In the name of God amen I George Jones of Little Salisbury in the County of Monmouth, Gentleman, being weak in body but of sound and perfect disposing mind and memory do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following, that is to say, in the first place I give my soul to God hoping to be saved through the merits of my blessed redeemer and my body to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executor herein after named. And as for my worldly estate and effects I dispose thereoff in manner herein after expressed. I will that all my just debts be paid. Item I give, devise and bequeath to my nephew Joseph Jones all my lands and tenements which I purchased of my brother Jacob Jones lying in the parishes of St Brides, Magor & Willcrick and Hamlet of Landeveny except what shall be hereafter excepted to have and to hold to the said Joseph Jones and his heirs for ever. Item I give, devise and bequeath to the said Joseph Jones all those lands in St Brides which I purchased of John Walter of Piersfield esquire (except what shall be excepted hereafter) and also those parcels of lands in the parish of Caldicott which I purchased of John Evan of Mynillyslwyn to have and to hold the said premisses to him and his heirs for ever both which last parcels I do hereby charge with three pounds a year to be paid out of the profits thereoff to my housekeeper Mary Lewis during her life without any deduction upon any account whatsoever. Item I give, devise and bequeath to my nephew George Jones all my lands, tenements and hereditaments in Little Salisbury aforesaid with two acres of land and an old ruined house adjoining to Salisbury Farm aforesaid and being part of ye lands I purchased from John Walter esquire aforesaid and my said brother Jacob Jones lying in St Bride above the way that leads from Salisbury aforesaid to St Brides Church to have and to hold the said premisses with the appurtenances to him the said George Jones and his heirs for ever. Item I give, devise and bequeath to my said nephew George Jones all those lands, tenements and hereditaments in Magor, Redwick and Portown with the two several Lordships of Magor and Green Moore which I purchased of Edward Norwood esquire to have and to hold the said premisses to him and his heirs for ever which last devised premisses I charge with seven pounds a year to be paid out of the profits thereoff by the said George Jones to my said house keeper Mary Lewis during her life without any deduction upon any account whatsoever. Item I give to my neeces Mary Alleine, Rebecka Goldegay and Lydia Belfore twenty shillings a piece, to my neeces Susanna Jones, Sara Jones and Elizabeth Jones halfe a crown a piece. Item I give to my neeces Mary Jones, Martha Jones and Elizabeth Jones of Newport halfe a crown a piece. Item I give to my sister in law Susanna Jones five shillings and to my sister in law Mary Jones ten shillings. Item I give to my said nephew Joseph Jones six plain silver spoons and Pools annotations. Item I give to Elizabeth Gibbon two ewes and two lambs and five shillings in money and to Mary Adams five shillings. Item I give to William Tamplin all my old cloths and halfe a crown, and to my other three servants, David Watkin, William Robert and John Cissil halfe a crown a piece. Item I give to my said house keeper Mary Lewis my new red Morocco Bible and my grey mare. All the rest and residue of my goods and effects I give and bequeath to my said nephew George Jones whom I do hereby constitute and appoint sole executor of this my will. In witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand and seal this third day of January in the eighth year of the reign of our sovereign Lord George the Second by grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland King &c and in the year of our Lord 1734. Geo Jones.

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said George Jones as his last will and testament in the presence of us who subscribed our names at his request and in his presence observing that the word ‘George’ in the fourth line from the bottom was something blotted. Sarah Morgan, Samuel Powell, David Williams. January the 23th 1734/5. George Jones the nephew and executor in this will named was sworn well and truly to execute the same & to exhibite an inventary and to render an account &c before me Wm Morgan, Surrogate.

This will was proved at Llandaffe on the twenty third day of January in the year of our Lord God (according to the computation of the Church of England) one thousand seven hundred and thirty four before ye Revd Mr Wm Morgan, Cler, ye Chancellors Surrogate by George Jones ye nephew & executor herein named who swore well and truly to execute ye same, to exehibite an inventary and to render a just account of his administration of ye same when thereto lawfully required

Transcribed from a photocopy by Dave Woolven, 2 Aspen Way, Malpas Park, Newport, South Wales. NP20 6LB Tel 01633 858 359 8 Nov 2000

NOTE: Little Salisbury is about half way between the parish church of Penhow and the parish church of Magor. Which parish it actually is in, I do not know. DW