Will of Peter Werden, Yarmouth, Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. ************************ Following donated by Don Ross November 1997 Peter Werden I Last Will & Testament [1638] The last will and testament of Peter Werden, of Yarmouth, Ye elder deceased proved at ye General Court held at Plymouth, the 5th day of March, in ye 13th year of ye reign of our sovereign Lord Charles I, King of England, etc., 1638, by ye oathes of Mr. Nicholas Sympkins, Hugh Tillie, & Giles Hopkins - as followeth. Be it know unto all men to whom this doth or may concerne, that I, Peter Werden, of Yarmouth, in New England, in the Plymouth Patten being very sicke, in this yeare of our Lord 1638, and on ye 9th day of February, do make my last will to testify unto all that I, Peter Werden, do give and bequeath unto Peter Werden, my only sonne, and sonne and heir, and in the presence of Nicholas Sympkins, Hugh Tillie, and Giles Hopkins, I do make him my whole executor, to whom I do give all my lands, leases, tenements with goods moveable and unmoveable town of in the town of Clayton in the county of Lankester. Likewise do I give unto Peter, my sonne, all my goods which I have at this present in New England. My will is my sonne is to give to John Lewis one nat goat, also my will is my sonne is to give my grandchild such money as is due for the keeping of goates and calves until this day and that my sonne is with the money to buy John a kid to dispose it otherwise for his use. Also one bed or bolster, 3 blankets, also my sonne is to have the tuition of my grandchild until he be at the age of one and twenty years of age, also my will is he shall fynd him with meate, drink and clothes, and at the three last years of the 21 years also to have 40 shillings the year after and above, for to add to his stock with a sowe pigg when the sowe piggs. In witness we present set our hand Nicholas Sympkins Hugh Tilly A His Mark Giles Hopkins G His Mark Witnessess deposed 5th march 1638 Last Will & Testament Of Peter Werden II I Peter Worden of the towne of Yarmouth in the collonie of New Plymouth in New England in America about seaventy-one years of age being weake in body yett in perfect memory doe make this my last will and testament. Firstly. I bequeath my soule to God that give it and my body to the earth to be decently buryed when God's time is to remove mee out of this world by death. Secondly. I make my son Samuell Worden my whole and sole executor to who I give all my lands upon the necke called Equinett Necke with all the priviledges therto belonging to him and his heires and assignes forever with eight acrees of land att the south sea, to the said necke soe likewise. I give to my son Samuell Worden all my housing and land that I now live upon after his mother's decease both upland and marsh and orchyard and the land I bought to Mr. Allin with all other lands due to mee from the towne not yett layed out or from the country as procured by the late warr woth the indians. Soe likewise I give to my son Samuell my best bedsteed and my trundle bedsteed. Thirdly. I give to my daughter Martha the wife of Joseph Severens a peece of marsh about three acrees be itmore or lesse lying att the head of the marsh above John Burgis's ditch, during her naturall life and after I give it to my son Samuell Worden to whom I likewise give all the cattle that hee hath bine possessed of by mee excerpting two oxen. Fourthly. I give to my loving wife Mary Worden the proffitts and improvements of my housing and lands and orchyards that I now live upon during her natural life, both upland and marsh with the land I bought of Mr. Allin and all my household good and cattle for her support during her life and my will is that what of my goods and cattle are left after my wife decease shalbe equally divided betwixt my three daughters Mary, Mercy and Martha. Fifthly. I give to my son Samuell Worden all my estate in old England both land and other estate that came by my wife. Sixthly. I give to my daughter Mary the wife of John Burgis, the one halfe of my forth acrees of upland att the head of the lotts to her, her heires and assignes forever. Seaventhly. I give to my daughter Martha the wife of Joseph Severens all the cattle and goods, shee is already possessed of by mee with one cow more att my decease and after her decease my will is that what of them are left shall fall to her two daughters now living. Lastly. I give to my son Samuell Worden my Chist and my cloake. Peter Worden [and a Seale] Signed and sealed before us this ninth day of January, 1679. John Freeman Sr. Silas Sares SOURCE: Obtained at Worden Hall in East Dennis, Cape Cod, Mass. Elder Peter Worden V [1728-1808] Peter bought land in Coventry, R.I. in 1750 and 1752. In 1750, he also bought land in Warwick. Peter Worden was ordained to the work of the ministry at Warwick, R.I., May 1757, in the24th year of his age. When he began to preach, he was too much of a New Light, and too strongly attached to the doctrine of salvation by sovereign grace to be generally received among the old Baptist Churches in Rhode Island when the following event opened the door for him: A criminal by the name of Carter was to be executed at Tower Hill and the scene of his execution collected abundance of people from all parts of the colony. While the criminal stood under the gallows, young Worden felt such concern for his soul that he urged his way through the crowd and being assisted by the Sheriff, the preacher addressed the criminal as follows: "Sir, is your soul prepared for the awful eternity into which you will launch in a few minutes?" "I don't know that it is, but I wish that you would pray for me." In his prayer, Mr. Worden was so wonderfully assisted in spreading the young man's cause before the throne of God, that the whole assembly was awfully solemnized, and most of them wet their cheeks with tears. This opened a great door for his ministrations. He preached at Warwick, Coventry and many other places with great success, about nineteen years; and then about 1770, moved into the town of Cheshire, Mass. where he lived and administered about thirty-eight years. In him, young preachers found a father and friend: distressed churches, a healer of breaches, and tempted souls a sympathizing guide. From his first settling in Cheshire, until he was seventy years old, he was a father to the Baptist in Berkshire County and its environments, and in some sense, an apostle to them all. His many painful labors for the salvation of sinners, the peace of churches and the purity of ministers will never be fully appreciated until the time when he shall stand before his judge and receive the words of his mouth, "Well done, good and faithful servant." The preceeding six paragraphs were extracts from Elder John Leland's funeral discourse. Minutes of the Shaftsbury Association in 1808 mentions the death of Elder Peter Werden, and says" For dignity of nature, soundness of judgment, meekness of temper and unwearied labors in the ministry, but few have equalled him in his age. He was father, founder and guarding angel of this association, till his age prevented." The inscription on his monument, prepared by himself, is as follows: "Here lies the body of Peter Werden, late pastor of the Church of Christ in Cheshire." On his monument is also the following inscription: "His soul to God he used to send To cry for grace for foe and friend: But, blessed be the God of love, His soul is now with Christ above. This crumbling sculptur keeps the clay That used to house his noble mind: But at the resurrection day A nobeler he shall find." SOURCE: Obtained at Worden Hall in East Dennis, Cape Cod, Mass. *************************** The following donate by: "M. Burns" September 1997 Subject: will of wife of Christopher Stanley Susannah Aspinwall Stanley Phillips herself died after only five years of marriage to Major William Phillips and four children (8/2/1655) and left a will as follows: "Whereas my beloved husband William Phillips hath by his last will, bearing date with these present, confirmed unto me (the) house which was my husband Stanley's, together with the great pasture, close and yet which was bought of Christopher Lawson, together with plate and household goods, and further hath given me power to dispose of all or any part of whilst he is yet living, this writing doth declare that I, Susannah Phillips, do dispose as followeth: To daughter-in-law Mary Field five pounds; to daughter Martha Thurston five pounds; to daughter Rebecca Lord five pounds; son William Phillips twenty pounds; son Nathanial Phillips twenty pounds; Elizabeth Phillips my daughter five pounds; daughter Phoebe Phillips twenty pounds; daughter Sarah twenty pounds; to Elizabeth Aspinwall five pounds; upon William Aspinwall, if any of my brother or sister's children come over to live within two years after my decease six pounds apiece, to the value of eighteen pounds, the first three that come to demand it; to Richard Bennitt and George Bennit which were my servants (treated generously in husband Christopher's will. Were they related to the wife of Thomas Stanley, relationship undetermined?) five shillings apiece; All the residue of both houses which were my husband Stanley's, and the great close in the mill field, and the field which was Christopher Lawson's, with plate and household goods unto my husband William Phillips, as his own proper inheritance and do make him sole executor 10 (7) 1650. Susanna Phillips...and two seals My true meaning is not necessarily to reserve any title to his heirs (further than he shall see cause) I freely give him whatsoever right my husband Stanley or I had unto any other house or land not here mentioned. 1 with addition in presence of William Aspinwall Notarius Publicus Present: the Governor, deputy Governor Mr. Nowell, Major Atherton Approved August 2, 1655" Subject: christopher stanley, his pasture shown on 1645 map of Boston Christopher Stanley died in Boston (1/27/1646), leaving wife, Susannah Aspinwall, with Rebecca Stanley (m Robert Lord) and Martha (m Robert Thurston). Christopher Stanley's will reads as follows: "19 (12) 1649 I, Christopher Stanley of Boston being now sick. Unto Richard Benit three acres of land adjoining my orchard with half a house near John Gallop's point. The other half to George Benet. To Sarah Cotton, daughter of Mr. John Cotton, five pounds. To the Church of Christ here in Boston four pounds. For the maintenance of a free school at Boston, a parcel of land lying near to the waterside and four rods in length backward. To each of the teaching and ruling Elders of Boston and to their wives an paire of gloves of five shillings price. All the rest of my estate, viz. my now dwelling house, outhouses, and garden, my house and land lying toward Charlestown, land about twelve acres with all the rest of my estate unto my wife Susan, sole executrix. 27th day of the 1st month, 1646. In the presence of Thomas Savage (and) Thomas Marshall. Deposed by Thomas Savage and Thomas Marshall the 19 (11) 1649 before the court in petuam rei memoriam and to be recorded. Iner, Newell Sec." **************************************