My ancestor John Barnes must have had an intimation of his own mortality four years
before his death, because his will was drawn up in 1667and presented in 1671. He didn't
have many relatives to whom he could leave his estate: his second wife Joan, his son Jonathan
(my ancestor), his two grandsons, the children of his deceased daughter Lydia (Barnes)
Marshall and an unnamed cousin who was married to Henry Sampson. I found this
transcription of his will online in a Google ebook, Charles Henry Pope's 1918 book "The Plymouth scrap book: the oldest original documents extant in Plymouth archives, printed verbatim (Google eBook)" (C. E. Goodspeed & company, Boston, Ma.) p56-57
WILL OF JOHN BARNES
New Plimouth
6th of March, 1667
New England
The Last will & Testament of John Barn's which is as ffollows.
To
All whome these may concern. (Know you That I John Barn's (being of my
Sound Understandinge: doe declaire This to be my Last will and
Testament. Knowing not how soon ye lord may call me out of this world,
doe theirfore Labor to give noe occasion of strife unto those that shall
survive me. But that peace may be Among them. 1. In the first place I
doe desire that my body; be decently buryed (and) that Funerall charges
to be Expended out of my psonall Estate.
2. That all Legacys be payd . before any division of my estate be mayd.
3.
I doe apoynt yt my dear wife Joan Barn's & my son Jonathan
Barn's be ye Exectors of this my Last will and Testament.—4. I doe
Bequeath unto my wife Joan Barn's half of Every pt. and pcell of my
housing and Lands yt I doe now psess in ye Township of New Plimoth
dureing The Tearme of her life.—5. I doe bequeath unto my sonn unto my
sonn Jonathan the other half part of my above said housing Lands
&c. unless my sayd Sonn shall forfitt it on condittions as
follow's in an oyr pt of this my will.-6. I doe bequeath all my Land
lying Near to Road Island unto my grand-Sonn John Marshall, as also ye
silver dish yt I doe usually use to Eat in. - 7. I doe bequeath to my
Cozen ye wife of henery Samson forty shilling's out of my Estate to be
payd Beffore division of my Estate.8. I doe Bequeath my moveable Estate
as follow's one third to my wife for ever in Case she shall not molest
any pson to whome I have fformerly sould any Lands unto in Case she
shall so doe, yn it shall fall to my Sonn or grandson John Marshall. ye
Next third I doe bequeath to my Sonn Jonathan In Case he doe not demand
any pt of That Estate yt fformerly I gave to my daughter Lyddyah: Now
deceased, in case he shall Soe doe yt third shall fall unto my grandson
John Marshall ffor ever. The Next third I doe bequeath to my
grandchildren now in being togeither wth my Kinswoman Ester Ricket to
pay to each of ym an Equall pt of yt my Estate, hoping That my Last will
may be an instrument of peace; shall cease waiting for ye Time of my
chang. -9. I doe Further Request and desire Elder Thomas Couchma Lt.
Ephraim Morton and Joseph Warren to be the overseers of this my Last
will and Testament.
his mark
John x Barnes (Seal)
Signed & Sealed In
ye presence of
george Soule Senr:
Sam1: Seaburij
Samuell hunt
This Will is Recorded according to
order p me Nathaniel Morton Secretary
see book of Wills and Inventoryes
Recorded beginning att 71; in folio 31
I'll conclude this series with a look at the inventory of the estate of John Barnes.
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