Will
of Benjamin Cowdrey
b. abt. 1619
Emigrant Ancestor from England
of this Cowdrey/Cowdry/Cowdery line
Copy submitted to me by: Ruth Fay [Cowdrey] Hill
b. abt. 1619
Emigrant Ancestor from England
of this Cowdrey/Cowdry/Cowdery line
Copy submitted to me by: Ruth Fay [Cowdrey] Hill
Translation by: Rhio Gillis
| In
the Praise of God, Amen. I Benjamin Cowdrey of Northampton County
in Virginia, and formerly Citizen and Vintner of London, being very sick
______in body but of good and perfect mind and memory praised Our God __
in _____ ____ calling to mind with certainty of this life And how frail we
are And ___all flesh must yield ____death _____ ever it shall please God
to Call __ ye first place I commend my Soule into ye Hands of Almighty God
who gave it to me And to my Savior Jesus Christ who Redeemed me and my body
to the Earth from whence it was taken Hoping that By and through ye merritts
of his death and passion I shall Inherit Everlasting life. And as for what
worldly good it Hath pleased God ____ abide my deserts And Bestow upon me
__ to Dispose of as I hereafter mentioned. I As this Deviding of my Land my will and pleasure is this: my Grandsons Henry Spencer and Samuel Spencer shall have, each of them, three hundred Acres of ________. My will and pleasure is that my Daughter Frances Spencer shall have __ _____ four hundred Acres which said thousand Acres of Land is situated Lying and Being upon Mifspilling (sp) Creek in Sussex County which said Land is to them and their heires for ever as in and by this Deed: if ___ may ____ at large _______ and as for this Devidings of my Land Whereon I now live Being two hundred and fifty Acres L_____ _____ Ma__________ Creek. My will and pleasure if dead is Too give to my loving: Son Thomas Cowdery one hundred and fifty Acres thereof And to my Son Benjamin Cowdery one hundred Acres _____ thereof to them and their heirs for Evr. II My will and pleasure is that after my Decease my said two Sons shall make choyces of two _______ _____ (sp) to Devide this land if they Cannot Agree Between themselves. III I give and bequeath to my lov: Daughter Frances Spencer these Articles Following (viz one large feather bed and Bundles, one Red Rugg, one white Blankett and S_____ed ______, one _____, one pair of ‘wall Stileyards. IV I Doo give to my Daughter Ann Cowdery All my Linnen in _____ ________. V I Doo give to my Son Benjamin Cowdery one feather bed and Boulster, one Redd Rugg and one white Blankett. VI I Doo give and bequesth to my Grandson Sam’ll Spencer one gray horse called by the name of Pigg y. VII I Both will and Bequeath to my son Wm Cowdery one musquett and one Barrell of Corne which said Corne would have him purchase And give half for the good of his children. VIII I Both will and bequeath that my daughter Frances Spencer shall have Three herds of Cattle for her to dispose of to her Children as Shee shall thinke Fitt. IX My will and pleasure is that there shall Bee one White _____steer killed at my funerall And as for the rest of my Estate which I leave __t _ere disposed of ________within and without _______. My will and pleasure is that it shall Bee Equally Shared Between my Two Sons Thomas and Benjamin Cowdery. X My will and pleasure is that if each or either of my Sons Bee minded to sell his part of the Land the two shall give his Brother the refuse of it. And if Hee will give for it as much as another then hee shall have it. But if hee will not then it is there for Another. XI My will and pleasure is that my Son Thomas Cowdery shall Bee my whole and Sole Executor And that __ __ Bagus Harman and _ __ _ Mathew Patrick Bee overseers of this my said will to S__ yta__ bee found herein. And that this Bee taken for my last will and testam’t and none others. V_____ revoking and annulling All other former wills and this to stand only in force On Testimony whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and Soule this 11th Day of August 1684. _____Before this signing that my Son Spencer shall pay his Equall share of the debts my will and pleasure is that what debts I owe shall be paid out of my estate Before anything Bee devided and as for which things I have here given to my Daughter are the very thing! That my _______ Sponcer hath from and B my hand for XII
NOTE: I tried as best I could to decipher the handwriting of this will. It was quite difficult and the copy was very poor. However, the names of his children, all but one, Josias, have been mentioned. Josias, living in Delaware, died before the will was made and probated. R. Gillis |
