16 April 1597 Droitwich, Worcestershire, Eng. - bef 21 May 1674 Boston, MA
ffirst and principally I comend my soule to almighty God my Creator hopeing to receive full pardon and remission of all my sins and salvation through the merritts of Jesus Christ my Redeemer: And my body to the Earth to be decently buryed with such charges as to the Overseers of this my last Will and Testament hereafter named shall be thought meet and convenient And as touching such worldly Estate as the lord hath Lent me my Will and meaneing is the same shall be imployed and bestowed as hereafter in and by this my Will is Exprest
Inprimis I Doe revoake renounce and make voide all Wills by me formerly made and declaire & appoint this my last Will and Testament:
Item I Will that all the Debts that I justly owe at the time of my decease to any person or persons whatsoever shall be well and truely contented and paid in convenient time after my decease by my Executor or overseers hereafter named. Item I give and bequeath unto my Deare and well beloved wife Mary Winslow the use of my now dwelling house with the gardens and yards thereunto belonging for and during the tearme of her naturall life Item I give and bequeath unto my said wife the use of all my househould goods for her to dispose of as she shall thinke meet Item I give unto my said wife the sume of ffoure hundred pounds in lawfull mony of New England to be paid unto her by my Executor or Overseers hereafter named in convenient time after my decease:
Item after the death of my said wife I give and bequeath my said. dwelling house with all the Land belonging to the same unto my sone John Winslow and to his heires for ever he or they paying when they come to possesse & enjoy the same the sume of ffifty pounds of Lawfull mony of New England unto William Payne the sone of my Daughter Sarah Meddlecott.
And also to Parnell Winslow Daughter to my Son Isaack Winslow the full sume of ffifty pounds of like Lawfull mony: And my Will is that both the said sums be paid into the hands of my Overseers to be improved for them untill they come to age or the day of Marriage with the full profitt that they make of the same And in case either of the said Children dye before they come of age or to marriage as afforesaid: My will is that the survivor of them shall then enjoy both the said sums: But in case both of them should dye before they come to age: My Will is that then the said sums shall be Equally divided amongst the Daughters of my Daughter Latham to be paid unto them as they come to age or marriage as afforesaid
Item my Will is that my Katch Speedwell (whereof I am the sole owner) and the produce of the Cargo that I sent out in her: be (at her returne to Boston) disposed of by my Overseers hereafter named and the neate produce thereof be Equally divided amongst my Children my sone John Winslow onely Excepted and to have no part thereof: Item I give and bequeath unto my sone Benjamin the full sume of one hundred pounds to be paid him by my Executor or overseers hereafter named when he shall attaine the Age of twenty one yeares Item my Will is that if my sone Edward Winslow shall see cause to relinquish his sd prt and intrest in the sd Katch, Speedwell and her proceeds: then my Will is that he shall have one quarter part of my Katch John's Adventure unto his owne proper use: And then the said Katch and Cargo to be Equally divided among my other Children: my son John Excepted as afforesaid together with my sone Edward from haveing any part in the afforesaid Katch or Cargo
Item I give and bequeath unto my grandchild Susanna Latham the sume of thirty pounds in mony to be paid her at the day of her marriage And to the rest of my Daughter Latham's Children I give and bequeath unto Each of them five pound pr peece to be paid unto them as they shall come to age or the day of marriage Item I give and bequeath unto my sone Edward Winslows Children the sume of five pounds pr peece to be paid unto them as they shall come to age or the day of Marriage Item I give and bequeath unto my sone Edward Grey his children that he had by my Daughter Mary Grey the sume of twenty pounds pr peece to be paid unto them when they come to age or the day of their respective marriages Item I give unto my sone Joseph Winslow's two Children five pounds pr peece to be paid unto them as afforesaid Item I give unto my Grandchild Mercy Harris her two Children five pounds apeece to be paid unto them as afforesaid Item I give and bequeath unto my Kinsman Josiah Winslow now Governor of New Plimoth the sume of twenty pounds to be paid unto him by my overseers in Goods: Item I give unto my Brother Josiah Winslow the sume of twenty pounds to be paid unto him by my overseers in Goods: both in convenient time after my decease Item I give unto my kinswoman Eleanor Baker the Daughter of my Brother Kenelem Winslow five pounds to be paid her in goods by my overseers in convenient time after my decease Item my will is that what my Estate shall amount unto more then will pay funerall Charges My Debts and Legacyes in this my will given and bequeathed it shall be divided (after the Decease of my said wife) among my seaven Children in Equall proportions Except any one of my said Children shall have any Extraordinary providence befall them by way of any Eminent Losse then that part of my Estate that shall remaine as afforesaid shall be divided & distributed according to the prudence and discression of my overseers hereafter named or any two of them: Item my will is that in case any of my now children shall dye before my said wife that then his or their proportion of the said remaineing Estate shall be disposed to his or their Children if they have any: if not, then that part or parts shall be equally divided amongst the survivors of my said Children:
Item I give to Mr Paddyes Widdow five pounds as a token of my love
Item my will is that my Negro Girle Jane (after she hath served twenty yeares from the date hereof) shall be free: and that she shall serve my wife during her live and after my wifes decease she shall be disposed of according to the discression of my overseers hereafter named or any two of them:
Item I doe nominate and appoint my sone John Winslow the sole Executor of this my last Will and testament.
Item I doe hereby nominate & appoint my loveing ffriends Mr Thomas Brattle Mr William Tailer and Mr John Winsley my Overseers to see this my will performed so farr as they can: And I doe hereby give unto my said Overseers five pounds apeece in mony as a token of my love Item my will is that my said Overseers or any two of them shall & hereby have full power to make saile of any part of any of my vessell or vessells that I have not hereby disposed of: And also any other goods wares and merchandize for the best advantage of my afforesaid Children: And better paymt of other Legacyes by me hereby given & bequeathed:
Item my will is that during the absence of my said Executor my Overseers above named or any two of them have full power to act in all matters and things respecting this my will as if he was personally prsent:
And farther my Will is that my said Executor shall not act in any matter or thing respecting this my Will with out the advice and consent of my said overseers or two of them And that my Executor shall not under any pretence whatsoever claime any more of my Estate then I have hereby bequeathed him
In Witnesse whereof I the said John Winslow Senr have hereunto set my hand & seale the day and yeare first above written
Signed sealed & published by John winslow (seal)
John Winslow Senr as his last will
& Testamt in the prsence of us
John Joyliffe
John Hayward scr:
Mayflower Families Through 5 Generations Vol 2 Pgs 6-8
Graphics and Contents ©1997-2004 Dawn James - All Rights Reserved.