In the name of God Amen the fourteenth day of November in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand six hundred ninety five I William Tyler of the parish of Ragland in the County of Monmouth, gent, being sick and weak in body but of good, sound and perfect mind and memory thanks be given to Almighty God for the same doe make and ordain my last will and testament in manner and forme following hereby revokeing and absolutely annulling all and every will and testament by me heretofore made and declared either by word or writing and this to be taken for my last will and testament only and none other. And first I commend my Spirit into the hands of God who gave it me and my body to the earth where of it was made to be buryed in decent manner at the discrecond of my execurtix herein after named. And as to what worldly estate it hath pleased God of his mercy to give me I give and dispose thereof as followeth. Imprimis whereas in and by certaine indentures tripartite of bargain sale and resale in nature of a settlement bearing date on or about the twentieth day of June now last past all and singular the messuages, lands, tenements and hereditaments therein menconed are amongst other uses thereof therein expressed for and in default of the heires of the body of Penelope my wife by me begotten or to be begotten thereby limitted to the use and behoofe of such person and persons and for such estate and estates and in such manner and forme as I should by any deed or deeds in writing or by my last will and testament in writing limitt, direct and appoint. And whereas alsoe by surrender made and passed at the Castle Gate of Uske on or about the seaventh day of October now last past I surrendered and singular my customary or coppyhold lands, tenements and hereditaments whatsoever within the parish of Dingestow in the Mannor of Uske aforesaid to the use of my self for life and after my decease to the use and behoofe of such person and persons for such estate and estates and in such manner and forme as I should by any deed or writing or by my last will in writing order, direct and appoint as by the said recited Indentures and surrender more at large appeareth now my will is and I doe hereby in all things ratifye and confirme the said recited Settlement and surrender and each of them and doe hereby give, devise, limitt and appoint all and singular the said messuages, lands, tenements and hereditaments as well freehold as coppyhold in the said recited indentures and surrender particularly menconed and every part and parcell thereof with the appurtenances in pursuance of the power to --? Given and reserved in and by the said recited settlement and surrender to the severall uses, intents and purposes herein after --? And expressed of and concerning the same respectively ( ---? For and concerning all and singular the same coppyhold ---? With the appurences immediately from and after my decease to the use and behoofe of the said Penelope my wife for and dureing the terme of her naturall life and from and after our both deceases and the death of the survivor of us then to the use and behoofe of the heires of the body of my said wife by me begotten or to be begotten and for want of such issue then as for touching and concerning all and singular the said recited messuages, lands, tenements and premises as well freehold as coppyhold with the appurtenances to the use and behoofe of Walter Wms of Dingestow and James Seys of Penrose, gent, their executors, administrators and assigns for and dureing the time and terme and unto the full end and terme of one thousand yeares fully to be compleat and ended and from and after the end and expiracon of the said terme as touching the said coppyhold premisses with the appurtenances to the use and behoofe of my kinsman Francis Tyler of Michelltroy, gent, his heires and assignes for ever according to the custome of the said mannor And as for and concerning the freehold messuage lands and tenements lying in Ragland aforesaid and now in the possession of Hugh Morgan imediately from and after the expiracon of the said terme to the use and behoofe of my kinsman Charles Morgan of Bringwin, his heires and assignes for ever And as for and concerning all the rest and residue of the same freehold premises with the appurtenances immediately from and after the determinacon of the said terme to the use and behoofe of the right and next heires and assignes of the survivor of us the said Wm Tyler and Jane Tyler my mother for ever And as for and concerning the said terme of one thousand yeares soe limitted unto the said Walter Williams and James Seys, their executors, administrators and assignes as aforesaid my will and meaning is and I doe hereby declare that the same is soe limitted unto them, their executors, administrators and assignes and for such uses, intents and purposes as are herein after expressed of and concerning the same (that is to say) to the intent and purpose that for as much as they the said Walter Wms and James Seys with others as my surityes at my request became and doe stand bound in and by one obligacon unto Edward Perkins Esqr now Sheriff of the County of Monmouth with condicon for the performance of the covenants of certaine indentures touching the Sheriffs Office made between the said Sheriff of the one part and me the said Wm Tyler of the other part that they the said Walter Williams and James Seys their executors, administrators and assignes doe and shall by and with the yearely rents, issues and profits of the same premisses or otherwise by sale or mortgage of the same terme of yeares and estate doe fullfill and performe all and every the covenants and agreements in the said indentures touching the Sheriffs Office contained on the part of me the said Wm Tyler to be performed and to this further end, intent and purpose that they and every and each of them and all others my suretyes in the said obligacon shall and may thereby and therewith be fully indempnifyed and saved harmelesse in their persons, goods and estates of and from the same obligacon and to the end they and each of them may be reimbursed all and whatsoever they or any of them shall at any time hereafter in any wise lay out or expend touching or concerning or in any wise relating to the same bond or obligacon And for that end, intent and purpose alsoe doe hereby give, devise and bequeath unto the said Walter Williams and James Seys all and singular my goods, cattle, chattells, bonds, debts, moneyes now due and oweing unto me and which hereafter may in any wise become due and oweing unto me and all other my personall estate of what nature, quallity or kind soever the same be or doe consist of provided alwayes and it is neverthelesse my true intent and meaning that if my said wife Penelope Tyler doe and shall well and sufficiently and to the satisfaction of the said Walter Wms and James Seys countersecure and otherwise indempnifye and save harmelesse the said Walter Williams and James their heires and assignes and all others my suretyes bound in the said obligacon of and from the same and of and from all costs, damages and expences what soever thereto incident that then and at all times then after they the said Walter Wms and James Seys, their executors and assignes at the request costs and charges of my said wife shall and will assigne and set over the same terme and personall estate unto my said wife unto whom I doe hereby in such case give and bequeath the same And I doe hereby nominate and appoint my said wife Penelope Tyler to be whole and sole executrix of this my last will hereby making it my request to her that she see my said suretyes be indempnifyed to all intents and purposes. In witness whereof I have hereto put my hand and seale and published and declared this to be my last will and testament the day month and yeare first above written. Wm Tyler. Signed, sealed, published and declared in the presence of us John Evans; Edward William; John Smith

Probate (Latin) Proved in London 22 Feb 1697 to Penelope Powell alias Tyler, late wife of William Powell, relict of the said deceased and executrix in the said testament

The original document is a little damaged and has not photocopied well in places. DW

Transcribed from a photocopy by Dave Woolven, 2 Aspen Way, Malpas Park, Newport, South Wales.

NP20 6LB Tel 01633 858 359 7 August 2000