The Prerogative Court of Canterbury
Prob 11/557
The Will of John Pollard - Caplin Bay
(In the margin Johannis Pollard)

To all Christian People to whome these presents shall come. I JOHN POLLARD of CAPELING BAY in the NEWFOUND LAND send Greeting. In our Lord God Everlasting. Know ye that I the said JOHN POLLARD for diverse good causes and valuable considerations me hereunto moveing and for the naturall Love and affection I bear to MY TWO KINSWOMEN ANN POLLARD and SARAH POLLARD, DAUGHTERS of MY BROTHER GEORGE POLLARD LATE OF CAPELING BAY aforesaid DECEASED have and in and by these presents do give devise and bequeath unto the said ANN and SARAH POLLARD all that my Right Title and interest off and in a Certain Plantation which I now stand lawfully and actually possest off lying and being in CAPELING BAY aforesaid together with all and singular appurtenances thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining to have and to hold the said Plantation with the appurtenances aforesaid unto the said ANN and SARAH POLLARD and to their heirs and assigns for ever to the only use and behoofe of the said ANN and SARAH POLLARD and to their heirs and assignes for evermore. The Rents Issues and profitts thereof to be equally divided between them whilest both living and if it should happen that the said ANN or SARAH should happen to dye without Issue That then and from thereforth it shall wholly remaine to her that shall survive and overlive the other and to her heires and assignes for ever. In Witness whereof I have hereunto Sett my hand and Seale this TWENTY SECOND DAY OF OCTOBER ANNO DOMINI 1702.

(John Pollard)

Sealed and delivered in the presence of CHRISTOPHER WOOD JNO FRANCES./.

A Copy of the true intent and meaning of the Originall Testifyed by JNO. FRANCES CHRISTOP: WOOD

25 MAR 1717.

Appeared personally SARAH POLLARD late of Capeling Bay in Newfound Land but NOW OF THE CITY OF BRISTOLL, SPINSTER aged above Twenty one years and FFRANCIS FFREEMAN of the said CITY OF BRISTOLL, GENT and being severally sworne upon the Holy Evangelists to depose the truth did severally depose as followeth vizt. She the said SARAH deposed that JOHN POLLARD late of Capeling Bay aforesaid did whilst he lived and was of sound mind and memory make this Last Will and Testament for the effect as is hereunto annexed beginning thus To All Christian people to whom these presents shall come xtc. and ending thus In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my hand and Seale this Twenty Second Day of October Anno Domini 1702. Or to the like effect and that the Originall Will of the said JOHN POLLARD was as she the deponent believes and has been informed left by the said JOHN POLLARD in the hands of her this Deponents MOTHER SARAH SHORT ATS POLLARD WIDOW who then lived in the HARBOUR OF ST. JOHNS IN NEWFOUND LAND aforesaid and that the said JOHN POLLARD dyed about the year 1707. after whose death vizt some time in or about the year 1708. the said Harbour of St. John's where she this Dept. and her said Mother lived was invested or seized by the ffrench who plundered all the Inhabitants and burn'd their papers and Writeings, amongst which this deponent SARAH believes the said Originall Will of the said JOHN POLLARD was, and further that the said paper hereunto annexed was as she has been informed by her said Mother and believes left in the hands of the said MR. FFRANCIS FREEMAN by the said SARAH SHORT ATS POLLARD about two yeares ago and that she believes the same is a true Copy of the Last Will and Testament of the said JOHN POLLARD DECEASED or contains the substance thereof if being so certifyed under the hands of MR. JOHN FFRANCES and MR. CHRISTOPHER WOOD which severall subscriptions of the names JOHN FFRANCES and CHRISTOPHER WOOD she verily believes to be of the proper or respective hand writings of MR. JOHN FFRANCES OF BAY BULLS NEAR ST JOHNS aforesd. planter and of MR. CHRISTOPHER WOOD OF ST JOHNS aforesaid planter and that she believes the said Copy is all of the proper hand writing of the said JOHN FFRANCES, for that she is very well acquainted with the said JOHN FFRANCES and CHRISTOPHER WOOD and has severall times seen them write and knows them to be men of good reputation and firther she the said SARAH deposed that the said Deceased was a BATCHELOR and dyed without leaveing ffather Mother Brother or sister, and that she the deponent SARAH and her SISTER ANNE were the heires by THE BROTHER and next of kin of the said Deceased at the time of his death and that her said SISTER ANNE IS SINCE DEAD and he the said FFRANCIS FFREEMAN deposed that to the best of his remembrance the said paper hereunto annexed was about two years since left in his hands by the said SARAH SHORT ATS POLLARD as a true Copy of the said MR. JOH POLLARDS Will for him to advise or about and to doo what was proper in order to obtain a probate or administration thereupon (SARAH POLLARD, FR. FREEMAN)
(the remainder of the document in Latin).

I have tried to remain faithful to the spelling and punctuation in the document, however some words have been bolded for emphasis.