John Kemp, of Laxfield, Suffolk, England, was by occupation a joiner. He and his wife Anne had five children christened at the parish church from 1662 to 1673. Two of the five died as young children.
In his will, dated 7 February 1699/1700, John names his wife Anne (who was to have their house), son Thomas (who was to have another house), son John, and daughter Anne the wife of John Hayward. The will was probated in July of 1709. Anne died ten years later.
Source: "The History of the Brigham Family" 2nd Vol. by Emma Elisabeth Brigham
THE WILLS OF THOMAS JENKINS AND HIS SON JOSIAH
BY THE EDITOR
THOMAS JENKINS of Barnstable, Mass., married, first, 24 August, 1687, Experience Hamlin, by whom he had eight children. * He married, second, between 18 December, 1712, and 22 December, 1715, Mercy (Winslow) White, widow of Malatiah4 White (Samuel3, Resolved2, William 1), of Rochester, Mass. No children by the second marriage are mentioned in the will, made 9 March, 1737, and probated 25 February, 1745.
Ebenezer Jenkins, the oldest son, married, for his first wife, his step-sister, Judith5 White (Malatiah4,
Samuel3 Resolved2, William 1).
Mercy Jenkins, the third daughter, married John5 white (John4, Samuel3, Resolved2, William1) and Hope Jenkins, the fourth daughter, married Thomas5 White, brother of John5 White.
* Mayflower Descendant, 6:236.
The Wills of Thomas Jenkins and His Son Josiah 157
Josiah Jenkins, of Barnstable, the third son, married Mercy Ellis, in 1738, but apparently had no
children, as his will gives all his estate to his widow, to his brothers and sisters, and to three cousins, as nephews were then called.
We here print exhaustive abstracts of the wills and of all other records, in the Bamstable County, Mass., Registry of Probate, relating to the estates of Thomas and Josiah Jenkins. There are no original papers in the files.
[THE WILL OF THOMAS JENKINS]
[8: 114] On 9 March, 1737, Thomas Jenkins of Barustable made his will. Bequests were as follows:
To "Wife Mercy her thirds as the Law directs and I Give her over and above the best bed in my house and furniture to it and fourty pound in money"
To "my Son Ebenezer the Eastermost end of my house Which he now Improves and Liberty of egress & Regress to and from it so long as it Shall Stand where it doth and Conveniency for Laying of Wood and Improvement of the well and if he Sees Cause to Remove it his Brother Josiah Shall help him build a new Chimney to it. I also give him four Acres of Land in the old field at the Lower End so as to have Conveniency of water att the Spring and half my fresh meadow and Liberty of a way to it and the Land that he now Improves above."
To "my Son Samuell my Land at Skonkenet which he now Improves bounded from Dexters Lot as the River runs Norwest till it Comes to Nathaniel Crockers Lot."
To "my Son Josiah the rest of my homestead With my houses and Barn (reserving Liberty for Ebenezer to put Six Creatures in the Barn so long as his house stands where it doth and hay for them & also to Lay his Corn) and I Give him viz Josiah half my fresh meadow & Liberty of a way to it."
"my son Josiah Shall have One half of my Wood lott & the Other half to be divided Equally between Ebenezer & Samuell."
"my Will is that my Other Land at Skonkenet viz the Last Division be Equally divided between Ebenezer and Josiah."
To "my Grandson Thomas son of Ebenezer my Other half Lott at Skonkenet if he Lives to Come of age and if not I Give it to my Son Samuel"
"My Will is that my Salt meadow be Equally divided between my three Sons Ebenezer Samuell & Josiah & also my Right at Sandy Neck."
158 The Wills of Thomas Jenkins and His Son Josiah
To "my son Josiah the bed he lyes upon and bedding belonging to it.... also all my husbandry tools & Utensells Excepting a Ring Yoak and a Chain Which I Give to Ebenezer."
"I Give my farming tools to Ebenezer and Josiah Equally."
To "my Daughter Thankful" £10.
To "my Daughter Mercy" £10.
To "my Daughter Hope" £10.
To "my Daughters Experience & Sarah Each of them" £20.
To "my Son Josiah all my Quick stock and all the Rest of my personal Estate he paying my Debts and
the Legacies above mentioned only Reserving to my Wife the Improvement of my Negro woman so Long as
she Dwels where she now doth"
"my Loving Wife Mercy & two sons Ebenezer & Samuell To be Joynt Executors"
The will was signed by a mark. The witnesses were Jonathan Russell, Joseph Jenkins, Jr., and Lewis Hamblin.
[8: 115] The wlll was probated 25 February, 1745, all three witnesses being present, and administration was granted to "Samuell Jenkins one of the Executors".
On the same date David Crocker, Esq., Benjamin Mastin and Joseph Blish, Jr., all of Bamstable, were appointed appraisers, and were sworn. They took the inventory, 27 February, 1745. "His Negro Woman with her beding" were valued at £100; "his buildings" £404; "his Lands" £2212; "part of a stable near Ye Meeting house" was not valued. The inventory was sworn to by the executor, 14 June, 1746.
[8:401] On 6 March, 1749, Samuel Jenkins, executor, presented an account, which was approved by the court. Among the items are: "Received of Josiah Jenkins ye Residuary Leagatee To pay the Debts and Leagacies with" £166, 12s., 6d.; "Due to the heirs of Experience a Legatee" £6, 13s., 4d. No other persons are named.
Printed from Mayflower Desoendant Legacy CD-ROM - All rights reserved. Copyright © 1996 - 1998 by Search & ReSearch Publishing Corp., Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
John2 and Mary (Russell) Lapham were probably married in the Apponegsnsett Meeting House in Dartmouth. Austin states (Gen. Dict, of Rhode Island, p. .1.20) that John2 Lapham was of Dartmouth and Smithfield, R. I.,. and that he was freeman in Smithfield in 1734. Although the land records of Smithfield show that he owned considerable land in Smithfield, much of which he sold to his sons when they settled there, it is doubtful if he himself went there until the latter part of his life. All of his fourteen children were born in Dartmouth and most of them were married there. When his daughter, Hannah, married Joseph Brown, 27 June 1751, he was still calied "John of Dartmouth."
The Lapham Account mentions no second marriage of John2 Lapham, but there is strong probability that after the death of his wife, Mary (Russell) Lapham, he went to Smithfield and that he married there a second time. On 25 March 1754., Thomas Lapbam, "of Smithfield in the county of Providence, Colony of Rhode Island," sold land in Smithfield to John Lapham, "of the same Town, County and Colony." (Smithfield Deeds, 3:369.) John Lapham and Elizabeth Buxton, "both of Smithfield," were married 4d 3m 1756 (Smithfield Friends Recs.). Only John2 or his son, John3, could have been the John Lapham of these records, and John3 Lapham and his wife, Desire (Howland) Lapham, were both living at this time at Nine Partners, N.Y., where they had removed from Smithfield.
Elizabeth Buxton was the widow of Samuel Buxton of Smithfield who died there in June 1753. On 25 March 1758, John Lapham of Smithfield sold to Joshua Lapham a tract of land in Smithfield, his wife, Elizabeth, consenting and signing the deed with a mark (Smithfield Deeds, 4:425). In the will of Samuel Buxton, Jr., made 22 Sept. 1774., he made provision for the maintenance of "my honored mother, Elizabeth Lapham" (Smithfield Probate, 1769-1797, p. 132). This would indicate that John Laphnm died in Smithfield after 1758 and before 1774.
Sophia's son Daniel is the one who obtained the deed to the temple plot in Jackson Co. by deceipt from his uncle Martin Harris.