Welsh Journals

PRICE OF PILLETH: FOUR WILLS By P. D. PRICE Perhaps I should preface this short article with a reason for its appear- ance. The ordinary person engaged in the task of tracing his ancestors encounters many difficulties, but when his name is Price and his forbears hail from Radnorshire the difficulties are multiplied, as I have cause to know. There have been since the seventeenth century very many families of that name in Radnorshire, besides my own-the most distinguished being that of Mynachty and Pilleth. It is to this family that the following information, collected in my genealogical enquiries, refers, and it is printed here in the hope that it may be of some interest. The Wills speak for themselves-in some instances amplifying the information about this family contained in Lewis Dwnn's Heraldic Visitations, in others making no reference at all to other members of the family who are to be found in Dwnn. 1. The will of Thomas Price of Pilleth, clothier, was signed by him on the 31st March 1624 in the presence of Alexander Price, Ja Pryce, Andrew Price, Rich Richardson, John Tayler, John Griffiths. It was proved at the P.C.C. by the executor James Price on the 8th May 1624. The testator left three shillings and four pence to the cathedral church of Brecknock, and made the following bequests :eight pounds each to Katherine, Mary, Bridget, Anne and James Price, the children of his brother James Price smaller amounts to Edward, Stephen and Charles Price, three other children of his eldest brother and a further bequest to Lodowick Price, another son of "my eldest brother James Price Esq." Margaret Price, another daughter of James, and John Price the eldest son were left money also. Most of these monetary bequests were secured by bonds drawn upon various people, one of whom was Stephen Price, brother of the testator, who mentions another brother Alexander Price, and appoints his brother James sole executor. The will also contains a list of his debtors and creditors. Lewis Dwnn in his pedigree of the Price family of Pilleth seems to have omitted Thomas Price from his list (P.R.O. 44 Byrde 1624.) 2. The will of Charles Price Esq. of Pilleth is dated the 3rd September 1640 and was proved on the 16th of June 1646 by Margaret Price, widow. The will is long and detailed but interesting. We learn of Charles Price's velvet suits and satin cloaks, his show horse he wanted taken good care of, and his little pistol and sword, the long cushions he left to the churches of Llangunllo, Whitton and Pilleth-some of crimson taffeta, others of crimson damask, and yet others of blue damask. He left as well money to pay for the preaching of two sermons in the chapel of Pilleth on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and ten pounds also for the erecting of "some decent monument over my father and mother". He left five pounds to the parish of Presteigne, five pounds to Knighton, five pounds to Llangunllo, forty shillings to Whitton, forty shillings to Discoyd, forty