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Will of Samuel Fuller
30
July 1633
| I Samuel ffuller the elder being sick & weake but by the
mercie of God in prfect memory ordaine this my last will & Testmt. And first
of all I bequeath my soule to God & my body to the earth untill the
resureccon. Item I doe bequeath the educacon of my children to my Brother
Will Wright & his wife, onely that my daughter Mercy be & remaine wth
goodwife Wallen so long as she will keepe her at a reasonable charge. But if
it shall please God to recover my wife out of her weake estate of sicknes
then my children to be wth her or disposed by her. Also whereas there is a
childe comitted to my charge called Sarah Converse, my wife dying as afore I
desire my Brother Wright may have the bringing up of her. And if he refuse
then I comend her to my loving neighbour & brother in Christ Thomas Prence
desiring that whosoever of them receive her pforme the duty of a step
ffather unto her & bring her up in the ffeare of God as their owne wch was a
charge laid upon me pr her sick ffather when he freely bestowed her upon me
& wch I require of them. Item whereas Eliz. Cowles was comitted to my
educacon by her ffather & Mother still living at Charles Towne, my will is
that she be conveniently apprelled & returne to her ffather or mother or
either of them. And for George ffoster being placed wth me upon the same
termes by his prents still living at Sagos my will is that he be restored to
his Mother likewise. Item I give unto Samuell my son my howse & lands at the
Smeltriver to him & his heires for ever. Item (worn) will is that my howse &
garden at towne be sold & all my moveables there & at the Smeltriver (except
my Cattle) togeather wth the prnt Croppe of Corne there standing by my
Overseers heereafter to be menconed. except such as they shall thinke meet
in the prnt educacon of my two children Samuell & Mercy my debts being first
pd out of them, the overplus to be disposed of towards the encrease of my
stock of Cattle for their good at the discretion of my overseers. Item I
give two Acres of land that fell unto me by lott on the Sowth side the Towne
adjoyning to the Acres of mr Isaack Allerton to Samuell my son. Also two
other Acres of land wch were given me by Edward Bircher scituate & being at
Strawberry hill if mr Roger Williams refuse to accept of them as formerly he
hath done. Also one othr Acre by mr Heeks his Acres neer the Reed pond, All
wch I give to the said Samuell & his heires for ever. It. my will is that my
Cozen Samuell goe freely away wth his Stock of Cattle & Swine wthout any
further recconing wch swine are the halfe of six sowes Six hogges one boare
& fowr shotes Also one Cow & one heyfer. Item my will is that not onely the
other halfe afore menconed but also all other mine owne propr stock of Swine
be sold wth other my moveables for the use before expressed except my best
hogg wch I would have killed this winter for the prnt comfort of my
children. It. whereas I have disposed of my children to my Brother Will.
Wright & Prisilla his wife my will is that in case my wife die he enter upon
my howse & land at the Smelt River, & also my Cattle not disposed on
together wth my two servts Thomas Symons & Robt Cowles for the Remainder of
their several termes to be employed for the good of my children he being
allowed for their charg vizt. my childrens what my Overseers shall thinke
meet. But if in case my said brother Will Wright or Prisilla his wife die
then my said Children Samuell & Mercy together wth the said joynt charge
comitted to the said Will & Prisilla be void except my Overseers or the
survivor of them shall think meet. To whose godly care in such case I leave
them to be disposed of else where as the Law shall direct them. By cattle
not disposed on o to be employed for the good of my children I meane three
Cowes & two steere calves Six old ewes & two ewe lambs two old wethers &
three wether lambs together wth such overplus upon the sale of my goods
before expressed as my Overseers shall adde heereunto. It. I give out of
this stock of Cattle the first Cow calfe that my Browne Cow shall have to
the Church of God at Plymouth to be employed by the Deacon or Deacons of the
said Church for the good of the said Church at the oversight of the ruling
Elders. Item I give to my sister Alice Bradford twelve shillings to buy her
a padre of gloves. Item whatsoever is due unto me from Capt Standish I give
unto his Children. It. that a pr of gloves of 5sh be bestowed on mr Joh.
Wynthrop Govr of the Massachusets. It. I give unto my Brother Wright
aforesaid one cloath suit not yet fully finished lying in my trunk at Towne
wch I give notwthstanding my wife survive. It. whereas Capt John Endecott
oweth me two pownds of Beaver I give it to his sonnet It. my will is that
when my children come to age of discretion that my Overseers make a full
valuacon of that Stock of Cattle & thencrease thereof, & that it be equally
devided between my children. And if any die in the meane time the whole to
goe to the survivor or survivors. It. my will is that they be ruled by my
Overseers in marriage. Also I would have them enjoy that smale porcon the
Lord shall give them when my Overseers thinke them to be of fit discretion &
not at any set time or appointmt of yeares. It. whereas my will is that my
Overseers shall let out that stock of Cattle wch shall be bought wth the
Overplus of my goods to halves to such as shall be as well carefull as
honest men. My will is that my brother Wright have the refusall of them. It.
I give unto John Jenny & loin. Wynslow each of them a padre of gloves of
five shillings. It. I give Unto mrs Heeks the full sum of twenty shillings.
It. I give to old mr William Brewster my best hat & band wch Lh(worn) never
wore. Item my will is that if my children die that then my stock be thus
distributed. ffirst that what care or paines or charge hath been by any
about my children be fully recompensed. Next at the discretion of the
Overseers I thus bequeath the rest vizt so as it may redownd to the
Governing Elder or Elders of this Church at Plymouth aforesaid & towards the
helping of such psons as are members of the same & are [illegible] as my
Overseers shall thinke meet. It. I give to Rebecca Prence 2sh 6d to buy her
a padre of gloves It. my will is that in case my sonne Samuell & other my
children die before such time as they are fitt to enter upon my land for
inheritance that then my kinsman Saml ffuller now in the howse wth me enjoy
wtsoever lands Lam now possessed of except my dwelling howse at town or
whatsoever shall be due to me or them. It. I give to him my Rufflet Cloake &
my stuffe sute I now weare It. I institute my son Samuell my Executor. and
because he is young & tender I enjoyne him to be wholly ordered by Edw
Wynslow mr Wil Bradford & mr Tho. Prence whom I make his Overseers & the
Overseers of this my last will & Testmt. so often menconed before in the
same. And for their paines I give to each of them twenty shillings apeece.
It. I give to Mercy my daughter one Bible wth a black Cover wth Bezaes
notes. It. I give all the rest of my bookes to my sonne Samuell wch I desire
my Brother Wright Will safely preserve for him. It my will is that when my
daughter Mercy is fitt to goe to score that mrs Heeks may teach her as well
as my sonnet It. whatsoever mr Roger Williams is indebted to me upon my
booke for phisick I freely give him. Last of all whereas my wife is sick &
weake I have disposed of my children to others my will is if she recover
that she have the educacon of them, & that the other gifts & legacies I have
given may be pformed And if in case any of my Overseers or all of them 13]
die before my children be judged by them of age of discretion then my desire
is they will before such time when they dispose of their owne affaires
depute some other of the Church to pforme this duty of care & love towards
my children, wch I allow & binde my children to obedience to them as before.
In witnes that this is my last will & Test I have set to my hand & seale the
30th of July Anno 1633.
Samuell ffuller Memorand that whereas the widow Ring comitted the Oversight of her sonne Andrew to me at her death, my will is that mr Tho Prence one of my Overseers take the charge of him & see that he be brought up in the ffeare of the Lord & See that he sustaine no wrong by any. Witnesses heerunto
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