Edmund lived on the western part of Lynn near the Saugus River. Early maps show a "Needham Landing" on the Lynn side of the River. He was a juryman in 1649, 1655 and 1676. (Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts [Salem, Mass., 1911-1975]; I:181, 270, 390). By trade, he was probably a clothier as suggested by the quanty of cloth found in the inventory of his estate. His estate was valued at 1117 pounds indicating he was a wealthy man for the times. His will was written on April 26, 1677 and proved April 29, 1677. The entire will publised in "The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts [III:151-154] is given here with updates for current language and spelling.
The Will and Last Testament of Edmund Needham of Lynn in New England, being blessed by God in his perfect knowledge, memory and understanding, though otherwise ill in body, made and written by my own hand and according to my own mind, to my childern and grand children as follows; first I humbly desire my only true God, maker and creator, of "Exodus 20:11. Psalm 95:3, 4, 5 and 146.5.6. Jonah. 1. 9. heaven and earth, the sea and all that is therein and me his most poor and unworthy creature amongst the rest, and to reserve my poor and unworthy soul of his mircy and only free grace and love for the sake of his only well-beloved Son, Jesus Christ's sake alone excluding all things of my part to my Justification, but to Jesus Christ alone my only mediator, advocate and intercessor at the throne of Grace and alone propitiation for all my sinns, 1st John, 2.2.
Next I desire and impower my son, Ezekiell Needham my true and lawful executor to this my Last will and testament to see my body decently and Christianly buried as neer my old wife, being his own mother as may be.
Next I give to my son, Daniel Needham, besides all the housing, dwelling house he now dwells in, Barn and all, the out-housing, all the land that was laind out to him, planting land, upland and salt marsh, meadow, conditionally as is in a deed (to him) expressed towards my maintenance while I live in this world; and also the bedstrad that stands in my last built new room with the bed, I leave him and two blankets and the curtains and valence belonging to it, and to his five children, five ewe sheep, that is to say, John Needham, one, and Exekiel Needham one, and Judah Needham one, and Mary Needham one, and Elizabeth Needham one.
Next I give to my son, Ezekiell Needham all the upland and the fresh and salt meadow on both sides of the river and all the rest of my movables on the conditions mentioned in a deed to me that he should provide for me and my wife when then she was living and all things necessary convenient that we stood in need of for our confortable livelyhood in health and sickness while we lived here in the world, every way suitable to our old age and several conditions, and all my movables I give to him besides where as he my son Ezekiell Needham, ny lawful Executor, hath discharge to doctors and all other if any due debts or demands whatsoever that any can justly demand of me; also my children's and grand children's legacies in this my will expressed and then to his two children, two ewe sheep and the rest to be as his own proper good; that is to say, my son Exekiell Needham's proper goods as proper to him as ever they were proper to me.
Next I give to my daughter, Hanah Diven and her two children, twenty five pounds to be paid them half in cattle and the rest in good and honest sufficient pay that is to say, fifteen pounds to herself present, if living, or elve to her husband if he be living after her, and five pounds to her daughter, Hanah Armitage, and five pounds to her last born son, John Diven, when they come to age, but if any one of them shall die before they come to age, the longest liver of them to have the whole ten pounds. if they both die, then their mother to have the whole ten pounds at the time that if they had lived should have come to age, but if the mother and her son and daughter should all three die, then my son Ezekiel Needham is to have the whol ten pounds, only giving one half of it, that is to say, five pounds of it, to his brother, my son, Daniell Needham.
Next, I give unto my son-in-law Samuel Hart's children, first to his daughter-in-law, born of her first husband, Elizabeth How, but now by marriage, Elizabeth Chadwell, one ewe sheep, next to his eldest son, Samuel Hart, one cow and one ewe sheep, not exceding four years old, next to Joseph Hart, one cow and one ewe sheep, next to Abigail Hart, one ewe sheep and thirty shillings more in good and lawfull pay for her great care of me in my sickness, besides the wages that I shall give her for the time she stays with me, and to his daughter Rebecca Hart, one ewe sheep, all the sheep not exceding four years old.
Next, I give to my son-in-law Joseph Mansfield's children first, his son, Joseph Mansfield, one ewe sheep, and to his next son, John Mansfiedl, I give one xow and one ewe sheep not exceding four years old, and to his daughter, Elizabeth Wheat, one ewe sheep and to Deborah Mansfield, one ewe sheep.
And further, this i add as a Codacil or brief inventory to this my last will and testament, that my son , Exekiell Needham, my lawful executor, shall not be put to any oath or oaths at any court of any man ----n whatsoever then here i have set my own valuation of my whole estate, and if this will not save him from any oath about --- it he shall safely swear that (that is) all my whole estate, I havinf firmly given him as his own proper own as if it had never been mine so soon as ever the breath is out of my body, and I quite dead and I rest, I well knowing tht he cannot give any just oath without wronging his conscience as I only best know how my estate lies and this my own valuation or inventory follows:
First, all my housing, barn and out housing and all my lands with all hte charges of stone wall, fencing, etc.... 400 pounds. Two whole peoces of baies (?), one red and the other the color of a Chestnut, one or two and forty yards apiece at the least, 12 pounds. One whole piecs of red penistom (?), on or two and forty yards long at the least, 6 poulds; three parcels of canvas, near about one hundred yards, and other parcels of linen cloth and calico, 10 pounds; my silver watch and silver box and other silver cups and spoons and other plate, 15 pounds, my clock that strikes and another watch and alarm that does not strike, 5 pounds, some pewter, some old and some new, 2 pounds, some parcels of carsies (?) and some parcels of serge, and my wearing clothes,, 26 pound, some pots and kettles and trunks and chests and bedstead, 7 pounds, beds and bedding, 7 pounds, debts in old England in sufficient bonds and most in able men's hands as the Company of the Merchant Adventurors and another looked at us a great rich citizen fit for an Alderman of London, though they do what they can to deserve ws, that is to say, my brothers and sisters, to whom they owe us about three thousand pounds, 600 pounds, total, 1,090 pounds,a nd one horse that was forgot, 3 pounds; and 4 cows and two young bulls forgot also, 17 pounds; also 20 sheep forgot, 7 pounds. Total 1,117 pounds.
But as for this debt in old England that is something uncertain what my two attorneys in England, being my two brothers may get for me and themselves with something more that may be coming both to themselves and me, I desire to leave it to my children in the best order as i can amongst them. Thus first, I institute my son Ezekeill Needham my lawful executor and lawful attorney in thisbusinees as in my own stead and in my own name as in my own person, to look the best after it as possibly he can, and whatever shall come over of it with the charges about it discharged them forever twenty pounds that shall come thus safe into his hands, he shall pay unto his brother, Daniel Needham, if he be living, six pounds, and to his sister Hanah Diven, fout pounds if living, or els the four pounds to her childern, hannah Armitage and John Diven, if they be living and their mother, dead, or els to either one of them if one should be living and the other dead.
And further, if this willnot satisfy and court or courts, man or men, whasoever, without my son Ezekiell Needham, my lawful executor's oath to my whole estate, then my will is that my son, Ezekiell Needham, my lawful executor, desposes of all the rest in my life as if it had never been mine for otherwise I can not see how he should make oath without wronging his conscience, my estate lying as it does which is only best know to myself"
Edmund Needham (seal)
Witness: Richard Walker
Ralph King.
Proved in Salem court 29:4"1677.
Source: The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts [III:151-154], Essex Quarterly Court Files, 26:118)is given here with updates for current language and spelling.
Submitted by: BobLaBelle
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