In the name of God Amen I John Jones of Pwllycwn in the pish of Rockfield in the County of Monmouth and Diocess of Landaff, Gent, being indisposed in health but of sound mind and memory (praised be God for the same) doe make and ordaine this my last will and testament in maner and form following (that is to say) Imprimis I comend my soul into the hands of Almighty God who gave it me hopeing through the meritorious death, passion and resurrection of my saviour Jesus Xt to have full and free pardon of all my sins and to inherit everlasting life. And my body I comitt to the earth to be decently buryed at the discrecon of my executrix herein after named. And as touching and concerning the disposion of all such temporall estate it hath pleased Almighty God to bestow upon me I give and dispose thereof in manner and form following (that is to say).
Item I doe give and devise unto my dear and loving wife Anne all that my messuage lands, tenem’ts & hereditaments whatsoever wth ye appurtenances thereunto belonging scituate, lying and being in the pish of Skenfreth in the sd County of Monmouth comonly called and known by the name of Gwern Lloyd to hold to the sd Ann and her assigns for --? untill such time as my son Richard Jones shall attain the age of one and twenty years for and towards the aiding and assisting the sd Anne to pay my debts and as soon as my sd son Richard shall attaine the sd age of one & twenty years then I give and devise all and singular the sd messuage lands tenem’ts and hereditaments wth the appurtenances to my said son Richard Jones and the heirs of his body lawfully to be begotten for ever provided always that in case my sd son Richard shall happen to depart this life unmarry’d and without any issue of his body lawfully begotten then and in such case I give and devise the said messuage lands tenem’ts and hereditaments and every pte and parcell thereof wth the appurtenances imediately after such his decease to my eldest son John Jones and to his heires and assigns for ever upon condicon that he my sd son John Jones his heirs or assigns shall and will well & truly pay or cause to be pd unto my two daughters Anne Jones and Mary Jones the sum of one hundred pounds of current British money within the space of one whole year next after the decease of my sd son Richard Jones as aforesd to be divided between them in manner following (that is to say) to my sd daughter Anne Jones the sum of sixty pounds and to my sd daughter Mary the sum of forty pounds, and if my sd son John Jones his heirs or assigns shall happen to make default in paym’t of the sd sums within the time before lymited for the paym’t thereof to the sd Anne and Mary my sd daughters or their assigns then in such case I doe give and devise the sd messuage lands & premises to my sd daughters Anne and Mary and their assigns to hold to them & their assigns till such time as my sd son John Jones his heirs or assigns shall and doe pay the sd sums of sixty pounds and forty pounds to them ye sd Anne Jones and Mary Jones together wth all charges wch they or either of them may be putt unto or expend in recovering, obteyning and defending the possion of the sd pr’mes it being my will and meaning and I doe hereby declare, order and appoint that my sd daughters Anne and Mary and their assigns shall not account or be liable to account for the rents, issues and p’fitts of the sd pr’mes or any pte thereof to my sd son John Jones his heirs or assigns but the same rents, issues and p’fitts thereof and of every part and p’cell thereof shall be forfieted to them the sd Ann & Mary for non paymt of the sd sums of sixty pounds and forty pounds within the time before limitted and be by them retained to their own p’per use & uses without rendring any account for the same or any pte thereof provided always and my will and meaning is that if it shall happen that my sd son John Jones shall depart this life before he attaines the full age of one and twenty years without having issue of his body lawfully by him begotten then having and the inheritance of all my lands tenem’ts & p’mises shall descend to my sd son Richard Jones as heire to his sd brother John Jones that then and in such case I doe direct, order and appoint that instead of the one hundred pounds before menconed to be pd to my said daughters Ann & Mary by my sd son John Jones that my said son Richard Jones his heires or assigns shall and will pay or cause to be pd unto my sd daughters Anne and Mary the sum of one hundred pound a piece with in one whole year next after the decease of my sd son John Jones of my sd son Richard Jones shall at that time be of the age of one & twenty years but in case my sd son Richard Jones shall not be of the age aforesd that then and in such case my will and meaning is that the said legaceys of one hundred pounds apeice to my sd two daughters Anne and Mary shall not be paid or payable till the end of six months after my sd son Richard shall attaine the age of one and twenty years as aforesaid and in case my said son Richard Jones his heires or assigns shall happen to make default in payment of the sd sums of one hundred pounds apeice to my sd daughters Anne & Mary within the time before limited for paym’t thereof then and in such case I doe give and devise the sd messuage lands tenem’ts & hereditaments called Gwernlloyd & every part and parcell thereof wth the appurtenances to my sd daughters Anne Jones & Mary Jones and their assigns to hold to them untill such time as my sd son Richard Jones his heires or assigns shall & doe pay the sd sum of two hundred pounds as aforesd and all charges wch the sd Anne & Mary shall be putt unto or expend in recovering, obteyning and defending the p’ssion of the sd messuage lands and p’mises it being my will and meaning and I doe hereby as in manner aforesd declare, order and appoint that my sd daughters Anne and Mary & their assigns shall not account or be lyable to account for the rents, issues and profitts of the sd premisses or for any part thereof to my sd son Richard Jones his heires or assigns but the same rents, issues and p’fitts thereof shall be forfeited to them for non paym’t of the sd sums as afores’d and within the terme before lymited for payment thereof and be by them retayned to their own p’per use without rendring account for the same or any pary thereof.
Item as for and concerning my other messuage or tenem’t wth the lands thereunto belonging called by the name of Iver Tricked I give, devise and bequeath the same to my youngest daughter Mary Jones & her heires for ever provided never the less that in case the sd Mary Jones shall happen to dye leaving no issue lawfully begotten behind her or shall not attain to the age of one and twenty years then my will and meaning is and I doe hereby give and bequeath the same to my eldest daughter Anne Jones & her heires for ever.
As for all other my goods, chattles and p’sonall estate I give, devise and bequeath the same & every part thereof unto my loving wife Anne Jones she paying my debts, legacys and funeral expences and revoakeing all former will by me made I doe nominate & appoint my sd wife Anne Jones executrix of this my last will & testament. In testimony whereof I have hereunto put my hand & seal this fourteenth day of August in the first year of the reign of our sovereign Lord King George the Second Anno Dni 1727. John Jones
Sign’d, sealed, published and declared by the sd John Jones to be his last will and testament in the presence of us who subscribed our names as witnesses to the due execution hereof in the same roome and in the presence of the testator. Thos Evans, John Williams, John Mathews
(Latin) 7 May 1728. Ann Jones, relict & executrix named in the testament sworn &c before Wm Morgan, Surrogate
(Latin) Proved at Abergavenny 7 May 1728 before Revd Wm Morgan, Clerk, Surrogate &c by Ann Jones, relict & executrix &c
Transcribed from a photocopy by Dave Woolven, 2 Aspen Way, Malpas Park, Newport, South Wales. NP20 6LB Tel 01633 858 359 9/10 Nov 2000