Essex BooksGenealogy, History, Specializing in Essex County
Estate of Renold Foster, Sr. of Ipswich
Essex Probate Docket # None
The last will and testament of Renold ffoster Senr
of Ipswich in the County of Essex in New England, mad the last day of Aprill
Anno Dom one thousand six hundred & 80, being this day by Gods good
providence of perfect understanding, tho, through Infirmatyes of body, dayly
mindfull of my mortality Therefore for the setting my house in order I make
and apoynt this my last will and testament as followeth.
In the name of God Amen my Soule I committ into the hand of Jesus Christ,
my blessed Redeemer, In hope of a joyfull resurrection at the last day my
body, to a decent comly buriall, And for my outward estate which the Lord
hath Graciously given me, I thus dispose of it, in manner following.
Imprs. To my beloved wife Sarah, I give the use of the house I now dwell
in, and the orcyards, and gardens, and five pound yearly, dureing her naturall
life, and two cowes, which she shall chuse out of my stock, and the keeping
of them both summer & winter yearly, also I give her the bedstead with
beding in the parler, and the rest of the linnen & woollen yarne, that
she hath made and provided into the house, also the use of a bras pot, and
chees pres, and kneading trough, with the utensills in the Leantoo, and the
great kettle, & two skillets dureing her naturall life, Also I give her
three sheepe to be kept winter & summer, also two piggs, and what provisions
shall be in the house at my decease, also the table and forme for her naturall
life. Further my will is that the household stuff, or things that my wife
brought into the house when I marryed her be at her dispose, in life and
at death.
It. I give and bequeath unto my son Abraham Foster my now dwelling house
and orchard and ground about it, three acres more or less & halfe the
barne, and halfe that land in the field lyeing betweene the land of John
Denison & Philip Fowlers, and ten acres on this syde of the River caled
mudy River by major Denisons & John Edwards Land, and six acres of salt
marsh, All which I give him after my wives decease. I give him four acres
of Marsh att Plumb Iland and six acres at Hogs Island.
It. I give to and bequeath unto my son Renol Foster all the land which he
possesses of myne at the Falls, that he hath built a house upon, both upland
& marsh be it fifty acres more or less, only to pay out of it, within
a yeare after my decease to Sarah, my daughter Story, the sum that I have
given her, except wt ye sheets and pillobeers amounts to.
It. I give and bequeath unto my son Isaak Foster my eight acres of Fresh
meadow at the west meadows, joineing to meadows of his, and four acres of
salt marsh at Hog Island, Jacob to have the use of the salt til the decease
of my wife.
It. I give and bequeath unto my son William Foster my six acres of land I
had of Thomas Smith, & six acres of marsh at Hog Iland, the marsh to
Jacob till my wives decease.
It. I give and bequeath unto my son Jacob Foster the house he lives in &
ground about it and my two lotts beyond muddy River ten acres more or lesse,
and the remainder of salt marsh att Hog Island, further my will is that my
son Jacob have my land at home and barne dureing my wives natural life, further
I give him my pasture on the south syde of the River, by Simon Tomsons, and
the pasture by Caleb Kimballs, also I give him a feather bed, only my will
is that he pay what I have given my wife & keepe in repaires for her
yearly, what I have allowed her, and given her in my will;
It. I give and bequeath to my daughter Sarah, William Storyes wife the sum
of ten pounds viz., a payre of sheets and a paire of pillowbeers, and what
they amount to, not of the sum, the rest in the hands of my son Renold, which
I have willed him to pay as appeares above.
It. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary, wife of Francis Peabody the
sum of ten pounds, part of it to be payd in a payre of sheets and a paire
of pillobeers and a feather bed, the bed after my wives decease.
It. I give my Grandchild Hanah Story the sum of six pounds viz. a bed bolster
pillow and paire of sheetes and blanketts, which are of my now wives makeing,
the rest to be payd by my executors, if she carry it well to my wife while
she lives with her as she hath done to us hitherto.
It. My will is that my son Jacob have the Implements of Husbandry.
It. My will is wch I desire and apoynt my Two sonns Abraham Foster and Jacob
Foster, to be my executors of this my last will and Testament, and request
and desire my beloved Freinds Simon Stace and Nehemiah Jewett to be my overseers
to this my will fullfild by my executors, and if any difference arise amongst
my wife and children, or amongst them, about any particular in my will, my
will is that my two overseers shall end it, and they rest satticefied as
they two shall agree, and if they two difer, then a third man, who they shall
choose joyning with either of them.
In wittnes whereof I have sett my hand and seale ,Read, Signed, Sealed, and
declared to be the last will & testament of me Renold Foster Senr. the
day and year above written 1680, as witness my hand and seal.
Renold Foster (Seal)
Witnesses.
John Starkweather
Nehemiah Jewett
Memorandum. The things given my wife for her naturall life, be soe exsept
she marry againe and what debts shee shall have due for labor & worke
shall be for her proper use & sole benefitt, and that the repaires of
the house be out of her estate and dureing her abode in it, and that my wife
shall have liberty to cutt & procure what wood she needeth from my land
at Muddy River.
This declared the 5 of March 1680/81 to be his last will.
RENOL FFOSTER
In presence of wittnesses
John Starkweather
Nehemiah Jewett
Proved June 9, 1681, by the witnesses
Source: Printed "Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts;
1635 - 1681," In three volumes,The Essex Institute; Salem, MA; 1916
Submitted by: Linda Herrick Smith
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