Estate of Re. Ezekiel Rogers of Rowley
Essex Probate Docket # 23987
I Ezekiell Rogers Borne at wethersfield in Esex
in old England now of Rowley in Essex in New England being at this time of
Good memory and competent health through Gods mercy, yett not knowing when
the lord may be pleased to put an end to this Pillgramage doe Ordaine and
make This my last will and Testament
And first I will and desire that Everlasting praises be Giuen to the one
holy God in Jesus Christ as for all his mercies to me which are innumerable
soe for these three Spetiall Blesings : ffirst for my Nuture and Education
vnder such a father mr Richard Rogers, in Catachisem and knowledge of the
holy scriptures the want thereof I see to be the maine Cause of the Errors
of the times.
Secondly that whereas till I was aboue twenty yeares of Age I made but ill
vse of my knowlidge but liued in a formall profession of Relligion, The lord
pleased by occation of a Sore sicknes which was like to be death to make
me to see the worth and Neede of Christ and to take such houlde of him as
that I Coulde never let him Goe to this houre whereby I am now encourgaged
to bequeath and committe my Soulle into his hands who hath Redeemed it, and
my Body to the Earth since he will Giue me with these very eyes to see my
Redeemer
Thirdly to my Calling even to be a minester of the Gospell the most Glorious
Calling in the worlde which the lord brought into, not without difficulty
for my calling in the time of the hottest Persecution of that Bloody Hirachy
and being inlightned Concerning the euill and snare of subscription and
Cerrimonies I was advised to giue ouer the thougfht of the ministry and to
betake myselfe to the study and practise of phisick But the lord mercyfuly
prevented it; for though it be a Good and Necessary Calling; I haue observed
that the most through ther owne coruption haue made it to themselves the
very Temptation to couetousnes or lust or both, I therfor Chose Rather to
lye hide about a dozen yeares in an honerable famelly exercising my selfe
in minestiriall dutyes for about a dozen yeares after my leauing the vnerversity.
Then the lord Gaue me a Call to a Publique charge att Rowley in yorkshire
wherby the Gentlenesse of ---by mathewe I was fauoured both for subscription
and Cerimonies and injoyed my libery in the minestry about seaventeene years
in Comfortable for Till for Refusing to Reade that accursed Booke that allowed
sports on Gods holy Sabbath or lords day I was suspended and by it and other
sad signes of the times Driuen with many of my hearars into New England wher
I haue liued in my Pastorall Office about -----years with much Rest and comforth
Belieueing the way ---he Churches here to be according to the present light
that god hath Giuen the purest in the wholle world.
Now Age and Infirmities Calling vpon me to looke daly for my Change I profese
myselse to haue liued and to dye an vnfeigned Hater of all the Base opinions
of the Anabaptists and Antinomians, and all other phrentiche dotages of the
time that springe from them which God will ere longe cause to be as doung
on the earth I doe alsoe protest against all the evel ssashions and practises
of this Agee Both in Aparrile and that Generall Disguisement of longe Ruffianlike
haire A Custome most Comonlly take vp at that time when ---- Graue and modest
weareing of heaire was a part of the Reproch of Christ as appeared by the
tearme of Round heads and was carryed on with a high hand not with standing
the knowne Offence of soe many Godly persons, and without publique expression
of there Reasons for any such libertie taken
As for my Estate I will and dispose as followeth ffirst I doe bequeath and
Giue to my welbeloued wife mary Rogers, my dwelling house Barne and all the
outhouses also my Orchard, Gardens, and the yeards belonging, and pasturage
adioyning to the ---eed on both sides of the Brook also the hempyearde also
the vpper house lott on the other side of the Highway with all the land and
horse pasture adJoyneing to the same land I Giue her also sixe Acres of Aurable
land By the House of ezekiell Northen and my part of the warehouse pasture
also I Giue her hay Grounde salt and fresh soe much as my Overseers shall
Judge sufficient to affourd one yeare with another thirty loads of hay and
where shee will chuse it and all this only for hir Natureall life also I
Giue to my saide wife all my Goods, Househould stufe, Cattell, Corne, and
all my stocke whatsoever, I Giue to my loueing Nephew mr Samuell Stone of
conecticot thirty pounds, I giue to my Cousen his son John ten pounds, to
my deere Brother and ffellow officer mr phillips fiue pounds and aquinas
his Iam---in folio to my Sumtimes servant Elizebeth Tenney ells parratt ---en
pounds to my loueing Neece mris mary matosins of malldon in esex inb ouldengland
I giue ten pounds to my louing Neece mris Elizebeth C---ton wife of the preacher
of Roterdam in hollande I giue ten pounds to the wife of my Causin Rogers
of Billrecay I Giue fiue pounds I Giue to my || two || present maid servants
each of them an ewe lambe all and euery of these seuerall legacyes I will
to be paide within one yeare after my death, except Th--- into England and
Holland which Shalbe redy to be paide as soune as they shall apoint and I
impoure any from themsellues or any marchant or marchants here that may receaue
it in there behalfe and for There vse and Giue full acquittance as impoured
from them that soe my execcutrix or ouerseers may be fully discharged thereof
I Giue all my latine bookes to harverd Coledge in Cambridge and sume English
Bookes as appeares in the Catalogue.
Item the Rest of my estate in lands that ar not Giuen vnto my wife dureing
hir Natureall life that is the land at planting hill the land called Satchwell
ground and all the rest be it meadow fresh or salt or other vpland what euer
and one third part of Gats of Commonage I Giue to the Church and towne of
Rowley vpon Condission that they pay or cause to be paid, or leagelly tender,
vnto ezeakell Rogers the son of mr Nathaniel Rogers late pastor of the Church
at Ipswich, Deceased, the full Some of eightscore poundes in Country pay
the one halfe, that is to say foure score pounds within one yeare after my
Death, the other foure score pounds to be paid the next yeare after that
is within two years after my death; and I intreat and appoint mr John Whiple
of Ipswich the Rulling Elder to be Gardion for ezekiell Rogers to Receaue
or Cause to be receaued this abouesaid eight score pounds, and to Giue vnto
the Church or towne of Rowley a full discharge and acquittance vpon the
Receaueing therof, and in Case the church or towne of Rowley pay not the
abouesaid eight score pounds my will is that thes abousaid lands that are
not Giuen unto my wife, shalbe assigned and set ouer by my ouerseers vnto
Ezeakiell for the abouesaid payment, prouided also that it shall not be in
the liberty of the church or towne of Rowley to Giue sell or allien these
landes or any part therof or appropriate them or any part of them to any
other end of vse then for this, the Better inableing them to carry on the
minestry fore euer: also all my houses barne and orchard and all my landes
pastures and commonages and meadows which I haue Giuen vnto my wife mary
Rogers Dureing her Naturall life after hir Decease, I Doe Bequeath and Giue
vnto the Church and towne of Rowley to inable them the Better to maintaine
two teaching elders in the church, for euer, and vpon that condision I doe
Giue then, the time which I allow them for the setleing of an elder shalbe
foure yeares: and soe from time to time as God makes any changes either By
Death or Remoueall any other way, and in case that the church or towne of
Rowley faille of the condision of providing themsellues of two teaching elders
according to the time perfixed that is within foure years after they haue
this to inable them the beter and soe from time to time within the said time
of foure years after God by his prouidence haue maide any Chainge, my will
is that the abouesaid houseing and landes shalbe tothe vse of Harvard Colledge
at Cambridge in New England I Giue also to the church my Silluer Bowles which
they vse for the Communion to be soe vsed still after my wiues Decease and
I make and appoint my said welbeloued wife the Solle executrix of this my
will and Testament and I appoint maxemillion Jewett and Samuell Brocklebanke
to be ouerseers of this my will and Testament, made and signed the 17 of
Aprill 1660
Ezekiel Rogers
wittnesed by vs
Samuell Brocklebanke
maxmilleon Jewett
John Brocklebanke
Source: The will of Rev. Ezekiel Rogers of Rowley was proved in the Ipswich
court March 26, 1661. A copy of the original testament is on file in the
probate office at Salem. "The Essex Antiquarian" Vol. IX, p 104-6
Submitted by: Roseanne Montgomery