Description:

National Archives reference PROB 11/149/662. Will and probate of Rees William John of Oldcastle, Monmouthshire. Proved on the 7th of August 1626 at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.

Transcription by Arthur Price, reproduced with his kind permission.

In the name of God Amen The twelfe daie of may in the second yeare [1626] of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles by the grace of god of England Scotland France and Ireland defender of the faith etc I Rees William John of ye parish of Old Castle in the countie of Monmouth and Diocese of St Davids being of whole mind and in good and perfect rememberance thankes bee unto the almightie god doe make this my last will and testament in it containing the depsosicion of  all my goods chattels lands and Tenements in manner and forme following first and foremost I doe commend my soule to the merrcie of god my saviour and redeemer of whom I humbly and with a contrite heart  ask pardon and forgiveness of all my sinnes committed against his divine will in thought word and deede all my life tyme And my body to bee buried in Christian burial within the said parish church of Old Castle Item I give and bequeath to the parish church of Old Castle aforesaid for my forgotten tythes xiid Item I give and bequeath to the poore xiid within my parish for and towards the releife of them therein inhabiting there I doe give and bequeath to the cathedral Church of St Davids vid Item I doe by this my this my last will and testament give and assign unto John Price my eldest sonne all that messuage wherin I doe now dwell in Old Castle aforesaid and all other houses Buildings and edifices lands Tenemts and other herediments to the same belonging now in the tenure and holding of me the said Rees William John and all and singular my Right Tytle and estate in the same knowne commonly  by the name of Tyr  y Clyth Provided that my will is that my wife Lucy verch Harry maie have hold and occupy and enjoy the moiety of all the foresaid lands and tenemts houses Buildings and edificies to the same belonging during her natural life entirely  Item I doe give and bequeath to Thomas Price my sonne one Cottage with certain lands there unto adjoining and belonging situate lyinge and beinge within the parish of Lannvehangell Crucorney in the County of Monmouth knowne  commonly by the name of ynys y goved wth all and singular the appurtenances to the same belonginge and also all my Right Tytle and estate therein Item I give and bequeath to James Price my sonne one Cottage with two Closes of arable lands tthere unto the same adjoining with the appurtances to the same belonging late in the tenure of one Joan Prichard situaute and being within the parish of Walterstone  in the Countie of Herfd and all and singular my Right Tytle and estate in the same and alsoe Xiii£ wch are in the  hands of  John George William Watkin of Oldcastle Item I give and bequeath unto Joane my daughter vi£ with the interest wch are in the hands of Harry David of Llantiloberthole and Vi£ with the interest wch are in the hands of William Bevan of Walterstone Item I give and bequeath unto Sara my daughter  v£ wch are in the hands of Thomas Powell David of Oldcastle Item I give and bequeath unto John Price my base sonne v£ and xx£ and the interest unto Jane his mother wch are in the hands of William Thomas Watkin of Laneyhangell Item I give and bequeath all my sheepe to my children namly Thomas James Joane and Sara between them equallie to bee devided by my executor Item I give and bequeath unto Joane and Sara my two daughters five oxen five kine and fower hayfores wch I the said Rees William John doe now [posess?]  between them equally to bee devided by my executor and all my household stuffe in life  [….?] betweene them the said Joane and Sara my daughters except the best bedstead one cupboard and the best brazen pan wch I give and bequeath unto John Price my eldest sonne Further my will is that all my household stuffe shall remain in the Custody and keeping of Lucy verch Harry my wedded wife during her widowhood towards the maintenance of my children wth her living and abiding except the best bedstead one Cupboard and the best brazen pan before mentioned wch my will is that they doe remain in the Custody of John Price aforesaid my sonne to his owne and proper use forever Item I give and bequeath all my corne and graine that doe now grow upon the ground for to  maintain  my wife and children Further the intent and true meaning of this my last will and testament is that if it should so happen that anyone of my said two daughters Joane or Sara to dye befoe xxi yeares and not marry that then her porscon so decreed shall entirely fall unto the other daughter then surviving and lastly and finally I doe constitute and ordayne and nominate and appoint John Price my eldest sonne to be my true and lawful executor of this my last will and testament for to cause fullfill and perform or cause to be performed and fulfilled according to all and singular my bequests legacies and last wishes herein before declared In witness whereto I have putt my hand and seal the daie and yeare first above written Annogh Dommin One Thousand Six Hundred twentie five signed Rices William sealed and delivered in ye precense of John George Junior of Oldcastle David Prichard of the same parish Howell watkin of Lannyhangell Crucorney  Hugh George of [missing].       

Observations:

This branch of the Price family subsequently acquired extensive property and interests in many of the parishes of Ewyas Lacy, and further references can be found here .

Commentary by Arthur Price:

Although the document  principally relates to Monmouthshire, it shows the first time our Price surname is used. The John Price mentioned, eldest son of Rees William John, moved to Newcourt, Bacton and is the John Price mentioned in the court case concerning Michaelchurch Escley Mill. 

Rees William John's brother was George William John from which arose the George family of Oldcastle and other parishes. One of of them married into the Cecil family of Alltyrynys and  is mentioned in Lord Burleighs papers. The farm mentioned in the Rees William John Will  is not Oldcastle Court but is part of what is now the farm called the Clydd.  There were once two farms Upper and Lower Clydd. The Lower (now a ruin) near the parish boundary was once the larger of the two and was Rees' farm. I have conclusive documentary evidence as you can also see below.  Rees William John's father is William John  Thomas. From another document (will) I find his father  could be/probably  is John Thomas Lewis which connects  my family  to a pedigree recorded as at " Cleyve in the P'ishe of Oulde Castle" in the Llyfr Baglan (pages 46-7)  This pedigree starts with a man born sometime about 1350-60 called Ph'e ap Jack ap Pembri. Of course I can not  prove any of this pedigree but interestingly I have just located a early 15th C document for Llanthony Priory which says the  Priory Reeve for Cwmyoy and Oldcastle was one John ap James/Jack (The Cellarer's Account for 1402-1403 TNA,SC6/1108/6.).    At the moment I  can find no  instance of any other people called Jack at that time in Herefordshire  or what was  to become Monmouthshire, so the pedigree Jack may have been an actual historical person.  I am looking for someone with knowledge of names in the 14th/15th century to ask for advice. I also note-just out of interest- that a mid 15th C Prior of Llanthony was surnamed  Pembruge/Penbrugh.

During the course of my studies I have traced several other farming parish gentry Price families back to when they first took a surname, namely the Llanfoist Prices (well known and in Bradney),  the Michaelchurch Escely Prices who come from Rees Maddy (for a time I thought this was my family), the Llanvetherine, Llantillio Crossenny, Tregare Prices who come from Rhys ap Rhys of Llanvetherine. The Clodock Prices,    (still working on them, at least two separate families), the Rowlestone, Kilpeck Prices  and the Cwmyoy Prices I am still working on.    My own family are also connected  to the later Oldcastle and LLanvihangel Crucorney Prices as well as going down to the early 19th C in Walterstone.  I have traced the three Revd Phillip Prices family back to humble weaver beginnings in Cwmyoy.