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:
William W. Buttler, jr. his Mark
Joseph Goodhue
John Goodhue Jnr
Samuell Ingalls
Copied by Linda Smith from Source: "Butlers and Kinsfolk" by Elmer Ellsworth Butler, 1903 Printed 1944 by The Cabinet Press, Milford, N.H.
Submitted by: Linda Smith
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