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In The Name of God Amen the 27th Day of March in the 9th year of his Majesty's Reign, George the third King of Great Britain, etc. A. D. one thousand seven hundred and sixty nine I John Reynolds of Exeter in the County of Kings County in the colony of Rhode Island etc. yeoman being somewhat indisposed in body but of sound disposing mind and memory thanks be to God therefor and calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed unto men once to die do make and ordain this instrument in writing to be my last will and testament that is to say Principally and first of all I commend my soul into the hands of God who gave it and my body to the earth to be therein decently buried at the discretion of my executor hereafter named and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me with in this life I give and dispose of the same in the following manner and form
Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my son Benjamin Reynolds all the tract of land call the Robert farm whereon he now lives and being in Exeter aforesaid which farm is bounded easterly on land of my son Jonathan Reynolds, southerly on land of Joseph Arnold, westerly partly on land of Jeffry Champlin and partly on land hereafter given to my son John Reynolds northerly of land of George Reynolds containing one hundred and forty acres more or less
Item I give and bequeath unto my son Jonathan Reynolds his heirs and assigns forever all that part of my homestead farm lying to the south and southeast of a certain line running straight from a certain old white oak tree standing on the edge of the great pond to a certain black oak tree standing on a hill at the east end of said pond marked on the west side with the letters I x R and to extend east to the highway straight ten rods to the south of a white oak tree standing by the wall which tree is near opposite to Durfy's chimney Said tract of land is partly in Exeter and partly in North Kingstown bounded easterly on a highway southerly on land of Joseph Arnold westerly on land of my said son Jonathan and northerly on the aforesaid described line with all the appurtenances to him my said son Jonathan his heirs and assigns forever
Item I give and bequeath unto my son Joseph Reynolds all the remaining part of my homestead farm to be the same more or less lying partly in North Kingstown and partly in Exeter and is bounded northerly on the ten rod highway easterly on a highway southerly on the land belonging to my son Jonathan Reynolds at the aforesaid described line westerly on land of George Reynolds together with a dwelling house and all other buildings and appurtenances thereunto belonging which said tract of land I give so my said son Joseph Reynolds his heirs and assigns forever
Item I give and bequeath unto my son John Reynolds sixty acres of land lying and being in Exeter and is bounded southerly on the ten rod highway, westerly on a highway northerly so far as will make the aforesaid sixty acres easterly on a strip of land reserved sufficient for a cartway to get to and from land for the use of my other sons to whom I have hereafter conveyed the same Also I give to my said son John Reynolds one other lot of land lying in Exeter aforesaid containing about thirty acres more or less and is bounded northerly on the ten rod highway easterly and southerly and westerly on land of Jeffry Champlin with a dwelling house and all the other buildings the which two aforesaid lots I give to my son John Reynolds his heirs and assigns forever
Item I give and bequeath unto my two sons John Reynolds and Benjamin Reynolds one certain tract or parcel of land lying and being in West Greenwich in the County of Kent containing two hundred acres be the same more or less and is bounded easterly on Wood River southerly on land of Ephraim Hazard westerly on land of Thomas Rathbone northerly on land of Robert Hazard Jr with all houses and appurtenances to the said John Reynolds and Benjamin Reynolds their heirs and assigns forever to be equally divided between them
Item I give unto my two sons Jonathan Reynolds and Joseph Reynolds two lots of land lying and being in Exeter aforesaid First lot is bounded southerly on land which I have before given to my son John Reynolds westerly on a highway northerly on a highway easterly on land of Robert Reynolds partly and partly on land of John Spencer the driftway to come out to the Ten Rod highway The other tract lying and being in Exeter aforesaid and is bounded southerly on a highway westerly on the land of Thomas Rathbun northerly and easterly partly on land of Robert Reynolds and partly on land of Bently the two aforesaid lots of land to be the same more or less I give to my two sons Jonathan Reynolds and Joseph Reynolds their heirs and assigns forever
Item I give and bequeath unto my son Benjamin Reynolds my right to and property in the land called the Susquehanna Purchase to him his heirs and assigns forever
Item I give to my daughter Elizabeth Sherman the sum of eight hundred pounds old tenor to be paid her by my executor within two years after my decease
Item I give unto my son-in-law John Condon [Congdon] eight hundred pounds old tenor to be paid to him by my executor within two years after my decease
Item I give and bequeath unto my son Jonathan Reynolds my negro boy named Caesar
Item I give to my son Benjamin Reynolds my negro girl named Countess
Item I give to my son John Reynolds my negro man named Pero
Item I order and give, after all my just debts and legacies be fully paid that all my moveable and personal estate be equally divided between my two sons John and Benjamin Reynolds I also order that my negro woman Countess have her liberty to live with either of my four sons and to have her bed that she now lies on and that if she lives to become charitable that she be well maintained equally between my four sons And lastly I do hereby nominate and appoint my son Benjamin Reynolds my executor to this my last Will and Testament hereby making void all other wills and bequeaths by me heretofore made ratifying this and no other to be my last Will and Testament
In Witness Whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written
Signed Sealed Published pronounced and
John Reynolds (his mark)
delivered to be the last Will and Testament
of the said John Reynolds
In presence of
William Waite
George Reynolds
Thomas Joslin