The Last Will & Testament of Samuel Fuller

A true Coppy of the last will & Testm of Samuel ffuller the elder as it was proved in publick Court the 28th of Oct in the ninth yeare of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles by the grace of God King of Engl. Scotl. ffr. & Irel. Defender of the ffaith &c. I Samuel ffuller thelder being sick & weake but by the mercie of God in prfect memory ordaine this my last will & Testmt. And first of all I bequeath my soule to God & my body to the earth untill the resureccon Item I doe bequeath the educacon of my children to my Brother Will Wright & his wife, onely that my daughter Mercy be & remaine with goodwife Wallen so long as she will keepe her at a resonable charge. But if it shall please God to recover my wife out of her weake estate of sicknes then my children to be wth her or disposed by her. Also whereas there is a childe comitted to my charge called Sarah Converse, my wife dying as afore I desire my Brother Wright may have the bringing up of her. And if he refuse then I commend her to my loving neighbour & brother in Christ Thomas Prence desiring that whosoever of them receive her pforme the duty of a step ffather unto her & bring her up in the ffeare of God as their owne wch was a charge laid upon me pr her sick ffather when he freely bestowed her upon me & wch I require of them. Item whereas Eliz. Cowles was comitted to my educacon by her ffather & Mother still living at Charles Towne, my will is that she be conveniently apprelled & return to her ffather or mother or either of them. And for George ffoster being placed with me upon the same termes by his prents still living at Sagos my will is that he be restored to his Mother likewise. Item I give unto Samuell my son my howse & lands at the Smeltriver to him & his heires for ever. Item — will is that my howse & garden at towne be sold & all my moveables there & at the Smeltriver (except my Cattle) together wth the prnt Croppe of Corne there standing by my Overseers heerafter to be menconed, except such as they shall thinke meet in the prnt educacon of my two children Samuell & Mercy my debts being first pd out of them, the overplus to be disposed of towards the encrease of my stock of Cattle for their good at the discretion of my overseers. Item I give two Acres of land that fell unto me by lott on the Sowth side the Towne adjoyning to the Acres of mr. Isaack Allerton to Samuell my son. Also two other Acres of land sch were given me by Edward Bircher scituate & being at Strawberry hill if mr Roger Williams refuse to accept of them as formerly he hath done. Also one othr Acre by mr Heeks his Acres neer the Reed pond, all wch I give to the said Samuell & his heires for ever. It. my will is that my Cozen Samuell goe freely away wth his Stock of Cattle & Swine wthout any further recconing wch swine are the halfe of six sowes Six hogges one boare & fowr shotes Also one Cow & one heyfer. Item my will is that not onely the other halfe afore menconed but also all other mine owne propr stock of Swine be sold wth other my moveables for the use before expressed except my best hogg wch I would have killed this winter for the prnt comfort of my children. It whereas I have disposed of my children to my Brother Will Wright & Prisilla his wife my will is that in case my wife die he enter upon my howse & land at the Smelt River, & also my Cattle not disposed on together wth my two servts Thomas Symons & Robt Cowles for the Remainder of their several termes to be employed for the good of my children he being allowed for their charg vizt. my children what my Overseers shall thinke meet. But if in case my said brother Will Wright or Prisilla his wife die then my said Children Samuell & Mercy together wth the said joynt charge comitted to the said Will & Prisilla be void except my Overseers or the survivor of them shall think meet. To whos– godly care in such case I leave them to be disposed of else where as the Law shall direct them. By cattle not disposed on to be employed for the good of my children I meane three Cowes & two steere calves Six old ewes & two ewe lambs two old wethers & three wether lambs together wth such overplus upon this sale of my goods before expressed as my Overseers shall adde heereunto. It. I give out of this stock of Cattle the first Cow calfe that my Browne Cow shall have to the Church of God at Plymouth to be employed by the Deacon or Deacons of the said Church for the good of the said Church at the oversight of the ruling Elders. Item I give to my sister Alice Bradford twelve shilling to buy her a paire of gloves. Item whatsoever is due unto me from Capt Standish I give unto his Children. It. that a pr of gloves of 5sh be bestowed on mr Joh. Wynthrop Govr of the Massachusetts. It. I give unto my Brother Wright aforesaid one cloath suit not yet fully finished lying in my trunk at Towne wch I give notwthstanding my wife survive. It. whereas Capt. John Endecott oweth me two pownds of Beaver I give it to his sonne. It. my will is that when my children come to age of discretion that my Overseers make a full valuacon of that Stock of Cattle & the encrease thereof, & that it be equally devided between my children. And if any die in the meane time the whole to goe to the survivor or survivors. It. my will is that they be ruled by my Overseers in marriage. Also I would have them enjoy that smale porcon the Lord shall give them when my Overseers thinke them to be of fit discretion & not at any set time or appointmt of yeares. It. whereas my will is that Overseers shall let out that stock of Cattle wch shall be bought with the Overplus of my goods to halves to such as shall be as well carefull as honest men. My will is that my brother Wright have the refusall of them. It. I give unto John Jenny & Joh. Wynslow each of them a paire of gloves of five shillings. It. I give unto mrs. Heeks the full sum of twenty shillings. It I give to old mr William Brewster my best hat & band wch I h— never wore. Item my will is that if my children die that then my stock be thus distributed. ffirst that what care or paines or charge hath been by any about my children be fully recompensed. Next at the discretion of the Overseers I thus bequeath the rest so as it may redownd to the Governing Elder or Elders of this Church aforesaid toward the helping of such psons as are members of the same & are —- as my Overseers shall thinke meet. It. I give to Rebecca Prence 2sd 6d to buy her a paire of gloves. Itm my will is that in case my sonne Samuell & other my children die before such time as they are fitt to enter upon my land for inheritance that then my kinsman Sam ffuller now in the howse wth me enjoy wtsoever lands I am now possessed of except my dwelling howse at town or whatsoever shall be due to me or them. It. I give to him my Rufflet cloake my stuffe sute I now weare. It. I institute my son Samuell my Executor and because he is young & tender I enjoyne him to be wholly ordered by Edw Wynslow mr Wil Bradford & mr Tho. Prence whom I make his Overseers & the Overseers of this my last will & Testmt. so often menconed before in the same. And for their paines I give to each of them twenty shillings apeece. It. I give to Mercy my daugher one Bible wth a black Cover with Bezaes notes. It. I give all the rest of my bookes to my sonne Samuell wch I desire my Brother Wright Will safely preserve for him. It. my will is that when my daughter Mercy is fitt to goe to scole that Mrs. Heeks may teach her as well as my sonne. It. whatsoever mr Roger Williams is indebted to me upon my booke for phisick I freely give him. Last of all whereas my wife is sick & weake I have disposed of my children to others my will is if she recover that she have the educacon of them, that the other gifts & legacies I have given may be pformed And if in case any of my Overseers or all of them die before my children be judged by them of age of discretion then my desire is they will before such time when they dispose of their owne affairs depute some other of the Church of pforme this duty of care & love towards my children, wch I allow & binde my children to obedience to them as before. In witnes that this is my last will & Test I have set to my hand & seale the 30th of July Anno 1633. Samuell ffuller

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