Description:

Documents:
1 Will dated 7 August 1643
Body to buried in the parish church of Michaelchurch Escley
Beneficiaries:
To the cathedral church of St Davids ,12d
To 'the reparacon of the church of Michaelchurch Esclie ', 5/- in lieu of forgotten tithes.
To wife, Jane, the testator's house in which he is living and 2 mills, one a grist mil and one a fulling mill as well as all the lands and buildings for her lifetime, thereafter it is to pass to his right heirs.
The testator, as mortgagor of certain lands from Rice Phelipp Parry and his wife Marie, states that this land is to go to his uncle John Prichard with wife Jane. If Rice Parry pays £59 redeem the land in accordance with the mortgage bond, Then Jane and John Prichard are to pay £20 plus the due interest to William Gilbert of Blackhill and £15 plus interest to Anne Goode of Peterchurch and £10 plus interest to Marie Prees. If Rice Parry fails to redeem the land then the above sums are to be paid by John and wife Jane out of the value of the land.
To wife, Jane, 2 of the best kine, a two year old mare colt and 2 yearling steers together with all the household stuff and equipment she brought to the marriage.
To nephew, James Goode, 2 yearling steers, the testator's mare and a colt.
To wife, Jane and John Prichard, 2 bulls and three year-old heifers to be sold to pay the interest on the sums mentioned above.
To nephew, William Jenkin, a cow to be used towards setting him up in an apprenticeship for a trade.
To sister, Jane Jenkin, a cow.
To wife , Jane, 5 acres of oats out of which she is to pay 5/- to Thomas Watkin of Michaelchurch Escley, labourer.
To Marie, daughter of Phillip Jenkin, a ewe and a lamb.
To Joan, the wife of Lewis William, 'all my property in a sow being between us'.
All fodder and hay to wife Jane provided she winters the 2 steers left to James Goode, above.
To wife, Jane, 4 acres of oats to be harvested by her, threshed and made into oatmeal to distribute at the next Christmas and Easter to the poor of Craswall.
To Elizabeth and Jane Rees, daughters of William Rees, 20/- divided between them equally.
To sister, Jane, Rose and Elizabeth, 20/- each.
To wife Jane and John Prichard, 2 oxen to cover funeral expenses.

Executors: wife, Jane and uncle, John Prichard.

Signed by testator.

Witnesses: William Gilbert, James Pitt and John Powell

Date of Probate: as bond

2. Inventory: dated 16 October 1643 , valued at £19 16 4d [but comes to £19 6 8d]. Appraisers: William Rees Harries and Thomas William Powell.

Observations:

Documents include a bond dated 28 May 1647 with bounden John William Prichard of 'Esklie', tucker in a surety of £200.
The will is of particular interest on 2 counts, one he has both a grist and fulling mill and with an uncle being a tucker it shows considerable family connection to the cloth trade. At the same time he makes use of his grist mill to order oatmeal to be made for the poor. Secondly there seems to be some evidence of him brokering a mortgage deal over the Rice parry lands.
The inventory is reproduced below with modern spelling.

Inventory

'The totale Some is xix^li xvij^s iiij^d ' [£19 17 4d]