Description:

1. Will dated 28 February 1523
Beneficiaries:
' Item I bequeath to the Cathedral church of Saint Davyes 3s 4d.
Item I bequeath to the vicar of Oldcastell for my mystithings 3s 4d.
Item I will that myn executours shall bury my body honestly and to have at the same day as many prests and clerks as can conveniently may be had.
Item I will that 6 torches price 46s 8d and 12 tapers price 16s.
Item I will that myn executours shall in bred and ale and victualls the day of my burying spend £6.
Item I will that my monthly mynde shall be kept with 12 prests .
Item I will that myn executours shall set an honest prest for a space of 12 months to syng for my soule and for the soule of of Johan Appye my first wife and for all xpen(?) soules paying of stipend to the same prest £5 6s 8d.
Item I will that myn executours shall send an honest man for me to go to Rome the next yere of grace there and the same man to have for his labour and expenses 500s (?).
I  give to the reparacon of the bells oof my parish church 6s 8d.
Item I bequeath to the freres of llanvayst in Brekenock a frentall of 2s 6d.
Item I bequeath to the Austyn Freres of Ludlowe for a frontall 2s 6d
Item I bequeath to the Gray Freres of Hereford for a frontall 2s 6d
I will that myn executours shall bye a cope to serve in my parish church of Oldcastell price of 53s 4d
Item I bequeath to the guylde [guild] of our Lady of Boston for my brotherhood unpaid 11s.
I bequeath to the guylde of Ludlowe to be broder there 7s'.

To his surviving wife, Wenllyan Scudamore, for her lifetime 7 tenements in Michaelchurch Eskley being (1) 'the lands of Richard ap Howell', (2) 'the lands of Jeims DD[David] Hoell' (3)' the lands of Howell ap Jeims' (4) 'Tere Gworneycha' (5) 'Tere Neath'[?] (6)'the lands of Glin John ap yeredith' (7) 'late in the hands of Thomas DD yonan[?]'.On her death these to go to son Richard Nicholas.
To son, Richard, 3 tenements with their appurtenances, (1) Tere y Barth (2) Tere y Lyll both lying in Llancillo and (3) tere Garald ap Henry in the parish of Clodock.
To Thomas Nicholas, son by his first wife, ' all the lands within the Lordship of Llanwenarth' on both sides of the Usk 'lying within the Lordship of Bergavenny'
To Thomas, 'son by my last wife', 2 tenements with their appurtenances (1) 'all the land that was Kethrege Thomas ap Gwatkin' (2) the lands of Richard ap John ap Gerald both in the parish of Clodock.   On condition that Thomas pays his brother Gilbarde £20 in £2 instalments over 10 years. If Gilbarde dies than the money goes to David Nicholas and if he is dead to his brother Symond Nicholas and if he is dead then to Richard.
To son, David Nicholas, £20 to be made up from £12 13 4d on the land of William Landon   and the remaining £7 6 8d from detts and goods. If David dyes then the money goes to Gilbarde and if Gilbarde is dead then to Symond and if Symond has also gone to Richard.
To son, Symond ,£20, his portion,  out of the debts and goods and as above if he is dead.
To son, James, 'all the lands that was Glin David Glin lying and sett in the parish of Clodock'.
To son, William by his first wife, 3 tenements called (1) The lands of Madok ap Philip Jenkyn, (2) The lands of Thohas ap John ap Thomas (3) Brasnoll, all lying in the parish of Clodock.
  To his 3 daughters, Joan, Joan Elinor and Gwenllyan 'by my last wife', for their marriage money £46 13 4d. to be divided between them. The money to be made up from the lands of Philip Scudamore in Llancillo, the lands of Henry Thomas ap Rosser, the lands of Morgan John Philip Eghm in the parish of 'Saint anghell of Eskley [ Michaelchurch Escley]
and the lands of Jeim David John of Oldcastell. If any daughter dies her portion to be devided between the survivors. If the all die then the money is to go to their natural brothers.
Residue after all debts paid to John Nicholas, Thomas Nicholas and James Nicholas

Executors: Sons, John Nicholas, Thomas Nicholas and James Nicholas with supervisor Thomas ap Howell.

Sealed by testator

Witnesses: Sir Philip ap Howell vicar of Oldcastel,  Robert Wynston, Thomas Lluis ap John, Jeim David John , William Johns and many others..

Date of Probate: 20 March 1524 .

Observations:

As this is taken from a copy of the will deposited at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury there are no supporting documents. This is an interesting document as it is the oldest will so far found relating to Ewyas Lacy and I am grateful to Dewi Bowen Williams for bringing it to my attention.
Although Oldcastle does not lie within Ewyas Lacy it adjoined the hundred. Old Castle has no parish church to day, it lies between Trewin the home at that date of the Winston family and the parish of Clodock. As a parish it was very small, in 1563 the return for the Archdeaconry of Brecon shows it to have just 7 families.  
This will being pre-reformation the early part is of interest in the number of bequests to religious houses and organisations and as such has been reproduced above in full.