Description:

Documents

1. Will dated 17 September 1574 .
Requests to be buried in the parish church of Clodock
Beneficiaries:
To sister, Jaone verch Lluis, one cow ' that is in the hands of Thomas ap James [?] wth five shillings of fine and another cow that is in the hands of Hoell [Howell] John Lewis wth 2/6d fine'.
To Howell John Lewis, one trind, one stand, one coffer, one little pan, one 'javelinge' [?], one fork for adore[?] with all iron tools.
Residual legatee, sister, Jaone.

Executors: sister Jaone verch lluis and Howell John lluis

No testator's mark or signature shown on this copy.

Witnesses present: George ap Res, Res lluis Harry and Howell David.

Date of probate: 'penultimate day of October 1574'

2. Inventory: no date; value £1 10 4d. Appraisers: none listed

Observations:

This is an interesting inventory in that it shows that the testator had a coat of armour, probably a "jack" rather than steel plate armour. A Jack was constructed of small overlapping plates, often cut from old plate armour, which were sewn onto a canvas jacket or waistcoat and covered with an outer layer of canvas or leather. This is evidence along with the javelin indicating that the testator was probably participating in local militia musters that were being held across England during Elizabethan times prior to the Spanish Armada (1588) or he may have returned from military service in the Netherlands .

His inventory is reproduced below with modern spelling


                                  Inventory

* cadrogan is probably an local adaptation of "caddow" a rough textile used for bed covers and horse blankets
- Stuart A Ramond, Words from Wills.