Roger's Will and Inventory
Text of Roger's Will
Will and Probate Inventory of Roger Conant
At Salem Court, 25:9:1679.The Last will and testament of Roger Conant, dated the 1st of the 1 mo. [March] 1677. I, Roger Conant, aged about eighty five years, being of perfect understanding though weak and feeble in body, do hereby declare my will and mind wherein in the first place I do bequeath my soul unto God that gave it & my body to the grave, in hope of a blessed resurrection:
& for my outward estate and goods, I give unto my Son Exercise one hundred and forty acres of Land lying near adjoining unto the new town of Dunstable a part of two hundred acres granted me by the General court:
also I give & bequeath unto him ten acres of Land next adjoining unto his present home lot and land Lying by the side of William Dodges his land, (which) abuts on the land of Thomas Herrick:
also I give him two acres of marsh at the south end of the great pond by Wenham, or if my daughter Elizabeth Conant will exchange to have so much at the great marsh near Wenham:
also I give him my swamp at the head of the rails which is yet undivided betwixt me and Benjamin Balch adjoining unto William Dodges swamp:
also I give him my portion of land Lying by Henry Haggats on Wenham side:
toward the discharge of such legacies’ as I have given & bequeathed: according as is hereafter set down.
more I give unto my grandchild, John Conant, son of Roger Conant (Jr), ten acres of Land adjoining to his twenty acres by the great pond side – he paying twenty pounds for the same towards the payment of legacies as after mentioned.
more I give unto my grandchild Joshua Conant seventeen acres of Land Lying by the south side of the great marsh near Wenham and bounding unto the land of Peter Woodbury: and the rest to return to my Executor.
also I give unto my Daughter Sarah two acres of Land lying between the head of the rails and Isaac Hull his ground as part of six acres betwixt me and Benjamin Balch: this to her and her children.
also sixty acres of Land out of my farm granted me by the General Court near the new town of Dunstable I give and bequeath unto the hands of Capt Roger Clap of the castle near Dorchester for the use of a daughter of one Mrs. Pitts (deceased) – whose daughter now lives in Culleton, a town in Devon in old England, and is in lieu for certain goods sold for the said Mrs. Pitts in London and was there to be paid many years since – but it is alleged (it) was never paid and the aforesaid Capt Clap to give a discharge as their attorney according as he is empowered and entrusted in their behalf: furthermore as legacies I do give unto my son lot his ten children twenty pounds to be equally divided: to my daughter Sarah’s Children – to John five pounds to the four daughters five pounds betwixt them: to my daughter Mary Dodge to herself five pounds and five pounds to her five children equally divided: to Exercise his children four pounds betwixt them: to Adoniron Veren three pounds to his sister Hannah twenty shillings and her two children each ten shillings: to my cousin Mary Veren, wife to Hillier Veren, three pounds as also three pounds unto the daughters of My Cousin Jane Mason (deceased) to be divided amongst them including Loue Stevens her children a share: my wearing apparel I give and household implements not otherwise disposed of and my Gray horse and cattle to my son Exercise and sheep I give to Rebecca Conant my grandchild and one sheep to Mary Leach: and whereas there remains in my hands a certain portion of cattle belonging unto one Mr. Dudeney in England and by him assigned unto his nephew Richard Conant valued at twenty five pounds and now left in the hands of my son exercise Conant that there be a rendering up of such cattle or their valuation mentioned unto the said Richard Conant upon seasonable demand he giving a full discharge for the same. and further my will is that my son Exercise be my executor to my will and Testament and for further help in seeing these things aforementioned my son William Dodge and my grandchild John Conant Senior to be overseers of the same.
In witness whereof I have here unto set my hand the day and year above written. The blotting out of part of a line and a whole line under the part was before signing hereof.
The mark X of Roger CONANT his seal
JOHN BENNETBENJAMIN BALCHSealed in the presence of the aforesaid witnesses and delivered
25-9-mo 1679 Benjamin Balch and John Bennett gave oath in Court at Salem that they signed as witnesses to the within written that then the said Roger Conant declared the same to be his last will and testament and there is no later will of his that they know of
At Salem Court, 25:9:1679.The Last will and testament of Roger Conant, dated the 1st of the 1 mo. [March] 1677. I, Roger Conant, aged about eighty five years, being of perfect understanding though weak and feeble in body, do hereby declare my will and mind wherein in the first place I do bequeath my soul unto God that gave it & my body to the grave, in hope of a blessed resurrection:
& for my outward estate and goods, I give unto my Son Exercise one hundred and forty acres of Land lying near adjoining unto the new town of Dunstable a part of two hundred acres granted me by the General court:
also I give & bequeath unto him ten acres of Land next adjoining unto his present home lot and land Lying by the side of William Dodges his land, (which) abuts on the land of Thomas Herrick:
also I give him two acres of marsh at the south end of the great pond by Wenham, or if my daughter Elizabeth Conant will exchange to have so much at the great marsh near Wenham:
also I give him my swamp at the head of the rails which is yet undivided betwixt me and Benjamin Balch adjoining unto William Dodges swamp:
also I give him my portion of land Lying by Henry Haggats on Wenham side:
toward the discharge of such legacies’ as I have given & bequeathed: according as is hereafter set down.
more I give unto my grandchild, John Conant, son of Roger Conant (Jr), ten acres of Land adjoining to his twenty acres by the great pond side – he paying twenty pounds for the same towards the payment of legacies as after mentioned.
more I give unto my grandchild Joshua Conant seventeen acres of Land Lying by the south side of the great marsh near Wenham and bounding unto the land of Peter Woodbury: and the rest to return to my Executor.
also I give unto my Daughter Sarah two acres of Land lying between the head of the rails and Isaac Hull his ground as part of six acres betwixt me and Benjamin Balch: this to her and her children.
also sixty acres of Land out of my farm granted me by the General Court near the new town of Dunstable I give and bequeath unto the hands of Capt Roger Clap of the castle near Dorchester for the use of a daughter of one Mrs. Pitts (deceased) – whose daughter now lives in Culleton, a town in Devon in old England, and is in lieu for certain goods sold for the said Mrs. Pitts in London and was there to be paid many years since – but it is alleged (it) was never paid and the aforesaid Capt Clap to give a discharge as their attorney according as he is empowered and entrusted in their behalf: furthermore as legacies I do give unto my son lot his ten children twenty pounds to be equally divided: to my daughter Sarah’s Children – to John five pounds to the four daughters five pounds betwixt them: to my daughter Mary Dodge to herself five pounds and five pounds to her five children equally divided: to Exercise his children four pounds betwixt them: to Adoniron Veren three pounds to his sister Hannah twenty shillings and her two children each ten shillings: to my cousin Mary Veren, wife to Hillier Veren, three pounds as also three pounds unto the daughters of My Cousin Jane Mason (deceased) to be divided amongst them including Loue Stevens her children a share: my wearing apparel I give and household implements not otherwise disposed of and my Gray horse and cattle to my son Exercise and sheep I give to Rebecca Conant my grandchild and one sheep to Mary Leach: and whereas there remains in my hands a certain portion of cattle belonging unto one Mr. Dudeney in England and by him assigned unto his nephew Richard Conant valued at twenty five pounds and now left in the hands of my son exercise Conant that there be a rendering up of such cattle or their valuation mentioned unto the said Richard Conant upon seasonable demand he giving a full discharge for the same. and further my will is that my son Exercise be my executor to my will and Testament and for further help in seeing these things aforementioned my son William Dodge and my grandchild John Conant Senior to be overseers of the same.
In witness whereof I have here unto set my hand the day and year above written. The blotting out of part of a line and a whole line under the part was before signing hereof.
The mark X of Roger CONANT his seal
JOHN BENNETBENJAMIN BALCHSealed in the presence of the aforesaid witnesses and delivered
25-9-mo 1679 Benjamin Balch and John Bennett gave oath in Court at Salem that they signed as witnesses to the within written that then the said Roger Conant declared the same to be his last will and testament and there is no later will of his that they know of
Handwritten Copy of Roger's Will
Roger's Inventory
Roger Conant’s inventory at the time of his death totalled 258 pounds. 10s., of which 198 pounds. was real estate across Massachusetts.
