The Will of Gwenllian Price Nantygweision

Gwenllian PRICE (nee Davies) (1749-1844) married Morgan PRICE 8 Nov 1777 at Llywel Parish Church. She survived her husband by 39 years living to the age of 95. She made her will in 1834 and died 10 years later on 21 Apr 1844. She is buried at Saron Independent Chapel, Cwmwysg (MI 1)

The Will.

The preamble quotes her late husband Morgan’s will dated 2 Jun 1804 (see previous post)which bequeathed £10 and suitable chambering to their daughter Margaret and £20 to and suitable chambering to their daughter Mary.

Morgan had bequeathed all that was left after funeral expenses and other bequests to Gwenllian and after her to his sons, John, David, Morgan, Joseph and Daniel in the proportions that Gwenllian should will or in default to be divided equally between them. He appointed Gwenllian and David his son joint executors of his will.

She states that Margaret and Mary have already been paid their “pecuniary and specific legacies” and that each of her sons John, David, Morgan and Daniel in “money and goods considerable sums more than their share of the residue of the said personal property of Morgan.” whereas my son Joseph has not received any part of his share of the residue of the said testator’s personal estate.”

The residue of that estate now amounts to £5. “To each of my sons, John Price, David Price, Joseph Price and Daniel Price I bequeath the sum of £1, part of that said sum of £5 and I bequeath to Anne, the widow of my said son Morgan Price the sum of £1.”

“To David, my son and executor £125 on trust so that it would be invested and the interest used to provide for the clothing, maintenance and support of my son Joseph Price in such a manner as David Price shall think suitable and if this interest is insufficient then the principal can be used so long as the interest and the sum from the principal does not exceed £11 in that year.” After Joseph’s decease whatever is left of the £125 to be paid to all and every one of my grandchildren living at the time of Joseph's death"

“To Eleanor, the widow of William Price of Trichwmmwl [sic.], to Margaret, wife of Rees Williams and Mary the wife of Thomas Thomas the sum of £1 each.” 

“All the rest and residue of personal effects and estate to my son David Price.” 

Gwenllian Price

Will dated 23 Aug 1834

Will proved 1 Jun 1844 at Llandovery in the diocese of St. David’s by David Price of Trawsllwynddu.

Gwenllian died 21 Apr 1844 (95) and buried at Saron, Cwmwysg (MI1)

Probate value of estate was under £200.

Notes

1. Anne widow of Morgan. Morgan is a bit of a mystery. He obviously died before 1834 (the date of Gwenllian's will) but no record of his death has been found. However, there is a baptism for Mary 1827 and Elizabeth 1829 at Saron Cwmwysg daughters of Morgan and Anne Price, Pwll Uchaf. There is also a marriage record for Morgan Price = Anne Jones at Llanfairarybryn on 31 Dec 1825 – tentative at best.

2. William Price Trichwmwl died in 1823, his widow Eleanor continued to live at Trichwmwl through 1851 and died in 1860.

3. Joseph Price was obviously physically or impaired in some way and remained with David his brother at Trawsllwynddu until his death on Christmas Day 1861. He was buried with his mother at Saron.

The Will of Morgan Price Nantygweision

Morgan Price Nantygweision died at the comparatively young age of 52 on 1st Mar 1805 just 6 years after his father William. He made his will in June 1804 indicating that he probably died of natural causes. His will can be seen at the NLW and online here.

Morgan Price's Will

(Note that this is part transcript, part précis)

Will probate valuation £145

 "This is the last will and testament of me Morgan Price of the parish of Mothvey in the county of Carmarthen, farmer.

 I give and devise one moiety half part or share (the whole into two equal parts to be divided) of and in all those messuages or dwelling houses, stables, gardens and appurtenances thereunto belonging, situate in Stone Street within the town and borough of Llandovery in the parish of Llandingat in the said county of Carmarthen and now in the several tenures or occupations of John Jones, cobler [sic.], William Jones, blacksmith, John Davies, earthenware man and Joseph Jones, taylor [sic.] unto my brothers Rev. John Price and David Price, their heirs and assigns to such uses upon such trusts and to and for such intents and purposes as are herein after mentioned expressed and declared of and concerning the same (that is to say) to the use of my beloved wife Gwenllian and her assigns for and during the term of her natural life and from and after her decease as to for and concerning one moiety half part or shares, the whole into two equal parts or shares to be divided in the aforesaid moiety of the aforesaid hereditaments and premises with the appurtenances to the use of my son John Price his heirs and assigns forever and as to for and concerning the other moiety half part or share of and in the aforesaid moiety of the aforesaid hereditaments and premises with the appurtenances to the use of my son David Price his heirs and assigns forever."

Précis of the remainder of the will -

The tenement of Nantygweision and Drainllwynddu to his wife Gwenllian for the rest of her life.

After Gwenllian's decease the remainder of the tenement of Drainllwynddu to David his son.

After Gwenllian's decease the remainder of the tenement of Nantygweision to Morgan his son.

To his daughter Margaret ten pounds and suitable chambering after Gwenllian’s decease.

To his daughter Mary twenty pounds and suitable chambering after Gwenllian’s decease.

To Morgan, Joseph and Daniel 2 cows after Gwenllian’s decease.

To Morgan his son his cupboard bedstead and my largest iron pot after Gwenllian’s decease.

To Joseph my son his large brass pan, tribbet belonging to it and my kive or mash tun after Gwenllian’s decease.

To Daniel my son my clock and case and kitchen table after Gwenllian’s decease.

The rest and residue to Gwenllian subject to payment of debts. It is then up to her to decide how the inheritance should be apportioned at her death between his sons.

To my son John £5 being the legacy my late father bequeathed to me to be paid six months after my decease.

Gwenllian and David his son are appointed executors of Morgan’s will.

If Gwenllian marries a second time then the will was to be executed as though she had died.

Morgan Price

Dated 2 Jun 1804

Witnesses, Morgan Davies Llanerchgoch and William Morgan, Bailyglace.

Gwenllian's will states that Morgan's will was proved in the consistory court of Archdeaconry of Carmarthen 16th March 1805 by Gwenllian Price.

Notes:

1. Drainllwynddu is probably the origiinal name of Trawsllwynddu. It is significant that although Trawsllwynlddu and Nantygwesion were distinct properties in 1841 the latter had disappeared from the census in 1851 where Trawsllwynddu is listed as a property of 250 acres.

2. The initial part of the will sounds complex but as far as I can tell it is a device for ensuring that Gwenllian does not dispose of these properties during her life time. Morgan assigns them in trust to his brothers John and David and their heirs during Gwen's lifetime and then to his sons John and David his sons after Gwenllian's death. From the will of Mrgan's son John Price Tircyd we know that John did indeed inherit The Star and The Plough in Stone St. Llandovery in turn leaving them to his sons at his death.

3. It is noticeable that Morgan’s son William is not mentioned in his will but this does not necessarily mean that there was a rift between father and son. It should be remembered that William was married in 1803 and lived at Trawsllwynddu until approx. 1816 when he moved to Trichwmwl. Morgan may well have set up his son with stock etc. before his death and this might well be the reason that William is not mentioned in this will.  Morgan’s son John would have been 22 at this time and so may already have been farming Tircyd.

4 A kive or mash tun is a vessel for brewing. It is interesting that what we would consider basic furniture etc. was valued so highly at this time.