Descendants of Edward Bliven; Will of Edward Bliven, 1722 - 1783 File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Susan Irish, PICKNELL@aol.com USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages are for the use of indivisual researchers, and may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Descendants of Edward Bliven, d: 1718, to Edward Bliven 1722-83 Donated by Susan Irish 1 Edward Bliven d: Abt. April 1718 in Westerly, Washington, RI . +Isabel Maccoon d: Abt. May 1753 in Westerly, Washington, RI m: October 02, 1691 in Westerly, Washington, RI ... 2 Edward Bliven b: August 05, 1694 in Westerly, Washington, RI d: Bef. April 24, 1775 in Westerly, Washington, RI ..... +Freelove Barker d: Bef. 1772 m: May 12, 1719 in Westerly, Washington, RI ....... 3 Edward Bliven, Jr. b: May 30, 1722 in Westerly, Washington, RI d: Abt. January 1783 in Westerly, Washington, RI ......... +Ann Ross b: January 21, 1725/26 in Westerly, Washington, RI m: May 30, 1743 in Westerly, Washington, RI ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Will of Edward Bliven, 1722-1783 In the Name of God Amen the first Day of January in the Year of our Lord one Thousand seven hundred and eighty three I Edward Bliven of Westerly in the County of Washington in the State of Rhode Island Providence Plantation yeoman being weak and Much Indisposed in Body but of Perfect Mind and Memory thanks be given to almighty God for the same but Calling to mind the Mortality of my Body, and knowing that it is Appointed for all Men Once to Die, Do make and Ordain this my last Will and Testament that is to say principally and first of all I Give and Recommend my Soul into the Hand of God who gave it, and my Body I Commit to the Earth to be Buried in a Christian Deccant Burial at the Descretion of my Executor hereafter named. And as Touching such World by Estate where with it hath pledged to God to Bless me with in this Life I give Demise and Despose of the same in the follwing manner and form I Give and bequeath to my Dearly beloved Wife Anne Bliven and to my Beloved Daughter Phanny Bliven all my Household furniture to be equally Divided between them According to Quantity and Quality that is to say I give the aforesaid half of my said Household Furniture to my said Wife Anne During the time She shall Remain or Continue to be my widow, and the Other half of said House hold furniture I give to my Aforesaid Daughter Phanny to her own Disposal forever excepting what I shall in this Will of household Furniture Particularly give away hereafter. And my will further is that if my aforesaid Daughter Phanny should Die before Marriage or without lawful Issue that then and in that Case I give what I have in this Will given to her, I give the same to be equally Divided between all my surviving Children. Item I Give and bequeath to my aforesaid Wife Anne my Time I have in my Indian Girl called Lucy Shizia (?) alias Lucy Harry, Also I give to my said Wife one Cow. Item my Will is that after my aforesaid Wife Anne Ceases to be & Remain my widow that, that part of my Houshold Furniture I have in this Will given to her I give & bequeath the same to be equally Divided between my two Daughters Namely Anna Clarke wife of Pardon Clarke and to my said Daughter Phanny Bliven, excepting one Bed and Bedding I give to my aforesaid Wife if she should Marry Again further my Will that if my said Daughter Phanny Bliven should Die without lawful Issue that then and in that Case that her part of my Household Furniture that I have in this Will given to my said Wife as above Specified I give the same to my said Daughter Anne Clarke forever. Item I give and bequeath to my four beloved Sons Namely Arnold Bliven George Bliven Jonathan Bliven & Jesse Bliven to of my Beds and Beding one pot & Kettle one Tramel half a Dozen of Low backed Chairs to their Use till my said son Jesse Arrives to Lawful Age, and then an equal Division to be made among them. Item I give and bequeath to my aforesaid Son Arnold Bliven my Mahogony Desk to his own use forever. Item I Give and bequeath to my beloved Son Joshua Bliven (in Addition to what I have already given him) my Silver Shoe Buckles & Silver Knee Buckles forever. Item I Give and bequeath to my beloved Son William Bliven my Gold Sleeve Buttons my Cane and my best Beaver Hat in Addition to what I have Already given him forever. I Give and Demise to my beloved Son Edward Bliven all my Right and Title to all the Land and Buildings that I have that was Willed to my said Son Edward by his Grandfather Edward Bliven of Westerly Deceased to him his Heirs and Assigns forever And further my will is that if my said Son Edward Sould Die before he Shall have any more Lawful Issue than he Now hath, that then and in that Case I give & Demise all my Right and Title to the before Mentioned Land & Buildings to my Son Jesse Bliven and my Grand Daughter Nancy Bliven Daughter of my said Son Edward to be equally Divided between them and to their Heirs and Assigns forever. Item I Give and Demise to my beloved Son Arnold Bliven and to his Heirs and Assigns Two Third parts of my Buildings and Homestead Farm (excepting Twenty Acres I shall hereafter give to my Son George) Item I Give and Demise to my beloved Son Jonathan Bliven and to his Heirs and Assigns forever the Other Third part of my Buildings and Homestead Farm (the said Twenty Acres excepted) Item I Give and Demise to my beloved Son George Bliven Twenty Acres of my Homestead Farm (before excepted) Bounding Westerly on the Line that did Divide between my Land and the Land my father Died possessed of and to Extend Southerly to the lot of Land (called the Meeting House lot) and to Extend on the North and South Ends as far as a Paraalel Line with the west side will Make Exactly Twenty Acres to him his Heirs and Assigns forever Also I give and Demise to my Son George the Eight Acres of Land Lying in Westerly I purchased of Thompson Burdick to him his Heirs and Assigns forever Item I Give and Demise to my Aforesaid Sons Arnold and Jonathan two lots of Land in said Westerly viz the wood lot I purchased of Joseph Dodge Junr and my Cedar Swamp lot I purchased of Nathan Bliven to be equally Divided between them According to Quantity and Quality and to their Heirs and Assigns forever Item I Give and Demise to my Aforesaid Son Jesse my lot of Land I purchased of John West Lying in said Westerly and Adjoining to Peleg Sissons Land to him my said Son Jesse his Heirs and Assigns forever Also I give and bequeath to my aforesaid Son Jesse Bliven all my Blacksmithing Tools, And my will further is that my Executor hereafter Named Assist my said Son Jesse and Set him up that he may work at the Blacksmiths Trade and he be kept and work at said Trade in my Blacksmith Shop and my Executors to have the Benefit of his Work till he Arrives to the Age of Twenty years Item I Give to my Executors hereafter Named all my farming Tools forever to enable them to help pay my Debts & funeral Charges Item my Will is and I hereby Order & fully Impower my Executor hereafter Named to Sell my Negro Girl, Named Phebe, and also all my Stock that I have Not Given away in this Will to enable them to pay my Debts and funeral Charges And also my Will further is that any Executor hereafter Named have and I give to them the use and Profits of all my Real Estate during the Time and Until my Youngest Son Jesse Shall Arrive to the Age of Twenty One Years in order to enable them to Settle my Debts And further my Will is that if what I ordered my Executors to Sell and the profits of my Estate have given them is Insufficient to pay my Debts and funeral Charges that then and in that Case my will is and I Order Accordingly that my Youngest Sons pay the Overseers in proportion to the Estate I have given them in this Will Item I Give and bequeath unto my three Aforesaid Sons Namely Arnold Bliven George Bliven & Jonathan Bliven all the Remainder of my Wearing Apparrel that I have Not before Given away in this Will to be equally Divided between them forever Item my Will is that my Daughter Phanny Aforesaid Shall have the Previledge to live in my Now Dwelling House with her Mother as long as my siad Daughter Shall live Single in an Unmarried State Lastly I Constitue make and Ordain my Aforesaid Wife Anna Bliven and aforsaid Son Joshua Bliven and said Son Arnold Bliven to be my Joint whole and Sole Executors of this my last Will & Testament hereby Revoking and Disallowing all former Wills Legacies and bequests by me in any wise before Named Wills and bequeathed Ratifying and Confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I do hereunto Set my Hand and Seal the Day and year first before Written Signed Sealed Published Pronounced and Declared by the said Edward Bliven as his last Will and Testament in presence of us who in his presence & in presence of each Other have Subscribed Our Names John Bliven Edward Bliven (Seal) Christopher Babcock Joseph Crandal February the 24th 1783 Then Mr. John Bliven Christopher Babcock & Joseph Crandal Esq. The Three Witnesses to the within Will Personally Appeared before The Town Council of Westerly and Made Oath that they Saw Major Edward Bliven Deceased the Testator Sign Seal Publish and Declare the within Instrument to be his last Will and Testament And that at the Time of his Signing the Same he was in perfect Mind & Memory and that they Signed as Witnesses in the Presence of the Testator Before Elkanah Babcock President