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In the Name of God Amen this Twenty ninth Day of October the Thirteenth
year of his Majesties Reign George the Third King of Great Britain Anno Domini
1772 I Edward Bliven of Westerly in the County of Kings County in the Colony
of Rhode Island in New England Yeoman an [sic] being in Health of Body and
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 Men Once to Die do make and Ordain this my last Will & Testament,
that is to say principally and first of all I give and Recommend my Soul
into the Hands of Almighty God who gave it and my Body I Commit to the Earth
to be Buried in a Christian Decent Burial at the Discretion of my Executor
hereafter Named Nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I Shall
receive the same again by the Mighty power of God. And as Touching
such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath Pleased God to Bless me in this Life
I give Demise and dispose of the same in the following Manner & form
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Imprimus My Will is and Thereby Order my Executor to pay all my just Debts & funeral Charges out of my Estate in some convenient Time after my Decease
Item My Will is and I do hereby Reserve one Quarter of an Acre of my Land for a Burying Place where my Burying Place Now is for all my Family and my Childrens Families to Bury their Dead forever hereafter
Item I Give and bequeath to my beloved Daughter Freelove Saunders One Spanish Milled Dollar to be paid to her by my Executor within One Year after my Decease in addition to what I have already given her
Item I give and bequeath unto my beloved Daughter Isabel Ross (Wife to Isaac Ross) my best Bed and Furniture thereunto Belonging to be Delivered unto her by my Executor for her use forever
Item I give and Bequeath to my Beloved Daughter Patience Bennet (Wife of Job Bennet of Newport) One Spanish Milled Dollar to be paid to her by my Executor within One year after my Decease in addition to what I have already given her
Item I give and bequeath to my beloved Daughter Mary Lewis (Wife of Joseph Lewis) one Spanish Milled Dollar to be paid to her by my Executor within one year after my Decease Also I give and bequeath to my Aforesd Daughter Mary four of my Setting Chairs to be Delivered to her by my Executor for her use forever
Item I Give and bequeath to my beloved Daughter Sarah Lewis (Wife of Wait Lewis) One Spanish Milled Dollar to be paid unto her by my Executor within One Year after my Decease in addition to what I have already given her
Item I give and bequeath to my Beloved Son Edward Bliven my Cane to his own Disposal forever
Item I give and bequeath to my beloved Son John Bliven One Spanish Milled Dollar to be paid to him by my Executor within One Year after my Decease in addition to what I have already given him
Item I give and bequeath to my Beloved Son Nathan Bliven Fifteen (?) Spanish Milled Dollars or the Value thereof to be paid to him by my Executor within One Year after my Decease also I give and bequeath to my aforesd Son Nathan Bliven all my wearing apparel Clothes to be Delivered to him by my Executor for his use forever
Item I give Demise and bequeath to my Grandson Edward Bliven (Son of my Aforesd Son Edward) all my Land Together with all my Buildings to him his heirs & Assigns forever
Item I give and bequeath to my Grandson Arnold Lewis (Son of Wait Lewis) upon Condition he lives and remains with me or my Executor untill [sic] he is Twenty one years old Ten Spanish Milled Dollars to be paid to him by my Executor within one year after my Decease And Furthermore it is my Will and I hereby Order my Executor succeding me to Allow the Aforesd Arnold Lewis Common Learning as Reading Writing & Arithmetic sufficient to do Common Business And also that he be put (?) to a Cordwainer and be properly applyed [sic] and Imployed [sic] in that Business to Learn the Trade And in Consideration of his Living & Remaining as Aforesd I give him a suit of Wearing Apparel Compleat [sic] of his common wearing apparel to be paid by my Executor within One Year After he is arrived to Twenty one years of age
Item I give and bequeath to my Aforesd Grandson Edward Bliven all the Remainder of my personally [sic] Estate of which Kind or Nature Soever to his Disposal forever
Lastly I make and Order my Aforesd Grandson Edward Bliven
my whole and sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament hereby Revoking
and disallowing all former Wills Legacies and bequeaths by me in anywise
(?) before Named __lled & bequeaths Ratifying &
Confirming this & No other to being last Will and Testament In
Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand &
seal the Day and year first before Written
Signed Sealed Published ____ and Declared
by the sd Edward Bliven as his last Will &
Testament in the presence of us who in his
Edward Bliven (Seal)
presence and in the presence of each other have
hereto subscribed our Names as Witnesses
Oliver Crary
James Palmer
Isaac Ross Bliven
The above subscriber Isaac Ross Bliven Personally appeared before the
Town Council of Westerly April the 24th AD 1775 and made Solemn Oath that
he saw the Testator Edward Bliven Deceased Sign Seal Publish & Declare
this Instrument to be his last Will & Testament and that the Testator
at the Time of Signing the form was in Perfect Mind and Memory and that he
Signed the same as a Witness with Oliver Crary Esq & James Palmer
the two other Witnesses in the presence of the Testator Before William
Pendleton President.
The other two Witnesses ____ in ___ part of the Country and by Comparing
of Hands and by the Evidence before Named it appears to the Council that
the sd Oliver Crary Esq was a Witness to this Will and therefore it is the
Opinion of this Council that this Will is proved to be the last Will &
Testament of the sd Edward Bliven Deceased and as such is Ordered
to be Recorded
Joseph Crandall Council Clerk
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 following 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 Christopher Babcock Joseph Crandal |
Edward Bliven (Seal)
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