Essex BooksGenealogy, History - Specializing in Essex County
Estate of John Thorndike of Beverly
Essex Probate Docket # None
Mr. Paul Thorndike presented a writing as his father
Joh Thorndike's last will, proved 29:9:1670, by oath of Capt Tho. Lothrop,
and said Paul was pointed administrator. He was to bring in an inventory.
Salem Quarterly Court Records, vol 5, leaf 43
John Thorndike being by Gods mercy purposed to goe this yeare to England
doe by these presents Constitute and ordein this to be my last will &
testament Imprimis in regard my eldest daughter Anne Thorndike hath bene
for these many yeares so much with melancholy and is growen soe deeply
Distempered thereby that hir understanding is soe much besotted and stupifyed
that without Gods great mercy & extraordin[ary] meanes used hopless euer
to act in the world To Gods honor and hir owne Comfort and livelyhood as
allso entending my estate upon which I now live vnto my sonne Paule Thorndike
after my death doe giue & bequeath vnto him my house & land meadownes,
barne orchyard and all the appertenanses belonging vnto the same as allso
the meadow I bought of John Leach lying by wenham pond in Consideracion that
he take upon himself the Charge maintenans and tuition of this my aforesaid
Daughter Ann Thorndike as allso to ----- for her recouery but after hir death
to become his owne To his heires foreuer.
"2ly[secondly] if I the said John Thorndike the Lord should be pleased to
Continue my life and shold think fit to Continue returne into this Country
agein I doe give unto my sonne Paule Thorndike 30 akers of land comonly Called
Sawyers plain & the meadow adioyning to the land Called the flaggy meadow
as allso my meadow at Topsfeild likewise thirty pounds to be taken out of
household stuffe of Cattle besides all the encrease of the Cattle improuement
of the land that he shall in my absens to him & his heires for euer.
3ly[thirdly] I doe giue & bequeath unto my Daughter Mary Thorndike to
be payd hir before my departure fifety pounds in manner & forme following
vizt 3 Cowes & one heifer going 3 yeares old one payr of oxen one horse
& one mayre on featherbed & bolster one Irish Rugge & payr of
blanketts & what shall remane wanting of the aforesaid some of £
50 to be made vp in household stuffe or otherwise according to further
Consideracion & order taken therein
4ly[fourthly] whereas I Doe entende my two youngest Daughters Alice &
Martha Thorndike shall accompany me into England and if that Gods prouidens
shale soe order that they doe not inioy theyr heathe there or by other Casualtyes
or distress or doe thinke fit to returne into this Country agen I doe giue
& bequeath vnto my said two daughters all my land laying & adioyning
beauer pond as allso the meadow adioyning unto the said pond being according
unto my Computation nere 100 akers as allso if my selfe Dye & Depart
this life then I doe engage theyr brother Paule Thorndke to pay vnto his
said two sisters twenty pounds besides the said Land ||Corne or Cattle||
according to the value of the Corne prized here within one yeare after thyr
arriuall here but & if one my Daughters shold returne hither then my
sonne paying vnto that sister that shall retourne £ 50 within a yeare
after hir arival & the said land & meadow to remain vnto my sonne
to him & his heires for euer
lastly to the better ouerseeing & accomplishment of this my will &
Testament I Doe entreat my wothy frend Capt Thomas Lowthrop as allso my two
sonnes in law John Procter & John Low & first if in Case my sonne
Paul Throndike shold dye before my daughter Anne Thorndike then I Doe giue
vnto them full power and authority to make prouision out of this my estate
for the maintenans & tender Care of this my Daughter according to theyr
wisedomes & the Lord shall please vouchsafe meanes
2ly[secondly] if after myDeparture my said Daughter should gtow into a greater
distemper either of settichness or prensie, the to take Care to place hir
with some Discreete person, to use meanes [faded] maintenans or further what
otherwayes my sonne himselfe may doe w[ith] theyr approbacion I Doe Consent
vnto. Lastly if any furthere Discord may arise concerning any Clause in this
my said will between persons included in it I doe entreat them to determine
namely my worthy friend Capt Thomas Lowthrop my sonne in law John Procter
& John Low in witnes hereof I have ||set|| to my hand & Seale this
29th Day of July 1668
John Thorndike (SEAL)
Witness: John Hill
John Black
Capt Thomas Lothrop attested in Salem court 2:10m:1670 that this was the
last will of John Throndike.
Mr. Paul Thornedike was appointed on 2:10:1670 as administrator of the estate
of his father, and was ordered to bring in an inventory.
Capt. Lothrop made oath in court, that the following was written by Jno.
Thorndike on July 27, 1668, and left in his hands, as an explanation of the
will:
"Concerning my Daughter Marye I have giuen vnto hir £ 50. I do assigne
vnto hir the Cow Called Browne & Cherry & blacke or Smugg & the
heifer goeing 3 yeares old in all 3 Cowes & a heifer wch I value at £
14 10s; the young oxen I bought of Thomas Pache, £ 10; one horse &
one mare, £ 10; the feather bed & bolster in the parlour and money,
£ 11 I doe apoint unto hir one Roume in the house the parlour or the
Chamber & desire she may not Remoue elcewhere & would haue hir brother
----- hir 2 Cowes but if she shold remoue I doe giue vnto hir the second
best hog fatted as alsso 10 bu : of Corn & 2 bu : of malt to furnish
hir with hir prouision for I Desire not she shold not be Constreined to goe
to seruis allso I Doe giue vnto hir halfe of the flax Dressed out, the last
yeare & some part of that growing this yeare allso £ 30 of Cotton
wool & a large peuter Dishe giuen vnto hir by hir mother -----.
"if I retourne not hither agein I Doe giue vnto my son Procter the Copper
& triuet he hath of mine wth a little Iron pot & a spring Locke to
set vpon a dore I Doe giue vnto my sonn Low a heefer of a year old £
30 of Cotton wool & a small chest standing in the parlour allso 3 yds
of ks if I can whereas I haue prouision in my will concerning my daughter
Anne that is if she shold grow into a worse Condicion after my Departure
the I Doe agein comend hir Condicion vnto the Care & Charity of the ouerseers
of my said will to entreat them to place hir wth some frend & Discrette
pson & that she be maintained out of my estate & that my sonne furnish
hir wth bedding where she may be placed.
Inventory pf the estate of Mr. John Thorndike, which he left in New England,
appraised June 29, 1671, by Tho. Lowthropp and Richard (his Y mark)
Brackenbury;
One dwelling house, barn, orchard and 60 acres of land, £ 250; four
score acres of land at Beaver pond and 10 acres of meadow, £ 80; thirty
acres of land called Sawyer's plaine, £ 60; seaven acres 3-4 of meadow
lying by wenham pond, £ 35; three acres of meadow at a place called
the old houses. £ 12; two acres of salt marsh at home, £ 15; one
hors, two mares and two young Colts, £ 20; four oxen, six Cowes, one
heifer and six young Cattell. £ 58; two feather beds and one flock bed
with their appurtenances, £ 22; in brass, Irion and pewter, tables,
chairs, stooles and other lumber, £ 10; cart plows and plowtacking,
axes and other tooles, £ 5; three acres of meadow at Topsfield, £
1; total £ 577. Allowed in court 29:4:1671, upon oath of Paule Thorndike,
son of John Thorndike, deceased.
Source: Essex County Quarterly Court Files, vol. 17, leaves 102-104
Submitted by: Mariana Bean Ruggles
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