In the name of God Amen the twelveth day of Aprill in the yeare of o’r Lord God one thousand seaven hundred and fifteene I William Jenkins of Trostrey in the hamlett of Glascoed in the pish of Usk in the Diocesse of Landaffe and in the County of Monmoth Gent, being sick of body but of good, sound and perfect mind and memory (praised be God for ye same) doe make and ordain this my last will and Testament in manner and forme following (that is to say). First I doe commit my soul into the hands of the Almighty God my maker and redeemer hopeing and faithfully trusting that by the righteousness, blood, passion and merits of my only Savio’r Jesus Christ to have full pardon and absolute forgiveness of all my sins. And as for my body I committ it to the earth whereof it was made and to be decently buried at and by the discretion of my executors herein after named.
Item I doe give, bequeath and devise unto my son Hercules Jenkins all that my house wherein I now dwell, one bake house, one stable, one granary, one barn, the toft of a smiths forge, edifices and buildings, gardens, orchards, curtilages and thirteene closes or pcells of land of errable, meddow, pasture and wood conteyneing by estimacon one hundred acres of land or thereabouts (be it more or less) scituate lying and being in the said pish of Usk in the said County of Monmoth, there betweene the lands of William John William, the comon or waste ground called Keven Trostrey, the lane or horse way leading from the said comon to the village of Trostrey, the comon called Toyne Trostrey the lands of Herbertt Springett the lands of John Hanbury Esqr the lands of James Springett Esqr the Kings highway leading from the Towne of Carlion towards the Towne of Abergavenny, and to the other lands of this testator on all or most pts and sides thereof, to have and to hold all and singular the said houses, lands, tenements and p’mises and ev’y pte and pcell thereof wth their appurtenances to and for ye only use and behoofe of ye said Hercules Jenkins dureing his naturall life wthout impeachment of wast, and after his decease to the use and behoofe of the heires of his body by him to be lawfully begotten forever.
Item my will is that if it shall fortune that my said son Hercules Jenkins shall marry and dy haveing and leaveing no heires or yssue of his body begotten to inherite the p’mises aforesaid that then and not otherwise I give, bequeath and devise the remainder of all and singular the houses, lands, tenements and p’mises aforesaid wth their appurtenances in contenantly when it shall happen to fall after the decease of the said Hercules Jenkins and after the decease of such wife or wives as he shall marry and make a joynture of the houses, lands, tenements and p’mises aforesaid unto my grand child Edmund Gwynn to have and to hold the said remainder of all the houses lands and p’mises aforesaid unto the said Edmund Gwynn and to the heires of his body lawfully to be begotten for ever, hee the said Edmund Gwynn then paying unto my daughters Alce and Mary and unto their husbands towards their pretended tytle thereunto such reasonable satisfaction as shall be thought fitt and equitable.
Item my will is that it shall fortune that my son Hercules Jenkins shall marry a wife and have heires or yssue by her to inherite the houses, lands tenements and p’mises wthin menconed then and not otherwise I doe hereby give and bequeath unto my said grand child Edmund Gwynn my two daughters Alce andMary twenty pownds appeece to be paid them by the said Hercules Jenkins wthin three yeares after his said maryage uppon the condicon following (that is to say) that they the said Edmund Gwynn, Alce andMary and their husbands shall at or before the payment of the said twenty pownds appeece, or any part thereof, give an absolute release or some other lawfull and good discharge unto the said Hercules Jenkinshis heires and assignes for their pretended tytle to the houses, lands, tenements and p’mises wthin menconed and ev’y part thereof wth their appurtenances be the same to be done by fine or fines or otherwise as by the Councell Learned in the Law of the said HerculesJenkins, his heires or assignes shall be or reasonably devised, advised or required at the proper costs and charges in the law of the saidHercules Jenkins, his heires or assigns. But if the said Edmund Gwynn, Alce, Mary or any of them, or any of their husbands doe at any time or times hereafter sue, molest or trouble the said HerculesJenkinstouching or concerning the said houses, lands, tenements and p’mises or any parte thereof that then the legacy of twenty pownds appeece aforesaid and ev’y thing herein before conteyned touching and concerning the payment thereof to be utterly voyd and of non effect, and the same or any penny thereof shall never be payd.
Item I doe give bequeath and devise all that my new barn and seaven closes pr pcells of land thereunto belonging commonly called and knowne by the name of the Pante conteyneing by estimacon forty acres or there abouts (be it more of less) scituate lying and being in the hamlett of Glascoed, pish of Usk, in the County of Monmoth aforesaid, there in as large and ample a manner as the same is now in the possession of my tenant Francis Proger, and there also lying and being between the land of William John William, the wast ground called Glascoed Comon, the lands of Walter Philipps, the lands of William Jones, the Kings highway leading from the Towne of Caerlion towards the Towne of Abergavenny and other the lands of the testator on all or on most parts and sides thereof, unto my loveing wife Joyce to have and to hold the said new barne and the said seaven closes or pcells of land and ev’y parte and pcell thereof wth their appurtenances unto the said Joyce and her assignes for and dureing her naturall life time, if shee the saidJoyce shall live sole and unmarried. But if the said Joyce shall mary then, and not otherwise my will is that my son Hercules Jenkins may enter presently after such marriage takes effect in and upon the said new barn and seaven closes or pcells of land and p’mises and take it to him and his heires for ever.
Item I give and bequeath unto the poor ten shillings for to buy bread or loafes to be to the poor delivered at my funerall.
Item after my depts paid and funerall expences discharged I give and bequeath all my goods, cattells, chattells, household stuffe and implements of husbandry and all my other personall estate whatsoever moveable & unmoveable unto my loving wife Joyce and my son Hercules Jenkins to be equally devided amongst them. And I doe hereby nominate and appoint my said wife and my said son Hercules joynt executors of this my said will revoking and makeing voyd all former wills by me made. In wittnesse whereof I have hereunto put my hand and seal the day, moneth and yeare first within written. Ye mark of Will (X) Jenkins
