I John George of the parish
of Cumcarvan in the County of Monmouth (formerly) butcher, do make and ordain
my last Will and Testament in manner and form following (that is to say) I give
& decree all and singular my lands to my son Francis George one
patch lying in the parish aforesaid adjoining a piece of land belonging the
Gocket known by the name of Coorwrnss? Also adjoining a piece of land formerly
belonging to John Gwynn which I bought of Henry Gwillim also a
piece of land lying in the parish of Mitchel Troy bought of Thos Gwillim
also I give to my sd son Francis George all and every household
furniture wearing apparrel with all and every of my effects. I also nominate
ordain constitute and appoint the sd Francis George to be executor of
this my last Will and Testament. I also
appoint the sd Francis George (after my decease) to pay or cause to be
paid to my daughter Mary George the sum of one shilling also to my son Wm
George the sum of one pound one shilling allso to my son Jno George
the sum of one pound one shilling.
May the 5th 1793. James
Prosser
16 May 1797. Francis George the natural &
lawfull son & sole exor in the above will named was sworn to the truth
thereof & the faithfull performance of the same & that the goods
chattles & credits of the said deceased do not amount in value ... the sum
of one hundred pounds Before me Benj Hall, Chancellor.
(On document
cover) Cumcarvan. Will with
Affidavit. John George. Proved 16 May 1797
On the sixteenth
day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety seven
appeared personally James Prosser of the parish of Cumcarvan in the
County of Monmouth farmer and Thomas Tucker of the same parish labourer
and severally made oath as follows and first the said James Prosser
for himself maketh oath and saeth that on or about the fifth day of May in the
year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety three this deponent was
sent for by John George then of the parish of Cumcarvan in the said
County of Monmouth but since deceased that when this deponent came in to the
house of the said deceased he found the deceased sitting before the fire in the
kitchen alone seemingly in a bad state of health but as far as this deponent
... thought not dangerously ill?, that the deceased then told this deponent the
reason why he sent for him, which was that of making his the said deceased’s
will which the said deceased wished might be done sometime in the course of the
same week (this conversation passing on
a Sunday) that this deponent then took down in writing the instructions for
making the said will from the mouth of the said deceased which were in substance
exactly the same as the paper writing now exhibited beginning thus ‘ I John
George of the parish of Cumcarvan in the County of Monmouth formerly
“butcher” and ending thus ‘also to my
son John George the sum of one pound one shilling’ that then this
deponent took his leave of the said deceased and went home and that in the
course of two or three days this deponent copied over fair from the
instructions which he took down from the mouth of the said deceased the paper
writing now exhibited purporting to be the will of the said deceased John George
(which said instructions so taken from the mouth of the said deceased were read
over by this deponent to the said deceased and approved by him) that the said
paper writing now exhibited, this deponent knows to be the same so copied from
the instructions so taken down as aforesaid, which were read over by this
deponent to the said deceased & approved by him by its being all in this
deponents hand writing – that this deponent did not hear any thing more of the
said deceased untill the next day (being Monday) in the evening when this
deponent was informed that he was dead, that this deponent has solemly declared
that he has heard the said? John
George deceased declare that he always meant to leave to his son Francis
George (the executor named in the paper writing purporting to be the will
of the said deceased John George a greater share of his effects that to
any other of his other children as he found more duty and affection in this
child than in any other and further this deponent saith not. James Prosser.
And the said Thomas
Tucker for himself maketh oath and saith that he very well knew the said John
George the testator for many years prior to his death as he lived in a
small house belonging to this deponent not one hundred yards distant from the
house where this deponent then and still dwells and that he was used frequently
to see the said deceased two or three times a day & by that means became
very intimate with him, that in all conversation that this deponent has
frequently had with the said deceased on the subject (the disposal of his
effects) he the said deceased always declared that it was his intention to
leave what he the said deceased had to spare to his son the sd Francis George
the exor named in the said paper writing purporting to be the last will of the
said John George that this deponent did not see the said deceased on the
Sunday which was the day before the said deceased’s death nor knew anything
about his having given instructions for making his will otherwise he should
have sent for the person who took the instructions for drawing the said will,
when he found the said deceased worse on the next day when he came down stairs
in the morning of the Monday, that the next time this deponent saw the sd
deceased about one o clock of the same day (which was Monday) when this
deponent went as usual to fetch some beer, in order to do which this deponent
was obliged to go thro the house where the said deceased lived to a cellar where
the said beer was kept that on this deponents not finding the said deceased in
the kitchen where he usually sat went up in to his bed room, where he found the
said deceased speechless and in the agonies of death, as he did survive about
half an hour longer that this deponent does not believe any person was in the
said deceased’s house during the Monday prior to his the said deceased’s death
as he usually lived by himself and further this deponent saith not. The mark of Thomas (X) Tucker
The said James Prosser
and Thomas Tucker were sworn to the truth of the above on the day and
year above written, before me, Benj
Hall, Chancellor
Transcribed from a
photocopy by Dave Woolven, 2 Aspen Way, Malpas Park, Newport, South Wales. NP20 6LB
Tel 01633 858 359 6 April 2003