Will of George Phelps , dated April 24, 1683 A copy of the last will and Testament of Georg Phelps of West field In Hampshire deceafed & prefented to the Judge of the Prorogative Corte: for Hampshire in his maties Territory of New England June:6: 1687:
April: ye 24th 1683: The Last wil & testamt of George Phelps of Westfield, in the County of Hampshire in the Colony of Mafschusets Colony, who being cracy of Body, though yet my Memory & understanding by Gods Goodnes is continued; yet not knowing the tyme of my departure wch I wait for, & Desire to Comit my Sole to God that gave it & my Body to Christian Burial; & Leave this as my Last will. Concerning my Wife my wife If it shal pleafe God to continue her after me, & concerning my children: And before I come to the difposal of my outward Estate, I desire thankefully to acknowledge ye grt & abundant Goodnes of God to me in takeing Care of mee & providing for me the Comforts of this life, & the hopes of a better, in & through the abundt riches of his grace through Jesus Christ: And I do desire to Leave this as a word of most solemn & weighty Counfel to my deare children, firstly and chiefely above al things that they cleave to God & to the covenant of his grace wth al theire haet, & wth al their souls Laboring in fincerity to keep his covenant & to walke in his wayes, to observe his statutes & do ym & to afsociate ymselves wth them that feare God to live in Love & peace both one wth another & wth al men, that so the God of Love & peace may dwel wth them & keep them in his feare & Crown ym wth his blessings efpecially wth spiritual blefsings in Cht Jefus.
Concerning my Dear wife, I exhort my children to be careful & tender of her, Loveing & dutyful toward her in al things, that she want nothing that may be necefsary to her comfortable fubfistence, to hearken & attend to her Counsel from time to time. And I give unto my wife, al my bedding & houfe hold stuffe for her ufe & to be at her free difpofe at her deceafe, And twenty pounds wch is due to me from Tahan Graunt of Windfor, if fhe need it not her Selfe, to be difpofed of by her to fuch of her relations as fhe fhall judge have most need: And for her maintenance while fhe lives, I give unto my said wife Two pounds fifteen shillings p Anum, to be paid by my Son Joseph Phelps of Windfor in halfe wheate, & the other halfe Indian Corn during her life: Also I give unto my wife six pounds per Anum to be paid by my three Youngest Sons Jacob, John & Nathaniel each of them forty fhillings to be yearly paid during her life: further I give unto my wife the ufe of my Land at Windfor wch Lyes on the east side of the great River, being Ten Rod in breadth more or less, & a quarter part of yt orchard & if these be expended, & the use or yearly income be not fufficient for her Comfortable maintenance, then a part of al this Land fhal be difpofed of as need fhal be: But if the Sale of this Land be not needed for my wives necefsary ufe whilst fhe lives, then after her deceafe, wth what other Lands, now in Comon, may fal to me at Windsor, I give to my Sons as followeth. To my Son Isaac a Third Part, & to my son Joseph a Third part, & the remaining third part I give to my sons Jacob John & Nathaniel: Also I give to my Son Abraham three pounds to be paid by my youngest sons, Jacob, John and Nathaneel: Also I give to my son Jacob four acres of the Northerly end of my home lot here in Westfeild, wth the houfe, barns & orchard upon it, onely referving one end of the house for my wife whilst she lives: And seeing he hath al my buildings here, he shal help his Brothers John & Nathaneel, if yy build in Westfeild, each of them a months work wth his own hands, & his Team six days: And a third part of the fruit of the orchard to John if he live here, & a third part to Nathaneel for seven yeeres, after the date here of. They maintaining each of ym a third part of the fence of the orchard; Also I give to my son Jacob a third part of my meadow Lands in Westfield, the whole being in estimation four score acres; ffurther I give to my son John al my Land on the East Side of the High way at my houfe wth the Low Land by the River for an home lot, & one third part of my meadow Land in Westfeild, the whole being in estimation 80 acres.
I give to my son Nathaneel the remainder of my houfe Lot being about feven acres, & one third part of my meadow, in Westfeild, the whole being in estimation four score acres.
I give to my Son Isaac, the best coate of my wearing apparel, & my mare, the colt I give to his son Isaac my grand child; the rest of my wearing apparel, I give to My Sons Jacob, John and Nathaneel.
That this is my Last wil & Testamt if I doe not otherwife before my Decease I testify by subscribing my hand; And doe desire Enfign Lummos & my Son Isaac Phelps be overfeers, & take care that my Last will be pformed to the true Intent & meaning thereof: And I doe order my three youngest Sons to fe al my Just debts paid And if any thing appeare dubious, or any difficulty arife in or by the Interpreting, or understanding of my wil, or anything relating thereunto, I order it may be referred to the hearing & determination of Reverend Poastor Mr. Taylor & Ensign Lummos, whom I impower to determine the same as they shal Judge right; That this is my Last wil & Testament I testify by subfcribing my hand the day & year before mentioned.
the Marke Subscribed in the prefence of [Mark] Edward Taylor of George Phelps. Samuel Loomes Isaac Phelps
p. 1st lines 21-22 them them them writ dim. p. 2d over lines ye 6 interlined thus, & a quarter part of that orchard. And if these be expended writ dim in line the sixth Over the 9th line interlined thus (the sale of) line 22. Interlined (six days), line 23, interlined (if he live here) p. 3d lin. 10. Interlined order 1. lin. 12. Interlined thus whom I impower to determine the same as they shal Judge right. these were interlined &c: at the signing and evidencing of the same as atttests sd hands - "
underwritten
George Phelps
June the 6th, 1687 at Westfield. Edward Taylor
[his Mark]
Samuel Loomes
Isaac Phelps
Mr. Edward Taylor & Samuel Loomes did Personally appeare before John Pyncheon Esq, the Judge of the Prerogative Corte for the Couty of Hampshire, & made oath, that were present at the tyme of George Phelps deceafed his signing the writing o the three sides this Instrument, & that he did sign it as his last wil and Testament, & that then he was of sound and p memory & mind to the best of their difcerning, And Isaac & Jacob & John & Nathaneel Phelps four of sd deceafeds sons are approved & Legally confirmed to be Administers (Administrators) to the Estate of the sd father & to se to the true, performance of this their said father's last wil & testament according to the true Intents here of
as attests John Holyoke Clerke of sd Corte
June 15th 1687, this is here recorded
in thefe records for wil fr› the original
last wil & Testamt of the above sd George Phelps of
westfeild late deceafed.
p Jno Holyoke
Clerke for sd Records.
A coppy of the Inventory of the Estate of George Phelps of Westfeild in Hampshire deceafed prfented to the Judge of the Prerogative Corte for Hampshire in his maties Territory & Dominion of New England.
An Inventory taken of the Estate of George Phelps of Westfeild, who departed this life May 8 1687.
lb s d 1. The homestead was prized at 038 00 00 2. Lands in the field 80 acres in estimation 206 00 00 3. Land at Windsor at 40 00 00 4. bedding & houfehold stuff at 18 00 00 5. Wearing apparel 18 00 00 6. bookes tooles, iron, saddle, bridle, Kersey
cloath & other small things at06 14 00 317 10 00
This estate was taken & prized by us
Samll Loomes
Jno Sacket.
June 4, 1687:
June 6, 1687.
Isaac Phelps & Jacob Phelps did personal appear before the worshiple Colonel John Pynchon Esq., Judge of Prerogative Corte in Hampshire, and made oath that this Ineventory of the estate of George Phelps of Westfeild deceafed is a true Inventory of sd estate, & that if more doe appeare they wil reveale it, etc. And Isaac & Jacob & Jno & Nathaneel Phelps, four of the sons of sd deceafed, are allowed, approved & Legall confirmed to be Administers vpon the estate of ye said deceafed, & to e to the True performance of their sd fathers Last wil & Testamt, according to the true Intent thereof.
as attest Jno Holyoke Clerke of sd Corte
Entered this Inventory of ye Estate of George
Phelps of Westfeild late deceafed in the booke
of Records for wils & Inventorys for Hampshire
from the original Inventory of the estate of sd
George Phelps wch is on file attests Jno Holyoke Recordr.
Source: The History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor, Including the towns of Windsor, South Windsor, Bloomfield, Windsor Locks, & Ellington, 1635 - 1891, Vol. II, by Henry Stiles, Camden, ME, Picton Press, 1992 (reprint), pp. 589 - 593