Description:

Documents

1. Will dated 22 February 1572
Body to be buried in the parish church of Michaelchurch Escley .
Beneficiaries:
To brother, William, 5 sheep.
To brother, Watkin, 8 [what is not designated] and one cow which is now in the keeping of Owen ap Howell.
To brother, Thomas,  20 sheep, 6/8d  and 6/8d also to brother, William.
To brother, John, 13/4d.
To sister, Blanch, a cow , a coverlet,  two fine sheets and two rough sheets, one of the best blankets and a bolster.
To sister, Johan and sister, Sibble, 6 sheets and 10 sheep to be divided equally between them.
To brother, William, 6/8d. [ testator has obviously forgotten he has already bequeathed 6/8d above]
He instructs brother John to invest the 13/4d 'to the uttermost advantage' and split it equally between his 2 daughters, Blanch and Johan. If he doesn't do so Owen ap Howell is to have the money from John and carry out the instructions and distribute the money.     
To brother, Thomas, a pan, a trind and a tub.
To brothers, William and Watkin, six head of wild horses to be equally divided between them.
To brother in law, Owen ap Howell, the 20/- that he owes the testator.
To daughter, Katherine, the 2 best oxen 'which are to be put by the executors to 'the uttermost encrease unto her my said daughter at the feast of Phillip and Jacob [James] next after the date thereof'.
To brothers, William and Watkin 'my hack[?] of two mares of baie[bay]' which I have to harness with Ellnor Vaughan widow of Snodell [Snodhill].
To sister, Sibble, one cow
To daughter, Margaret, 2 oxen, 2 kine, best pan,  best brass pot,  5 pewter dishes,  a great iron broche and a great chest.
To daughter, Gwenllian, 2 bullocks and a cow, second best pan, a pot, a little iron broche, a new coffer and 5 pewter dishes.
To brother, William, 11 sheep.  
To daughter Margaret, one feather bed, one bolster and a coverlet.
To daughter, Gwenllian, one brandiron.
To 'Thomas my brother, a colt of 3 [or possibly 4] years old'.
Towards the costs of executing the will, a bullock.

If Katherine, eldest daughter, 'should fall away'   then her portion shall pass to Gwenllian [the next part of this will deals with the what happens to bequests if legatees 'fall away' an unusual euphemism for "die"]
Finally to Juhan, his wife, all the corn in the ground and in the barn towards the maintenance of 'my litel children'. Juhan is also to have, at the discretion of the executors,   the 'ordering' [i.e. control] of all the goods and cattle previously left to his two younger daughters during her widowhood.  
[added as an afterthought] 'Catherine my daughter shall have my iiij [4] sheep'

  Executors: Owen ap Holl[Howell] and D[avi]d ap John, with overseers Thomas Winston and Thomas Jeffrey.

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

Witnesses present: none listed

Date of probate:   not shown
 
2. Inventory: no date [ the inventory is a scribbled and almost indecipherable 2 ?? lines at the bottom of the page]; no value [but comes to £18]. No appraisers listed.

Observations:

This will is for Richard Weston and not Watkin Vaughan as shown in the NLW catalogue. There are a number of idiosyncratic abbreviations which make it tricky to read; the handwriting too gives the impression it was scribbled down in a hurry by the copy clerk. Indeed there may be some errors in transcribing of the odd words although I believe the sense is correct. One wonder just how good his memory and rememberance was as the bequests seem somewhat muddled for instance he leaves brother William 5 sheep, brother Thomas 20 sheep, again to Wiliam 11 sheep and finally to Catherine 'my 4 sheep. A total of 40 sheep but his Inventory shows only 26 sheep. .
     
What can be deciphered of his inventory is reproduced below with modern spelling
                                   
                                               
Inventory