Will: Obadiah Wheeler

20 December 1671

This sixth day of the eighth month in the yeare of our Lord God, one thousand six hundred, seventy and one, the last will and testament of Obadiah Wheeler of Concord in the countey of Middlesex in New England stricken in yeares, aged about three score and three yeares, weake in body, nut of good and parfect memory, first committing my selfe soule and body into the hands of my marciefull father and Redeemer. And where as the Lord of his goodness hath given mee six children, five sonns, and one daughter, which I re-signe up into the armes of the Almightie, desireing him to make them all his in Christ Jesus, as also unto his care and protection and concerning that patrimoney, and portion of this worlds goods, which the Lord of his goodness hath bestowed one mee...

I give it unto them, to every one an equall portion, onely unto my sonn Joshuah Wheeler, my first borne, and heyre, I give a double portion the most where of hee hath alredy received, and is possessor of namely my liveing in the towne whomestall, with the apurtinances belonging thereunto one that side of the river with the addition now of one acre of meadow more at dung hoale, next unto his own and halfe of the spruce swamp in the same Dung hoale also hee shall have twenty bushells of corne ten in Indeane corne and ten in rye, and this is and shall bee his full portion of all my estate besides his single part of my household goods.

And unto Samuell Wheeler my second sonn, I give, one house lot lying betweene Mihill Wood and Thomas Daken, with four acres of land lying one the other side of Mihill Wood, bounded northwest with the highway, and fiveteene acres of land one the plaine at Dung hoale and two acres of woodland at Fairehaven lying at the upper end of the ash swamp, and the other halfe of the spruce swampe at Dung hoale, in meadow, seven acres at Fairehaven lying beetweene George Wheelers and George Meriam's, and spring meadow and one paire of steeres, and twenty bushells of corne ten of Indean, and ten of rye, and one ewine, his choice except the great sow, and this is to bee his full portion besides his part of my household goods.

And unto my sonne Obadiah Wheeler, I give my homestall house barne with all the buildings orrchards, pastures, and meadow there about, with the field and land adjoyning thereunto one the other side of the brooke all from the field one the north side of the house in meadow, three acres of the river meadow at Fairehaven, three acres in the meadow called the world's end, and one third part of the remainder of the meadow at Dung hoale.

To my sonn John Wheeler I give for his house lott five acres of land lying betweene Thomas Wheeler's and James Adams, and halfe of the field one the north side of my now dwelling house both hill and plaine one the north side of the hill, braoken and unbroken up, the northwest end of the said field, with twelve acres one nut medow plaine, and fiveteene acres more one Dung hoale plaine, in medow, the claypitt medow, or that part of brooke meadow, three acres at Fairehaven, three acres in the meadow called the world's end and one third part of the remainder of Dung hoale.

To my yongest sonn, Josiah Wheeler, I give, in upland, halfe of the fied lying one the north side of my now dwelling house both hill and plaine the south east end of the field, the said field equally to be divided betwene John, and Josiah (onely I reserve two acres of the land one the top of the hill, of the broaken up land and of the unbroken, by the broken up land, unto my selfe) more in land fiveteene acres at Dung hoale plaine, in meadow, three acres at Fairehaven where in that meadow hee liketh-best, more three acres at Dung hoale where in that meadow also he liketh best, and three acres at the meadow caled the world's end, and one third part of the remainder of the meadow at Dung hoale (that is), when Joshua hath had one acre next unto his own, as hath bein said, and Josiah hath had three acres where hee liketh best, then the remainder of the meadow is to be equally divided amongst the three youngest bretheren more one cow, the brindle cow, and twentey bushells of Indean come, more in meadow three acres at Fairhaven.

To my daughter Susanah I give in meadow, three acres and a halfe of the meadow that was goodman Plimptons (called) the world's end and fiveteen acres of upland at Dung hoale plaine the Rest of her portion to bee made up equall with her brethren.

And at my decease all my household goods shall bee equally divided amongst all my children, without any respect to adorible portion to the eldest, hee haveing alredy being considred otherwise. And whereas the time of my departure out of this world draweth neare, to my apprehension, and expectation, and haveing other moveables not specified in this will, as yet, or desposed of, which I heare in declare, shall bee, and are given by mee, unto my three yongest sou us, together with the makeing up of my daughter Susanahs, portion equivolent to, or proportionall to her brethren's portion in this my will above written, whereunto that ten pounds therein specified, I now ad one paire of oxen, my oldest oxen, and cow, and halfe my sheepe, which is six and a halfe for her part, and twenty bushells of come halfe Indean, and halfe English, with, ten pounds that Obadiah shall pay to her, out of his portion, which is by estimation about fourty and three pounds, which is equall to her brethren as in my will above written, and this is to bee all her portion of my estate, besies my household goods.

Unto my son Obadiah I give to his portion as an addition, one pair of young oxen, two heifers, one four the other three yeares old, and one paire of shood cart wheeles with the cart and all the irons about it.

To my sonn John I add to his portion one pair of oxen, one cow, fewer sheepe and a halfe, and one horse.

To Josiah I give one pair of oxen, the one pide, the other eed, one heifer three yeres old, one yerling calfe, two sheepe, one mare, and one of my best swine and that two acres of land lying upon the hill, which I reserved in my will above written, unto myselfe, my son Obadiah shall enjoy it three yeares and then it is to be returned to my sonn Josiah, and Josiah shall bee helpfull to his brethren, Obadiah, and John, ten days, betwene them about fencing there fields freely and for all workeing tooles herein not mentioned, swine and corne or whatsoever to bee equaly devided among the three youngest brothers, that this is my last will, wittness my hand.

Obadiah Wheeler

The wittnesses that this is his last will: George Wheeler, Thomas Wheeler. At a County Court held at Charlstowne 20 December 1671. George Wheeler & Tho Wheeler deposed that havig subscribed their names as witnesses to th8 instrumt were present & did see & heare ye late Obadiah Wheeler signe & declare it to be his last will was of a disposing mind as att Jur Rawson Recdr Danforth. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Middlesex, Registry of Probate, true copy