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Subject: [GENMASSACHUSETTS] Thomas Purchase - Maine & Lynn,Mass. - Great Migration Begins. Part 2.
Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2006 21:03:06 EDT
Subject: Thomas Purchase - Maine & Lynn, Mass.
Source: The Great Migration Begins.
Immigrants to New England 1620-1633.
Volume III
Part 2.
p.1530
In his Will, dated May 2, 1677, and proved, but set aside, June 25, 1678,
"Thomas Purchase Senior, being now in good health" bequeathed to "my well
beloved wife Elizabeth Purchase" one-third part of all my goods chattels, houses
and lands (if any standing); to "my five children equally to be divided"
two-third parts; the third part which "I have given to my wife, my will is that it
shall return again unto my five children after her decease"; "my well
beloved friends Mr. Henry Jocelin, my cousin, Mr. Oliver Purchase of Hammer-
smith, & my cousin Mr. Edward Alline of Boston" supervisors, 20 shillings
each paid by "my son Thomas Purchase"; "my son Thomas Purchase" executor [EPR
3:231].
Petition of "Elizabeth Purchas, widow of Thomas Purchase": "your
petitioner's husband being an hundred & one years of age, deceased about five or six
weeks since, at Lynn, who left behind him besides your petitioner, five
children to be provided for, and but little or no estate, having lost most of what
he had by the Indians to the eastward, but it pleased him to make a Will which
we here withal present unto your Honors, in which Will he made his eldest
son Thomas Purchase his executor, who by reason he knows not how much his
father was indebted, but knows his father left little or no estate behind him
besides a parcel of land to the Eastward, and being a young man is fearful to
accept of the executorship for fear
of involving himself into many troubles. And your petitioner understanding
that the law requires either some executor or administrator to be approved of
by the next court in the county where the party deceased, humbly supplicates
this honored Court that by reason that he was appointed executor refuseth to
accept thereof, humbly requesteth that this Honored Court would be pleased
to grant letters of administration
to her and her son Thomas or otherwise to order & settle
p.1531
that little estate that is, as in your wisdom you shall think meet."
Elizabeth Purchase, Thomas Purchase. [EPR 3:232-33].
The inventory of the estate of "Mr. Thomas Purchas, Sr., who deceased in
Linn, May 11, 1678, aged 101 years" was taken July 25, 1678 and totalled £35.1s.
It included also unvalued real estate, being "a parcel of land at
Pechepscot containing about 1,000 acres more or less," presumably in an area too
distant or dangerous to appraise [EPR 3:232]. The account (apparently attached
to the inventory) present by (stepson) "Samuel Pike" of charges pertaining to
the estate of "Mr. Thomas Purchas, deceased and his four children:
For Mr. Thomas Purchas, deceased and four children: For Mr. Thomas Purchas's
diet seven months, £5. 13s. 4d.; two children's diet a year and a half, £24;
one child's diet a year, £8; one child's diet a year and a quarter, £10;
wintering a mare & colt, £1.16s.8d" [EPR 3:232].
A second Inventory was taken June 27, 1685 and presented by "Elizabeth
Purchase, widow and administratrix"; it totalled £44.8s.6d., not including "100
acres of vacant land at the eastward" which has not assigned a value [EPR
3:233].
To be continued Part 3 - p.1531.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
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