In the name of God Amen the seaventh day of June in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand six hundred fourtie five I Richard John of the pish of Goytre in the Countie of Monmouth being sick of bory but of good and pfect memory (God be praysed doe make & ordayne this my last will and testament in manner & forme following that is to saie. First I comend my soule into the hands of God my maker hopeing assuredly through the only meritts of Jesus Christ our Saviour to be made ptaker of lief everlasting. And I comend my body to the earth whereof it is made. Item I doe give and bequeath unto Alice my sister daughter to Christian Thomas as supposed [these last 5 words have been struck through. DW] daughter to John ap John all my goods cattles and chattells due to me in manner hereafter & herein specified vizt the some of five pounds due unto me from Henry Watkin & payable by his bond uppon a day long since past. Alsoe the some of tenne pounds due unto me by bond from William Thomas Phillipp last St Andrews tide. Alsoe the some of thirty shillings due to me from William Jones by his bond on May daie last. Alsoe the some of twentie shillings due unto me from Anne Lloyd in May last. Alsoe the some one and thirtie shillings due to me from John Wiliams on a day long since past. Alsoe the some of tenne shillings due to me long since from John William Morgan. Item I doe give and bequeath unto the said Alice my sister the some of seaven pounds six shillings due unto me by bond from William Jones Clr. And alsoe the some of five pounds due unto me from William John and alsoe the some of fourtie shillings due unto me from Charles Thomas. Item I give and bequeath unto David Jenkins the some of three pounds wch he the said David now hath in his hands. I doe alsoe give & my will is that the said David Jenkins shall take & receive the first yeares iust & lawfull interest of the said some of seaven pounds due unto me from the said William Jones Clr and alsoe of the said some of five pounds due unto me from the said William John & alsoe the first yeares lawfull interest of the sd some of fortie shillings due to me from the said Charles Thomas. All wch interrests I doe except out of the said bequests unto my sayd sister Alice. Item I doe nomynate and appointe my said sister Alice to be sole executrix of this my last will and testament whome I doe appoint & heartily desire to paie my debts & see my funerall expences discharged. Item whereas I passed & conveyed away my goods cattles & chattells by deed of guift unto my brother William John in trust for certaine reasones known to diverse of my friends uppon his faithfull promise made at and s..? the sealing thereof to redelyver the same to be cancelled I doe hereby declare that the said deed was not reall but in trust and that the said William did p’mise me & diverse ..? since my p’sent sicknesse to delyver it up to be cancelled wch hitherto he hath not donne. Therefore my will is that my said executrix shall endeavour by all the legall waies & meanes possible to recover the said deed and to disannull & make voyd every pte & pcell thereof soe that the said William nor any other clayming from him may receive any benefitt or advantage hereby. In witnesse whereof I have hereunto subscribed my mark & have putt my seale to this my last will and testamt the day and yeare first above written.

Read sealed & published in the psence of us Will Lewes; Ca?: Jenkins: the mark of Thomas Lewis of Goytre; the mark of Griffith ..?

Proved at Landaph 26 August 1645 before Thomas Gwynne.

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