Estate of Will of Francis Norwood of Gloucester
Essex Probate Docket # 19653
In the name of God Amen
I francis norwood Sr of the town of glocester and county of Essex in new
England being _________ with sickness and weaknes but through the goodness
of god Att the present time I am in good and perfect memory and yet not knowing
how near the time of my death and departure out of this world may be att
hand and knowing that all men are born to die and goe of the stage of this
world do therefore I declare and make known this my last will and testiment
all former wills to be voide and of none effect and this my last will and
testiment to stand in full force and power in manner and form following first
I committ and comend my soule into the hands of god the father of sperits
and my body to the ground to be decently buried by my surviving friends and
as for my goods and Estate which god of his goodness and mercy hath bestowed
upon me I doe hearby ordain in manner and form following Imprimus I give
and bequeath unto my loving wiffe Elizabeth norwood after my deceas so long
as the said Elizabeth continues my widdow yearly for her mentiniance two
pounds tenn shillings in currant money of new England eight bushels of indian
corne two bushels of malt and one hundred and forty pounds of good poark
two barralls of good sydar and apples for her owne spending both winter and
summer oute of the orchards that did belong to mee in my lifetime and one
cow to give her milk for her owne use if my wiffe desire it and five coards
of fire wood to be brought to the doare of the house where I now dwell for
her liveing fitt and convenient for her to handle and to have the lower roome
of the wester end of the dwelling house where I doe now dwell with that part
of the leantoo which is joined to the said roome and the ____ parte of the
sellor which used to be locked and to keep a horse or hors kind that is
convenient for a women body to ride upon summer and winter and the use of
the garden and the apple trees and what other trees is thering and the use
of the new barne which is newly sett up by the said garden those things to
be performed by my executors to my wiffe Elizabeth norwood during her widdowhood
and what is hearafter given to my wiffe Elizabeth norwood during her naturall
liff what remains of it att her deceas to be divided equelly amongst my daughters
then surviving viz and feathor bed which my wiffe please to take with all
that do belongs unto the said bed viz boulster pillows two coverlids two
blankets two pairs of sheets two pairs of pillow black curtains and vallence
and one high bedstead and one trunall bedstead and one flock bed belonging
to it one coverlid and blankett and paire of sheets and one boulster one
Iron pott and brass kettle and one little Iron kettle two smale puter basons
two puter platters two spoons and the sidor to be made good and winter apples
to be good and brought into the sellar in time conveninet before the frost
to hurt either the apples or sider and to have the use of the cubard which
is in the roome t hat I have left for my wiffe to live in to make use of
it as longe as she doth live in the same roome and two chests I give to my
wiffe to be ________ the rest is to be disposed of after her deceas one of
said chests is made wainscot fasshon which came from Lin and the other chest
is that my wiffe had when I married with her and one box which my wifffe
please to take
& I give and bequeath to my Eldest son Thomas norwood besides what I
have formarly given him in money and aker pay two shillings in money and
all my wearing clothes that I leave behind and att my deceas both linen and
wollen and what els I use to wear of all sortes the reason is that give my
son thomas no more in this my will is because he went from mee to his grandfather
Clement Coldum when he was but about the age of twelve years and upon that
account he was setled by his grandfather Coldum and my self in the housen
and lands which is in the township of Lin and instrument being under my hand
and seall for the setlement of him in said housen and lands and my son thomas
norwood gave an instrument under his hand and seall never to trouble nor
disturb my executors affter my deceas for any parte more of my estate but
what more I was pleased to bestow on him in this my last will and testament
& I give and bequeath unto my second son francis norwood that parcell
of upland grounde containing two acres be it more or less as it is bounded
and fenced in the fence on the Easter side of said land runs through the
orchard called by the name of cove orchard downe to the well which is by
or neare his house that is the house of said francis norwood for which Land
I have given him a deed of gift under my hand and seall for the above mentioned
two acres of upland more or less also it is my mind and will that my son
francis norwood affter my self and my wiffe deceas the remainder parte of
the oarchard called by the name of the Cove orchard I give and bequeath unto
my son francis norwood and to his heirs and assignes for ever both the land
and trees of all sortes and fences that do belong to said orchard to have
and to hold forever so that none of the rest of my children sons or daughters
shall lay any claims to any parte or parcell thereof after my self and my
wife deceas
& I give and bequeath unto my third son Joshua Norwood after my deceas
a parcell of upland ground containing sixty acres be it more or less with
all that dos belonge or appertains to said land which land is situate and
lying att the head of the cape by piggion cove so called and foure acres
of of meadow or salt marsh ground be it more or less situate and lying on
the wester side of the river called annisquam river by the cove usely called
by the name of Longe cove having the marsh ground of John Sawyer on the easterly
side and the marsh ground that is now in the possession of William King on
the westerly side with all the privileges that do belong to the said meadow
or marsh ground for ever only I do appoint my son Joshua norwood shall pay
to two of his sisters thirty five pounds in money and pay as is hereafter
expressed viz to my daughter deborah harradan the wiff of benjamin harradan
he shall pay twenty pounds five pounds of the said twenty to be paid in money
and fifteen in goods to make up the twenty pounds to my daughter deborah
harradan and shall be made mention of in this my will and likwis my son Joshua
norwood shall pay to my daughter Abigaill norwood fifteen pounds one quarter
parte of said fifteen pounds to be paid in money and the other three quarters
to be paid in pay as shall be made mention of hereafter in this my will and
the land to stand bound for the payment of the same
& I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth potter the wiffe of
John potter of Lin twenty pounds five pounds of the said twenty to be paid
in money and the other fifteen pounds to be paid in pay as it paseth from
man to man upon account and to be paid by my executors in four years time
after my deceas five pounds year yearly and to pay one quarter parte yearly
in money as well as the quarter parte yearly in pay
& I give and bequeath unto my daughter mary sargeant the wiffe of samuel
sargeeant of glocester twenty pounds five pounds in money of the said twenty
pounds and theother fifteen pounds to make up the twenty to be paid in good
pay that will pas from man to man at price currant upon account and to be
paid by my executors in four years time after my deceas five pounds year
to pay a quarter parte of the money yearly as well as the quarter parte of
the pay
& I give and bequeath unto my daughter deborah harradan the wiffe of
benjamin harradan of glocester twenty pounds five pounds of the said twenty
to be paid in money and the other fifteen pounds of said twenty to be paid
in good pay att price currant as pay passeth from man to man upon account
and to be paid in four years time after my deceas by my son Joshua norwood
and to pay five pounds year yearly and the land that my son Joshua norwood
doth _____ to injoy to stand bound for the payment of both his sisters legacies
that he is to pay to them
& I give and bequeath to my youngest daughter Abigaill norwood twenty
pounds five pounds of said twenty to be paid in money and fifteen pounds
in good currant pay as it paseth from man to man upon account fifteen pounds
of the said twenty to be paid by my son Joshua norwood to be paid in foure
years time after my deceas which will be three pounds twelve shillings and
six pence year and to pay one quarter parte yearly in money and the other
five pounds to be paid by my executors in four years time after my deceas
a quarter parte to be paid yearly in money and the rest in good pay yearly
& I give and bequeath unto my youngest son caleb norwood and to his heires
after him for ever a certain parcell of upland ground containing two acres
be it more or less situate and lying on the easterly side and on the westerly
side of the land where his brother Steben norwood sett up his hous in his
life time and bounded as follwos on the easterly side by Lobster cove side
with a smale pitch pine tree with a great slab sett into the ground by the
side of it with a heap of rocks laid about them and so upon a line from the
said pitch pine tree to a great rock a white oak standing in the line between
the _____ by Lobter cove side and the said rock and so upon a line to a heap
of rocks which is laid in the range where the old fence formerly stood of
my planting field and bound on the westerly side with the bound tree being
a great red oak by Lobster cove side and so at the fence now stands along
the line to a white oak tree and from said oak on a straight line to a heap
of rocks which is laid in the range where the old fence stood of the planting
field and so to run _____ that end next to the field from one heap of rocks
att the _____ corner to the heap of rocks att the eastern corner and my son
caleb norwood to make and keep in repair all the fence that does belong to
it between my self and him during my life time so that I may not be damnified
by any creature that is liable to be kept out of my planting field by that
part of fence
& I give and bequeath to my granddaughter Elizabeth norwood daughter
of my son steven norwood deceased five pounds in good currant pay if it please
god the child do arive to the age of eighteen years to be paid by my executors
att one entire payment att my dwelling house in glocester
& furthermore I do give and bequeath unto these my two sons francis norwood
and caleb norwood all my housen and lands viz my dwelling house and barne
and all my upland ground both earabl and pasture orchards meadows or marsh
ground and comon right which I am posessed of heare in glocester which is
not posessed of before by this my will to these my sons francis norwood joshua
norwood and caleb norwood with all the privileges there unto belonging to
both upland and meadow or marsh ground the meadow or marsh ground lying in
two parcells the one being on corn ploat Island and the other parcel of meadow
or marsh ground is situat and lying att the northeast end of the Island called
by the name of millett Island both parcells of marsh ground lying on the
westerly side of sqam river the Island of marsh is situate and lying over
the river against the house of phillip stanwood and compassed in with creeks
that run up to Peter Coffins farm moreover I give unto my two sons francis
and caleb both norwoods before named all my meat chattle hors kind sheep
and living with all household goods of all __________ by this my will to
my wiffe Elizabeth norwood what I have left to her of the household goods
in this my will for her use during her Liffe and after to be disposed of
if made mention in this my will moreover I give unto my sons hear named all
my husbandry tools of what sorte so ever and all the debts which is owing
to me from any man or woman and those of my two sons francis norwood and
caleb norwood to be joint heires of all the before mentioned housen and lands
and the other estate to keep it together or to parte it if they can agree
in consideration of what I have bequeathed to these my two sons above written
they shall pay out of my estate and make good that which I have and to pay
there sisters share portions as it is made mention of in this my will and
testiment and to pay all my debts which shall be legally due to any man or
woman and all my finurall charges
moreover it is my mind and will that if my son Joshua norwood doe lay charge
to any part of the house and land that was his brother stefen norwoods then
my executors shall ________ to sell six acres of the land ________ hous I
give my daughter Abigaill norwood one trunk which my father Clement Coldum
brought with him from Lin after my decease if I do not give to her in my
lifetim
And to the end that this my last will and testiment may be observed and kept
due constituted ordain and appoint my two loving sons francis norwood and
caleb norwood to be my whole and sole executors to this my last will and
testiment in order to the performance of this my last will and testiment
in all and every the perticulars therof which is mad mention of in both sides
and also to see that your brother Joshua norwood do pay your two sisters
what he is to pay to them as it is mad mention of before in this my will
In witness hearof I the said francis norwood Senr of glocester do sett to
my hand and seall this the twenty third day of january in the fourth year
of her majesties reign anne of England queen and year of our Lord god one
thousand seven hundred and five, six 1705/6
publicly Signed and sealled in presence of us
the marke of
Nathaniell wharfe Senr
Francis norwood senior [signature]
The marke of
mary norwood
Source: From original on file in Essex County Court House, Salem, Mass.
This transcription was made from the original by James G. Dempsey and
retranscribed by Richard Case Norwood, Jr. 13 March 1998 in HTML format.
Submitted by: Richard Case Norwood, Jr.