Estate of Thomas Carter of Salisbury
Essex Probate Docket # 4796
October ye 30th 1676 In ye name of God Amen I Tho:
Carter of ye town of Salisbury in
ye County of norfolk, Massechusets Collony in New england being weake of
body butt of pfect
memorie doe make this may last will & Testamt as followeth, revoking
all former wills by mee
made: either by word or wrighting Imprimis I doe giue & bequeath my Soule
vnto allmighty God
my maker: in hope of mercy & pardon of my Sinns through the infinte merritts
& Satisfaccon of
Jesus Christ my Savior & blessed redeemer: & my body to ye earth
from whence it was taken to
bee decently buried as to my Executrix Heare after named shalbe thought meet:
And as for my
wordly goods wch ye Lord in mercy hath lent vnto mee: my will is yt my honest
debts being first
payd & my funerall expences discharged: yt ye remaynder of my estate
be disposed of as
followeth first I giue vnto my beloued wyfe ye vse and impumt of all my lands
meddow marsh &
upland: & howsing dureing her naturall life: pvided alwayes: yt if shee
marry againe: then one
halfe of all my sd lands marsh & meddow: shalbe delivered vnto my two
sonns forthwith shee: to
choose wch halfe she thinks good to haue:
Itt. I giue to my sone Jno Carter all my howsing & ye one full half part
of all my upland: i: e: yt halfe
lyng next to ye land of Joseph Norton & will: Brown: to rang fro ye Pawwaus
river up to ye high way
also I do giue vnto my sd Son Jno: ye one full & compleat half part of
my great division [of land]
aboue ye mill: as also all yt part of my marsh att brushie Iland. wch lieth
on yt side of ye dead Creek
next to goodman Busels marsh lot up to a Spring by ye side of ye beach as
also my adicon of ye first
higle dee pigledee: lot of Salt marsh liing next: Jno Cloughs: as also: my
two acre lott of marsh liing
at a place cald ye rocks as also all my lott of marsh in ye bare berry meadow
[wth ye adicon] liing
between ye lotts of Tho: Mudget & Jno. Clough: as also : ye lott of marsh
neare fox Island wch I
exchangd wth Oneze: Page: for my lott att mr Halls farme; as also three
cow comonages wth all after
divisions belonging thervnto Itt: I do giue & bequeath vnto my Sone Samll:
Carter: ye other half part
of my upland: next: mr Bradburies land: as also ye one full halfe part of
my great division of land aboue
ye mill. As also my Six acre lott of cow comon marsh: : & three Cowes
comonages: & ye
remaynder of my marsh lot at ye beach vpon ye northermost side of ye dead
creek next to brushie
Iland.
It: I do giue & bequeath vnto my daughter Mary fiue povnd: wch my will
is shalbe payd
vnto her by my Son Jno out of wt estate I haue giuen vnto him: when my sd
Son: shall come to ye
[full] possession of his estate bequeathed vnto him: to bee made: in good
pay att comon price It I
do giue & bequeath vnto my daughter Martha: five povnd to be payed by
my Executrix wthin
twelue months after my decease in some good pay att: comon price: It: I giue
& bequeath vnto
my daughter Elizabeth fiue povnd, to be payd vnto her by my Executrix wth
in twelue months
after my decease in good pay at comon price. Itt: I giue & bequeath vnto
my daughter Abigail
fiue povnd to be payd vnto her by my Executrix wth in thelue months after
my decease to be payd
in good pay att comon price It: I giue & bequeath vnto my daughter Sarah
ten pound: five povnd
of it: to bee payd vnto her by my Sone Samll. when he shall come vnto ye
full possession of his
estate bequeathed vnto him in good pay att comon price: & ye other fiue
povnd to bee payd vnto
her my my Executrix wth in: twelue months after my decease Itt: I do appoint
my welbeloved
wife Mary Carter sole Executrix vnto this my last will & Testamt &
In wittness: vnto this my last
will & Testamt: I haue here vnto sett my hand & Seale ye day &
yeare first aboue written:
Tho: (his T mark) Carter (SEAL)
Witness: Tho: Bradbury
William Buswel
Proved in Salisbury court 14 : 9m : 1676 by the witnesses.
Inventory taken 13 : 9m : 1676 by Samll Felloes,
Sr. and Ephraim Winsley: his aparell, 3£; thre beds
and furniture thereto belonging, 15£; two iron potts, a warming pan
and two pewter platters, 1£. 10 sh.:
other household stuff. 3£. 10s.; Indian Corne, 4£. 10s.; English
corne, 3£. 10s.; Cart, plow, cheines and
other iron tooles, 3£. 5s.; thre oxen, 14£.; 4 Cows, 12£.;
3 yearlings, 5£.; 3 calves, 1£. 10s.; mare, bridle,
and sadle, 2£. 5s.; 12 shepe 4£.; 8 swine, 5£.; houseing and
ye land adjoining therreto and comonage,
110£.; 16 acres meadow, 50£.; a piece of outland aboue ye mill,
5£.; in armes, 1 £. 6s.; 20£. of sheeps
wooll, 14s.; total. 245£.
Attested in Salisbury court 14 : 9m : 1676 by Mary Carter
Source: Printed "Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts; 1635 - 1681,"
In three volumes,The Essex Institute; Salem, MA; 1916 (pp. 97 & 98)
Submitted by: Park W. Carter