In the name of God Amen I James Scudamore of the Town of Monmouth Cler, Vicar of Dixton (calling to mind that I must one day as soon as it pleases God Almighty depart this life do make and ordain this to be my last will and testament writing it with my own hand to manifest to the world that when I did it I was in perfect health and of a sound disposing mind and memory for which I praise God to whose mercy and goodness I humbly comend my soul hopeing that it will be pretious in his sight thro’ the merits of my Saviour Jesus Christ and then my body to be decently but privately buried at the discretion of my executrix herein after menconed towards the discharge of which I leave ten pounds and no more to be expended then for my worldly estate real and personal I give and bequeath in manner and form following (viz) I give devise and bequeath all those my messuages lands and tenements of what tenure or kind soever with all their appurtenances lying and being in the parish of Lansilloe in the County of Hereford or elsewhere belonging to any of the said messuages unto my dearly beloved wife Dorothy Scudamore imediately after my decease for and during the term of her natural life and no longer hoping that she will not permit any wast to be committed upon any part of the said devised premisses and after her decease without issue by my body begotten by the said Dorothy I devise and bequeath all the above said devised messuages lands and tenements with all their appurtenances unto my loving brother Thomas Scudamore for and during the term of his natural life and after his decease to the heirs of his body lawfully to be begotten but for want of such issue I give devise and bequeath all those messuages lands and tenements above menconed lying and being in the parish of Lansilloe aforesaid unto my loving brother John Scudamore for and during the term of his natural life and then to the heirs of his body lawfully to be begotten but for want of such issue I give devise and bequeath all the above said demised messuages lands and tenements unto my nephew James Price the son of my brother in law Aaron Price by my sister Mary his now wife and to his heirs lawfully to be begotten but for want of such issue I give devise and bequeath all the above devised messuages lands and tenements unto my nephew Thomas Price (another of the sons of the said Aaron Price by Mary his now wife) and to the heires of his body lawfully to be begotten by his own body (which is my will and meaning by all the heirs afore menconed tho’ the words by his body doth not preceed lawfully to be begotten) And then for want of such issue to my nephew Aaron Price another of the sons of the said Aaron Price my brother in law by my sister Mary his now wife and to the heirs of his body lawfully to be begotten by his own body but for want of such issue I give devise and bequeath all the above menconed messuages lands and tenements to my own nearest relation by the whole blood that shall be then living provided nevertheless it is my will and meaning that in case my loving sister Elizabeth Prichard the now wife of Thomas Prichard shall at any time have issue male or female by her body lawfully to be begotten that then the devised messuages lands and tenements above written shall be subject and liable to the devices contingencys and provisoes hereinafter limited and appointed (viz) in the first place whosoever of my three nephews above named shall enjoy the above devised messuages lands and tenements shall within two whole years after such enjoyment pay or cause to be paid to every brother and sister of his by the whole blood that shall be then living the sume of one hundred pounds sterling. Item I give devise and bequeath unto my dearly beloved wife all that my messuage lands or tenements lying and being in the parish of Dixton in the County of Monmouth which I lately purchased of George Powell and others together with all its appurtenances for and during the term of her natural life and after her decease I devise the said estate with all its appurtenances unto my loving brother Jo: Scudamore and to his heirs for ever but be it known that my intent and meaning is and that its my real will that whereas I owe certain sums of mony to my brother Thomas Scudamore abovesaid to my uncle Walter Scudamore and to my brother in law Thomas Prichard as he was executor to his sister Elianor Prichard or at least administrator that if my executrix shall be any way obliged by law or otherwise troubled to pay the said debts to any of the three last names then I give devise and dispose of all my estate in Dixtons parish aforesaid to my said wife Dorothy and her heirs in fee for ever together with all its appurtenances notwithstanding any devise or devices above made to the contrary and more over for a better provision for my most loving wife Dorothy I give and bequeath the full sume of one hundred pounds to be charged upon Lansilloe Estate above menconed payable to whom soever she shall nominate and appoint under her handwriting within the space of two years after her decease in case she shall survive me and shall be called upon to pay any of the above said three debts and be forced by law to pay any of the said debts to any of those three above named together with Newton Estate abovesaid and not otherwise therefore my desire is that my brothers Thomas and John Scudamore by and with the assistance of my brother in law Aaron Price will take care to comitt and discharge those 3 debts without troubling my dear wife. Item I give and bequeath all my personal estate of what kind or sort soever I am possessed off or entituled to to my dear wife Dorothy to this end that she shall pay all my debts except those three debts mencond abovesaid and it is my request to my said wife Dorothy that she will bestow all my books and manuscripts upon my nephew Thomas Price and also the horse I ride upon or ten pounds in money in lieu of the horse further more it is my will and meaning notstanding my above written devices that if either of my brothers Thomas or John Scudamore shall molest vex and trouble my said loving wife after my decease with any law suit in reference to destroy any thing of her right that I have entituled her by this will or any claiming for by or under them or either of them that then and from that time I give devise and bequeath all my real estates whatsoever wheresoever to my said loving wife Dorothy and her heires in fee for ever in case she shall be soe molested with any law suit comenced by the said Thomas and John Scudamore or any other person or persons claiming under them and not otherwise knowing that she will be just and kind to all my relations. Item it is my will and meaning that in case my said wife shall survive me and George Powel late of Newton and Elizabeth his wife that then the sume of eighty pounds payable for that estate I bought of the said George Powel and others shall be charged upon that said estate called Newton my late purchase aforesaid to be paid to my wife her executors administrators or assignes by my brother John Scudamore or by him or her to whom the said estate in Newton shall descend within the space of two whole years after the decease of my dear wife Dorothy without interest or other charge unless default of payment be made of the said £80 within the time limited. Item my will is that in case my brothers Thomas and John Scudamore dye without issue of his or their bodies lawfully to be begotten and that if my sister Elizabeth the now wife of Thomas Prichard shall at any time hereafter have child or children by the said Thomas Prichard or any other husband that then my brother Thomas or John Scudamore in whose power or possession it shall or may be shall give and sure make and convey all that my estate called Newton to such issue be it male or female provided that neither the said John or Thomas Scudamore have any issue by their bodies lawfully begotten but the estate in Lansilloe to be and remain as before devised and the eighty pounds payable for the estate bought of George Powel aforesaid and others to be paid by him that shall come to inherit the said estate of Newton moreover notstanding all the devises above said it is my will and meaning that if either of my brothers Thomas or John Scudamore shall marry after my decease they shall have power to make joyntures to any wife for life only and then to the heires of such wife lawfully to be begotten by the bodys of the said Thomas or John Scudamore or either of them upon such wife or wives and for want of such issue to the uses above written further more it is my hearty desire that in case I dye before I have made a sure estate to Dr William Maddy of the house I sold him that my wife and feoffees in trust in her joynture would ratify and confirm the same and for so doing I give them absolute power by this my last will and testament desireing and ordering the seventy pounds purchase money may be employed to the payment of my debts and also that eighty pounds on Mr Thomas Phillpotts hands may be employed to the same use viz to the payments of my debts and also the money which is due to me from Mrs Lydia Hoskins wid I give to the same uses of this my last will and testament revoking adnulling all other wills whatsoever I do constitute and ordain my loving wife Dorothy sole executrix. In witness whereof I have put my hand and seal this 24th day of March Anno Domini 1704. Ja: Scudamore, Cler.
Signed sealed published and declared as his last will and testament by the above named and within written Ja: Scudamore in the presence of us Lydia Hoskyns; Phillip Jones; Anne Hasell
(Margin note in Latin – summary) 15 Nov 1715. Received the original testament of the said deceased . Dorothy Scudamore, Executrix. Sam: Bohemes. Mark Holman, NP; Geo Welham, NP
(Latin – summary) Proved in London before John Bettesworth, Doctor of Laws &c 1 February 1714, jurisdiction given to Dorothy Scudamore, widow, relict of the said deceased & executrix named in the will &c
NOTE: There is a separate confirmation of the will. This is all in Latin. DW
Transcribed from a photocopy by Dave Woolven, 2 Aspen Way, Malpas Park, Newport, South Wales. NP20 6LB Tel 01633 858 359 14/15 March 2001