John ap John, halfe a lambe, a q' of mutton. Anne Simon, a q" of facke. Foulke, the joyner, a pigg. David, the weaver, a pigg. Ellin Lorrance, 2 henns. Thomas John ap Ric. a q' porke, 4 eggs. Ales Owen, 2 henns, 2 piggs, 6 chickins, 30 eggs. Edward John ap Robert, 2 henns, a q' porke, a pigg. Hugh Barker, a q' of porke. John ap John ap Robert, 2 capons. Hugh ap Thomas ap Harry, 2 capons. In these numerous lifts of presents I was furprised at the omiffion of brandy; probably the fiery dram was not then in fashion in Wales: yet nurse, in Romeo and Juliet, calls for it amain, under the name of aqua vita: Some aqua vita, ho! my lord, my lady! It appears to have been chiefly used in thofe days for medical purposes. IN captain Wyndham's voyage to Guinea there was brandy on board for the ufe of the fick failors. It was faid to have been invented by Raymundus Lullius, the famous alchemift, who died in the year 1315. Charles the Bad, king of Navarre, came to a moft horrible end, fays Mezerey, (i. 954.) who, to restore his ftrength, weakened by debauchery, was wrapped in sheets steeped BRANDY. WILLIAM PEN- SMITH. His WEALTH. in eau de vie. His valet by accident fet fire to them: after the third day he died in the most dreadful tortures, and it is to be hoped thus expiated the crimes of his moft execrable life. I am indebted for the origin of brandy to a most elaborate essay on it which I received from Mr. William Taylor, of Norwich, by favor of my friend Dr. Aikin. I Now, in gratitude, take up the brief history of William Pennant, second son to Hugh Pennant, of Bychton, by Sionet, daughter of Richard ap Howel ap Moston. His good deeds towards the poor of our parish, and his good intention towards our family, give him full clame to this token of refpect. William was a goldfmith and jeweller; he lived at the Queen's Head, in Smithfield; and by the fign of his fhop, and by the several bequests he made to perfons about the court, he probably was goldsmith and jeweller to the royal family. He made a confiderable fortune, and died poffeffed of the manor of Moxhall, in the parish of Ardley, in the county of Effex; the rectories called Cutcombe and Luxborough, in the county of Somerfet; the leafe of the manor of Thornes, in Haveringe, in the Bower Ward, in the county of Effex; the leafe of the manor of Noxbridge, in the fame county; and in London, an estate in Smithfield and Hofier Lane; and a houfe called the Blue Anchor, in Candlewick ward, which laft he bequeathed to the famous Hugh Middleton, afterwards Sir Hugh, the projector of the New River. All the other eftates he bequeathed thus:-His manor of Moxhall, and the two rectories, to his nephew Hugh Pennant; and his leafes of the manor of Thornes to his brother Pyers Pennant, of Mailard Green, in the county of Effex, the gentleman ufher before mentioned. . ALL HIS NEPHEW. ALL these fruits of William Pennant's induftry were diffipated DISSIPATED BY by my unfortunate name-fake, mentioned in a preceding page, who luckily died before he had ruined our paternal estate. His bequest in money to the poor of Whiteford parish had a better fate. It was laid out in the purchase of land in the parish' of St. Afaph; the produce of which annually clothes completely eighteen poor men or poor women, on the feaft of St. Thomas. On the expiration of the leafe of those lands, I trust that double the number will experience the benefit of this charity. William Pennant alfo remembered several of his friends by legacies, at this time appearing to us very fingular. Befides fome fmall legacies in money, he bequeathed the following articles:* Item, I give and bequeath unto' Sir William Fortescue, K', ' one chaine of gold and pearle, weighing about 12 ounces and a quarter; one billament of gold and pearle, being 19 pieces; a round falt of filver, with a cover thereto, weighing 15 ounces, and some what more; fix white filver spoons; one feather-bed, bolfter, two pillows, two blankets, one blue rugg, a teaftern of fatten figured, ruffet and black, and vallance to the fame; five Curtains of taffety farfanet, on char, and a stool with a back of fatten figured ruffet; ten black and fix ftools covered with 'black wrought velvett; and alfo a great cheft covered with black leather, with an in-lock on it, and all things in it (excepting cer tain plate therein) hereafter bequeathed. Item, I give and bequeath unto Fortefcue, the daughter of the faid' • William Fortefcue, K, and god-daughter to my late wife Ellinor, her aunt, one bafon and ewer of filver, all gilt, weighing 56 ounces, or thereabouts; one dozen of filver fpoons gilt, ⚫ weighing G 2 HIS CHARITABLE BEQUESTS TO HIS FRIENDS. weighing 22 ounces, or thereabouts; one filver pot hooped, weighing 20 ounces and upwards, with arms on the fide thereof; a bell falt without a cover, partly gilt, weighing 6 ounces, or 'thereabouts. All which particulars are in the faid black cheft. And I will that the fame fhall prefently after my decease be ' delivered to the faid Wm Fortescue, K', for him to keep fafely in truft and confidence, to and for the use of -, untill fhe happen to be married, or untill fhe fhall at'tain to the age of 21 years, and then to be delivered unto her ; and that if the faid happen to die before fhe be married, or attain to the faid age of 21 years, then I give and bequeath the faid legacy to her bequeathed to Roger Fortefcue, her brother, to be delivered to him at his age of 21 years, and untill that time to remain in truft in the hands of Sir Wm Fortescue, Kn', his uncle. Item, I give and bequeath unto my loving and kind friend, Mr. Randall Woolley, 'merchant taylor, one ounce of fine gold to make him a ring. Item, I give and bequeath unto my loving friend Mr. John 'Barker, living at Mr. Rob Holland's houfe, the like quantity of fine gold to make him a ring. unto my loving friend Mr. Rich 'Attorney General, one ounce of fine Item, I give and bequeath to my loving coufin Mr. John < Lloide, bencher of the Inner Temple, 34 buttons of gold; to my coufin Wm Lloyd, his brother, 5 l. of money. Item, I give Item, I give and bequeath Locksmith, Clerk to Mr. gold to make him a ring. and bequeath to my honorable and late master, the said John Fortefcue, Kn', one of his Highness' most honorable privy ' councel, councel, in token of the remembrance of his love and kindness 'towards me, 201. in money, to buy him a piece of velvet for a gown. Item, I give and bequeath to my loving friend the under-named, for the love and kindness that hath paffed between us on this earth, as followeth: that is to fay; to Sir Robert Bannifter, knight, clark companion of his majesty's houf-hold, one ⚫ ounce of fine gold, of 31. to make him a ring. To Thomas Merry, chief clerk of his majefty's kitchen, one ounce of the like gold to make him a hooped filver pot for his wife. Item, to John Trefearne, one other of the clerks of the kitchen, one ' ounce of like gold, to make him a ring; and to John Crane, one other of the clerks of the kitchen, the like quantity of gold. Item, to Mr. Lewis Owen, ferjeant of the larder, the like quantity of gold. Item, to Lewis Rogers, the prince's fervant, half ⚫ an ounce of like gold to make him a ring. Item, to John • Panton, fervant to the right honorable the lord chancellor of England, one ounce of fine gold of the like value. Item, to John Price, one of the porters of the spiritual court in London, the like quantity of fine gold. Item, to John Legate, of Hornchurch, in Effex, efquire, one ounce of fine gold. Item, I give and bequeath to my loving friend Walter Meredith, 5 l. in money, and also a cloak of fine black cloth, with fome lace about, and lined through with ruffet taffety.' THIS will is dated May 4th, 1607; the codicil two years after, and Sir Hugh Myddleton left fole executor. THE entertaining James Howel, in the xliiid letter of his Epiftola Ho-Eliana, makes John Pennant, third fon of Pyers Pennant, STRANGE STORY NANT; |