Will of William Butler, dated October 26, 1724

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In the name of God Amen. This Twentie Sixth Day of October One thoufand
seven hundred and Twenty foure.
I William Buttler of Ipswich in ye County of Efsex in he Province of ye
Mafsachusetts Bay in Newengland yeoman. Being through Gods's goodnefs at
this time of perfect mind and memorie But calling to minde the Mortallity
of my Body Do make this to Be my last Will and Teftament.
Principally & first of all I humbly Recommend my Immortal Soul in to ye
hand of allmighty God my Blefsed Creatour and Redeemer and my Body when
Dead to be Buryed in a Chriftian manner at ye Difcretion of my Executor
hereafter Named. In hope of a Glorious Refurrection to Eternall Life at
ye great & Last Day and so touching Such worldly eftate it has pleafed
God to Blefs me withal in this life. I do Give Devife and Defpofe of the
same in ye following manner and forme.

Imprimis I Give & Bequeath unto Abigail my well beloved Wife one third
part of all my houfehold stuff--Excepting such houfehold goods as Did
Belong unto Mary my former wife. Allso I Give unto my sd Wife ye Sum of
seven pounds in pafsable money of this province or in pafsable Bills of
publique Creditt to Be Paid to her yearely each and every yeare so long
as she shall Remaine my widow. Allso I give unto my sd wife a Convenient
apartment in my now Dwelling Howfe during the time she Remains my Widow.
And if my said wife shall so Cause to marry againe then I give her But
Twenty shillings per year in pafsable money or pafsable Bills of Creditt
as above exprefst During her natural life. & my sd wife taking up with ye
aforementioned Dowry she is not to have any other privilidge in my
Estate.

Item I Confirme to my grand chilldren ye Chilldren of my son William
Buttler the several parcels of marsh as mentioned in a Deed under my hand
& Seale made to my sd Sons Chilldren and dated September ye second Day
one Thousand Seven Hundred Twenty Three. And I give to my grandfon
William Buttler ye eldest Son of my sd Son William ye Sum of ten shilling
in pafsable money or pafsable provincial Bills of Creditt. The Reason
why I Give to my sd Grandchilldren no more is Because I having Given unto
their father so much Which was sufficient for his portion in my Eftate.

Item I give and Bequeath to my Son Thomas Buttler and his heires and
afsigns forever a piece of salt marsh ground with Islands thereon and ye
same not to exceed foure acres. Bounded northerly and norwefterly on
Land of Joseph Lufkin Southwefterly & Southerly on Land of Thomas Burnum.
allso I give to sd Thomas & his heires and afsigns as aforesaid six acres
of woodland Lying in Gloufster Bounds Bounded with a hemlock tree at ye
northeafterly Corner markt from sd tree on a Line to Land of Joseph
Ingals westerly to a heap of stones Southerly on Land of John Cogswell to
another heap of stones westerly on my other Land yt was Michael Farlow's
to ye hemlock tree first mentioned which six acres of woodland I do give
to said Thomas on Condition yt when my Sons Samuel and John Buttler come
of age and sd Thomas to caufe to sell of Difpose of his Right in ye Sheep
Commons of Ipswich they shall have it paying to him ye sum of seven
pounds in money or Bills of creditt. and whereas sd Thomas hath upon ye
fencing of his own marsh made a stone wall yt includes part of my pafture
Land I Do give unto sd Thomas and his heires and afsignes ye Land yt sd
wall stands upon and ye whole of ye Land yt is contained Between sd wall
and his own marsh.

Item I give to Son Ralph Buttler and his heires and afsigns my mault
house & the land whereon his houfe & Barn stand with ye conveniency of
Lands far away to Improve ye same he and his heires maintaning so much
fence for Inclosing ye sd land whereon his houfe & Barn stand and ye Land
for ye Convenience of Improving ye same as may Be thought needfull By
those yt have and enjoy ye Land adjoining thereto as may keep them from
being Damnified for want of the same Being fenced and I do order my son
Ralph Buttler or his heires to pay the sum of Seven pounds to my executor
or his order in pafsable money or pafsable Bills of creditt for
defraying of Debts and charges of my Eftate.

Item I give to my Daughter Sarah Bayley Twenty shillings in pafsable
money or pafsable Bills of Credditt.

Item I give to my Daughter Hanah Andrews in pafsable money or pafsable
Bill of credditt the Sum of Ten pounds

Item I give to my Daughter Elifabeth Burnum ye Sum of ten pounds in
pafsable money or pafsable Bills of Creditt.
The reason Why I Give my Children Before named no more in this my Last
Will is Because what I have formerly Given them in pofsefsion I Do
account to Be their full share and portion of my estate therefore I
Debarr them from Making any Claime to any more of my estate than what I
have given them In my Last Will.

Item I Give and Bequeath to my Daughter Mary Buttler Twenty pounds in
Pafsable Money or pafsable Bill of Creditt and all ye household Goods
that I have in pofsefsion yt Were he own Mothers and all her sd mothers
Clothing Both Lining and Woolling and Silk and her sd mothers two Goold
Rings together With Two thirds of all ye Rest of my Houfehold Goods.

Item I Give to my Grandson Job Giddings Twenty Shillings in pafsable
money of Bills of Creditt.

Item I Give to my Grand Daughter Sarah Bennitt Twenty shillings in
pafsable money or pafsable Bill of Creditt.

Item after all my Just Debts and funeral expenses are paid and
Difcharged by my executor hereafter Named, them all ye Rest and Remainder
of my whole Eftate Both Reall and personall either in Ipswich ye Town of
Gloufster or elfewhere of what nature or Kind soever (except what I have
Before Given & Bequeathed), I do here hereby Devife Give and Bequeath the
same to my Two Sons Samuel Buttler & John Buttler & to their heires
Executors adminiftrators and afsigns forever Equally to be divided
Between them, only my Son Samll shall have Ten pounds Vallue more than my
Son John Buttler and if any of my Last Three mentioned Chilldren Viz Mary
Samuel or John Butler should die Before they arrive at Full age or
without heires Then ye portion of such Deceafed Child shall be equally
Divided to and amongst the Survivors or Survivor of the sd Last mentioned
three Children.

I do order yt ye severall Legacies and payments to my Daughter &
Grandchilldren shall Be Equally paid to them or their heires By my Two
Sons Samuell & John Buttler or their heires and not to Be paid to them
Untill after ye Death of my now wife. Unlefs my Daughter Mary Buttler
should Marry Before that time then She shall be paid her portion I have
Give her in this my will att marriage

Item My will Is & I do allso order and Impower my Executor hereafter
Named to pay all my Just Debts & Funerall charges and other charges of my
eftate with and out of my eftate and allso ye Dowry or yearly payment of
Seven pounds to my sd wife if she take up with my Will or Dowry and
yearly peyment Given her as aforefaid. But when my Son John Buttler
Comes of age after Which ye sd Samuel Buttler and sd John Buttler yearly
equally Between them shall pay sd Seven pounds.

Item My will is yt my two Sons Samuel & John Buttler shall neither of
Them Sell any of their lands Given them in this my Last Will unlefs it be
to each other During the time yt my wife Shall Remain my Widow or her
accepting of ye Dowry Given her as aforesaid.

Lastly I Do hereby make ordain Conftitute and appoint my Trufty and Well
beloved friend Williams Giddings, Sr., of Chebacco in sd Ipswich to be
the Sol Executor to and of this my Last Will and Teftament and I do
hereby Utterly Difallow Revoke Difannull and make Voyd all and every
former Will Teftament & Legacies Bequefts & Executors By me before for
any manner of ways named Willed or Bequeathed, hereby Declaring
Rattifying and Confirming this and no other to Be my Last Will and
Teftament.
In Wittnefs whereof I sd William Buttler have hereto Set my hand and
Seale ye Day and year Before mentioned


Signed Sealed published pronounced and Declared By The Sd William Buttler
to Be his Last Will and Teftament In Presence of ye Subscriber

The fiftisecond line in ye first page scratched out before Signing & ye
(22) line enterlined ye words (per year) & ye 57 line ye words (as may
keep them) all Done before signing:

his
William W. Buttler, jr.
Mark

Joseph Goodhue
John Goodhue Jnr
Samuell Ingalls