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Subject: [GENMASSACHUSETTS] The Will of John Prescott.
Date: Sun, 2 Sep 2007 17:01:30 EDT

Subject: John Prescott's Will.
Source: The New England Magazine, Making of America Project.
p.273
JOHN PRESCOTT'S WILL.
Theis presents witnesseth that John Prescott of Lancaster in the Countie of
Midlsex in New
England, blaksmith, being under the sencilble decayes of nature and
infirmities of old age
and and at present under a great deale of anguish and paine but of a good
and sound memorie
at the writing hereof being moved upon considerations aforesaid together
with advice of
Christian friends to set his h ouse in order in reference to the dispose of
thos outward
good things the Lord in mercie hath betrusted him with, theirfore the said
John Prescott
doth hereby declare his last will and testament to be as followeth, first
and chiefly
comiting and comending his soule to almightie God that gave it him and his
bodie to the
comon burying place here in Lancaster, and after his bodie being orderly and
decently
buryed and the charge theirof defrayed togather with all due debts
discharged, the rest
of his lands and estate to be disposed of as followeth: first in reference
to the comfort-
able being of his loving wife during the time of her naturall Life, it is
his will that
his said wife have that end of the house where he and she now dwelleth
together with halfe
the pasture and halfe the fruit of the aple trees and all the goods of the
house togather
with two cowes which shee shall chuse and medow sufisiant for wintering
them, out of the
medowes where she shall chuse, the said winter pvision for the two cowes to
be equaly and
seasonably pvided by his two sons John and Jonathan. And what this may fall
short in refer-
ence to convenient food and cloathing and other necesaries for her comfort
in sickness and
in health to be equally pvided by the aforesaid John and Jonathan out of the
estate. And at
the death of his aforesaid loving wife it is his will that the said cowes
and household
goods be equally devided betwene his two sons aforesaid, and the other part
of the dwelling
house, out housing, pasture and

p.274 JOHN PRESCOTT, FOUNDER OF LANCASTER.
orchard togather with the tenn acres of house lott lying on Georges Hill
which was purchased
of daniell gains to be equaly devided between the said John and Jonathan and
alsoe that part
of the house and outhousing what is convenient for the two cowes and their
winter pvision
pasture and orchard willed to his loving wife during her life, at her death
to be equaly de-
vided alsoe betweene the said John and Jonathan. And furthermore it is his
will that John
Prescott his eldest son have the Intervaile land at John's Jumpe, the lower
Mille and the
land belonging to it and halfe the saw mille and halfe the land belonging to
it and all the
house and barne there erected, and also the house and farme at Washacomb
pond, and all the
land there purchased from the Indians and halfe the medowes in all
devisiones in the towne
acept sum little part at the bar hill wh. is after willed to James Sawyer
and one halfe of
Comon Right in the towne, and in Reference to second devision land, that
part of it which
lyeth at Danforths farme both upland and intervale is willed to Jonathan and
sixtie acres of
that part at Washacom little pond to James Sawyer and halfe of sum brushie
land capable of
being made medow at the side of the great pine plain to be within the said
James Sawyers
sixtie acres and all the rest of the second devision land both upland and
intervail to be
equaly devided betwene John Prescott and Jonathan aformentioned. And
Jonathan Prescott his
second son to have the ryefield and all the invervale lott as Nashaway River
that part which
he hath in possession and the other part joyning to the highway and alsoe
his part of second
devision land aforrementioned and alsoe one halfe of all the medowes in all
devisions in the
towne not willed to John Prescott and James Sawyer aforementioned, and alsoe
the other halfe
of the saw mille and land belonging to it, and it is to be understood that
all timber on the
land belonging to both Corne Mille and Saw Mille be Comon to the use of the
Saw Mille. And in
reference to this third son Jonas Prescott it is hereby declared that he
hath received a full
child's portion at Nonocoicus in a corne mille and Lands and other goods.
And James Sawyer
his grandchild and servant it is his will that he h ave the sixtie acres of
upland aforement-
ioned and the two peirces of medow at Bare Hill, one being part of his
second devision the
uppermost piece on the brook and the other being part of his third devision
lying upon Nash-
away River purchased of goodman Allen. Provided the said James Sawyer carry
it better than he
did to his said grandfather in his time and care so as becomes an apprentice
& until he be
one and twentie years of age unto the executors of this Will, namely John
Prescott and Jona-
than Prescott who are alsoe hereby engaged to performe unto the said James
what was promised
by his said grandfather, which was to endeavor to learne him the art and
trade of blacksmith.

And in case the said James do not performe on his part as is afor expressed
to the satis-
faction of the overseers of this Will, or otherwise, if he doe not accept of
the land afore-
mentioned then the said land and meadow to be equally devided betweene the
aforesaid John and
Jonathan. And in reference to his three daughters, namely Marie, Sara and
Lydia, they to have
and receive each of them five pounds to be paid to them by the executors to
every of them
fifty shillings by the yeare two years after the death of theire father, to
be paid out of the
movables and Martha Ruge (Rugg) his grandchild to have a cow at the choice
of her grandmother,
and it is the express will and charge of the testator to h is wife and all
his children that
they labor and endeavor to persue love and unity among themselves and the
upholding of the
Church and Commonwealth. And to the end that this his last Will and
Testament may be truly
performed in all the parts of it, the said testator hath and hereby doth
Constitute and
appoynt his two sons, namely John Prescott and Jonathan Prescott - joynt
executors of this
his last Will. And for the prevention of after trouble among those that
survive, about the
disposal of the estate according to this his Will, he hath hereby chosen,
desired and apoynted
the Reverend Mr. Joseph Rowlandson, deacon Sumner and Ralph Houghton,
overseers of this his
Will; unto whom all the parties concerned in this h is Will in all dificult
cases are to
Repaire, and that nothing be done without their consent and approbation.

And furthermore in reference to the movables it is his Will that his son
John Prescott have
his anvill and after the debts and legacies aforementioned be truly paid and
fully discharged
by the executors and the speciall trust performed unto my wife during her
life and at her
death, in respect of, sickness, funeral expences, the remainder of the
movables to be equally
devided between my two sons, John and Jonathan aforementioned. And for a
further and fuller
declaration and confirmation of this Will to be the last Will and Testament
of the aforenamed
John Prescott he hath hereunto

p.275
put his hand and seale this 8 day of 2 month, one thousand six hundred
seventie three.
JOHN PRESCOTT
His mark.
Sealed, signed, owned to be the Last Will and testament of the testator
aforenamed in the
presence of
John Rowlandson,
Roger Sumner,
Ralph Houghton.
April 4, 1682.
Roger Sumner and Ralph Houghton, appearing in Court made oath to the above
said Will.
Jonathan Remington, Clerk"
End
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth



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