WILL OF FRANCIS NORWOOD, SR. OF GLOUCESTER

From original on file in Essex County
Court House, Salem, Mass. #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 that 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

This transcription was made from the original by James G. Dempsey and retranscribed by Richard Case Norwood, Jr. 13 March 1998 in HTML format for inclusion in the Norwood Family web site.

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