In the name of God Amen the fifteenth day of April in the first year of the reign of our Lady Ann by the grace of God of England, Scotland and Ireland Queen, defender of the faith and in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand seven hundred and two I Blanch Nicholas of the parish of Cumcarvan in the County of Monmoth, widdow, being sick in body but of good and perfect memory thanks be to Almighty God and calling to rememberance the uncertain estate of this transitory life and that all flesh must yeald unto death when it shall please God to call, do make, constitute, ordain and declare this my last will and testament in manner and form following, revoking and adnuling by these presents all and every testament and testaments will and wills heretofore by me made and declared either by word or writing and this is to be taken only for my last will and testament and non other. And first being penitent and sorry from the bottom of my heart for my sins past most humbly desiring forgiveness for the same. I give and commit my soul into the hands of Almighty God my saviour and redeemer in whome and by the merritts of Jesus Christ I trust and believe assuredly to be saved and to have full remission of all my sins and that my soul with my body at the day of resurection shall rise again with joy and through the meritts of Christ’s death and passion possess and inheritt the kindon of heaven prepared for his elect and chossen, and my body to be buried in such place as it shall please my executors hereafter named to appoint. And now for the settleing of my temporall estate and such goods and cattle as it hath pleased God far above my desert to bestow upon me I doe order, give and dispose the same in manner and form following (That is to say) First I will that all my debts and duties as I owe in any right or conjience to any manner of parson or parsons shall be well and truly satified and paid or ordained to be paid within convenient time after my deseas by my executors hereafter named.
Item I doe hereby order, devise, give and bequeath unto my daughter Sarra Nicholas two feather beads with their appurtenances, two bras pons and one bras pot with all my pewter.
Item my will and pleasure is and I doe devise, give and bequeath unto my two sons John Nicholas and William Nicholas all and singular the rest of my stock of cattle, corn growing on the land and corn houst, also all sheep, swine, horses, mares, colts belonging unto me within and without quick and dead only excepted and always reserved that my daughter Elizabeth Lucas shall and may peacablely and quietly have her goods belonging unto her without any molestation my will is that the aforesd stock and corn as aforesd shall be equally devided between them the sd John Nicholas and William Nicholas.
Item my will is and I doe hereby order that my sonn John Nicholas shall and doe maintain my son Walter Nicholas for the term and space of seven years with meat, drink, lodging and aparel in line of the aforesd goods and catle.
Item I doe devise and bequeath unto my daughter Sara Nicholas the sum of one hundred pounds of good and lawfull mony of England to be paid within three years after my disseas by my aforesd sons John Nicholas and William Nicholas (That is to say) fifty pounds apice.
Item I doe devise, give and bequeath unto my daughter Susanna Williams my best coat and mantu and staies.
Item I die give and bequeath to my servant maid one coat and mantu.
Item I doe give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Lucas the sum of tenn pounds of good and lawfull mony of England being part of twenty pounds due to me in the hands of Walter William of the parrish of Mamhilade.
Item I doe order the other ten pound residue in the hands of the said Walter Williams to Sara Nicholas and William Nicholas towards the paymt of mony owing by me to my sd son and daughter.
I doe hereby nominate and appoint my two sons John Nicholas and William Nicholas to be executors of this my last will and testamt. In witness whereof I have here unto set my hand and seal the day, month and year first above written. Blanch Nicholas
Sealed and delivered in the prsence of us Thomas Poiskins, Henry Morgan, John Williams.
(Latin) 13 Oct 1702 John Nicholas & William Nicholas sons & executors named in the said testament, before me Henry Salmon, Surrogate
(Latin) Proved at Abergavenny13 Oct 1702 before Henry Salmon, Surrogate by John Nicholas & William Nicholas, sons & executors, &c &c
An inventory of all and singular the goods, chatls and credits? Of Blanch Nicholas decesed and was buried the 20 day of Aprell, late of ye parish of Cumcarvan, in the County of Monmoth and Diocess of Landaffe, vallued and appraised the 23th day of Aprell in the yeare 1702
£ s d
Imprimis her wering aparell 4 0 0
Item in ye parlor roome one feather beed and bed steed and curtaine with ye sheets, boulstar and curling att 2 10 0
Item one cofar and eaight stooles and one table bord and to forms and one chayer vallued 1 0 0
Item in the roomes a bove the parlor three fether beeds and ye furnitude belonging to them and three chaft beeds and ye furnitude belonging to them vallued att 3 10 0
Item in ye midell roome one cheese press with other wooden vessel one cherne and formes? and shelfe att 0 5 0
Item in the roome a bove the kitchin two chafe beds with thire sheets and coverlends vallued att 0 10 0
Item one chest and three ould coffers vallued att 0 4 0
Item in the kitchin roome one cubert one boord with ye --?
stooles and one ould coffer 0 6 6
Item fower great and small panse and two skillet att 1 10 0
Item three brass cetles one warmeipanne one furness kitle one brass candle stick one brass saffer dish 2 0 0
Item three irne crocks one irne dripon two payrne of roungers?
Two spitts with the slice and tonges att 0 15 0
Item one duson and a halfe of peuter plates and eight dish one flagen three tanker two peuter candle sticke with ye saucler & spoons vallued att 1 5 0
Item two dubbs three payles with other small udon? vessel
vallued at 0 5 0
Item in ye siller and other roomes sume ould sider vesells valliued att 3 0 0 Item two waynes with other imployments with other husbanddry
vallued att 3 10 0
Item fower yoke of ockens valliued att 23 0 0
Item eight kinds with thayr cafes 18 0 0
Item fowr yerlins and two steers 5 0 0
Item two horses and a mare coult 7 0 0
Item seven piges valluied att 3 10 0
Item tweenty seven shippes and sixteen lames 5 10 0
Item two rekes valluied att 18 0 0
Item hard corne growing on the ground 15 0 0
Item the land? corne valiued att 7 0 0
Item debts due to ye testator by bills and bands to the vallue of 36 0 0
The sum is one hundred and sixty two pounds and ten shillings and sixpence
A prisers
Isaac William
Thomas Poiskin
Henry Morgan
Transcribed from a photocopy by Dave Woolven, 2 Aspen Way, Malpas Park, Newport, South Wales.
NP20 6LB Tel 01633 858 359 21 August 2000