 0 0
It For one trunk and one cuport 0 10 0
It For one cow 2 0 0
It For two pelleper two box and three pare of sheets 0 10 0
It For all her redye mony is 12 0 0
Sume 21 0 0
Aprays by John Mathew, David William
(Latin) Inventory exhibited at Caerleon 22 Oct 1696 by Mary John, executrix &c
Transcribed from a photocopy by Dave Woolven, 2 Aspen Way, Malpas Park, Newport, South Wales. NP20 6LB Tel 01633 858 359 10 Nov 2000-11-10