Hi Llew
Your "messnagos" is messuage - a dwelling with its outbuildings and the
surrounding land that is used by the dwelling's occupants.
A tenement, as referred to in the will, is probably an a piece of property
such as land or houses held by one person but owned by another.
If you are uncertain about the meaning of a word I find that
www.onelook.com/ usually comes up with the answer.
Regards
Brian
Brian Beeche Comley - Porthcawl, Glamorgan (South Wales - UK)
FHS Member: Glam (#1433); Gwent (#1318); Wilts (#2186)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Llew Hodges" <lchodges2(a)bigpond.com>
To: <MonmouthshireGwent-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2003 8:29 AM
Subject: Messnagos ?
Hi all,
I recently purchased a copy of the Will of John Hodges, a brother to
my
3x great grandfather Joseph. John died in Risca in 1830 aged 46. I am
trying
to decipher the handwriting in the Will, with some success but one
line in
particular has me stumped. It reads, in part, "my Leasehold Lands
Messnagos
Tenements Brickmanufactory Colliery and their appurtenances". (
I have
written this as the original, without punctuation.) My question is what
does Messnagos mean. Was it the name of the Tenements or the name of a
place
or farm. Does anyone recognise the word ? I have presumed that his
lands,brickworks and colliery were in or around Risca but this may not be
the case as the family came from somewhere else in Wales or even England
sometime before 1807, I don't know where and am trying to find some clue.
If you have any answers or suggestions I would appreciate hearing
from
you. With thanks from a desperate,
Llew