Will of Captain James [Jeames] WHITE (1621-1666)

In the name of God Amen I, James WHITE of Barbados, Marchant [i.e. Merchant] , being infirme of Body but of sound and perfect memory and understanding, doe ordayne this my last will and Testament as followeth.

Impremis: [i.e. In the first place] I return my pirsions [persons] Soule to my God that sent it firmely beleiveing that by the merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour my Sinns are pardoned and that the mortall Body shalbe cloathed with Imortality and enjoy eternall Blisse in the highest Heauens, As to my fraile Body when my Soule is departed I devise it may be decently buried at the discretion of my Executore in trust hereafter named and, As to my worldly estate in Barbados or else where I bequeath as followeth:

Item: I do issue unto the parish of Horne Church in the County of Essex, and to the Parishes of S^t Johns and S^t Michalls in Bardados, to each of them, a peece of plate of tenn pounds Str. for vallue to the service of the Comunion Table, forever.

Item: I give to the said parish of Horne church, being the place of my Nativity, one thousand pounds Str. for the Erecting or buying of an Almeshouse that may cont[ain] six poore Men which cannot live otherwise, & to bee paid on euery ffith of November six pounds Str to each of them, & a new gowne

And the Ministers of that parish to have fforty shillings for a Sermon forever; the aforesaid moneys I doe Will shall be paid within twelve months after all my Just debts are paid and to bee disposed of in Purchase at the Discretion of my survine [surviving] executors, in trust with the advice of the next two Justices of that Parish of Horne church, or adjacent thereunto; But in any case my Estate amount not to Tenn thousand pounds str: my debts p^d, Then I give but ffive hundred pounds Str: to the use and behoofe aforesaid, and to be disposed of as is above mentioned.

Item: I give vnto Mr William LESBY and [blank space ] Johnson Ministers in Barbados, to each a Ring of Tenn pounds Str. in vallue; to Mr John BOWDEN, to M^r John LEANER, Mr Edward BOWDEN, Mr Rich: SEAWELL, Mr Christopher JASON, Mr Job BROWNE, to each them Rings of twenty shillings vallue.

Item: I give unto the Parish of S^t Michalls, in Barbados, one Tenth part of the neate [i.e.net] [value] or rents raised by my house & Land in the said towne & Parish; and in case my Executors, in trust, shall sell & dispose of all or any part thereof, then I Will & ordene [ordaine] that one tenth part of the produce or revenue shall bee to the use of the said Parish for the building, buying of a worke house, or the setting of Poore people at worke, at the discretion of any of executors in trust with the advice of the Justices in quarter sessions of that place; this is to bee after my debts are paid vzt. in twelve months after.

Item: I give unto Ann GOLLOP, Ralph & Katherin TRUTLE, to each of them ffifty pounds str.; & to William TRUTLE, one hundred pounds str. to be paid two yeares after my debts are paid, but in case my Estate be not valued at tenn thousand pounds str. at my decease, then I give but halfe the said sumes to bee paid at the tyme above mentioned.

Item: I give unto the children of my well beloved Brother William WHITE, late of London, in old England, vzt. John, William, Ann, Dorothy and the rest equally except Josiah & Jeames , seaven [seven] hundred pounds to purchase of their father the freehold of the ffarme of Ffethes, alias ffethes, in the County of Essex, by Chensford [note:- Chelmsford] , which ffarme soe purchased, I give unto his sonne, Josiah WHITE, student in Oxon, & to his heirs forever, which hee have of his owne, if not then of his relation, and I desire him to bestow it that there may never want one of the name to serve at the Alter, untill Christs second comeing in glory. I meane Seaven (Seven) hundred pounds str: amongst them; not each.

Item: I give unto my beloved wife, Katherine WHITE, one hundred pounds str. to buy her a Ringe in remembrance of mee, with my Jewells, Plate, household stuffe for ever, & the use of my dwelling house on my Plantation & the provision, stocke, untill her Marridge, Besides the Bond given her by ffeefees in trust, for which shee is to release all claimes ofTthirds or other interest in or to any part of my Estate, & not otherwise, this Legacy being in ful of her Dower.

Item: I give to the child she now goeth with ffive hundred pounds str. to be paid after my debts ar[e] secured by my Executors besides the Bond given & made to feefees in trust, for his portion, the which Bonds I leave bearing date with my Will in the hands of Col. Danyell SIRLE.

Item: I give to the Eldest child of Mr Edward BOWDEN, deputy secretary of Barbados & to Elizabeth MORE Late daughter of of Thomas MORE to each of them, one hundred pounds str. to be paid at each, of their day of Mariadge; my debts being paid, this to Elizabeth MORE Desire speedily.

Item: I give to my Brothers John & William WHITE & [their] wives, to each of them, Rings of Tenn pounds str. in Value, with Mourning.

Item: I give unto my Nephew, James WHITE, sonne of my Brother, William WHITE, of London, all my Estate reall & personal, hereby constitueing the said James, my sole heire & Executor of this my Last Will & Testament my debts and legacies being paid appointing and ordaining Coll. Henry HAWLY, Edward PY Esquires,James BEAKE Esq, William BATE Esquire my brother William WHITE & Mr Jearamiah EDGGINGTON marchant: [i.e. merchant] Executors in trust of this my Will, in behalfe of my said Nephew, James or any two of them, & the survivor desireing them to follow the advise of my Brother William to the best advantage of my Nephew, his sonne Giveing my said Executors his Guardian in trust or any two of them, full power to buy more Lands, stocks or other necessaries for my Plantation &c, or sell Lease, or to farme lett any or all my estate, reall or personall, as in their discretion may seeme most for the profit of my said Nephew & heire, desiring them to doe by him, as they desire others may doe for theirs, in the like case.

Item: I give vnto Mrs Elizabeth HONLEY (long since maried) daughter of George HONLEY March^t [Merchant] , in Gearoano Streete, London, three hundred pounds str: to bee paid three yeares after my debts are paid, & in case of her death, without issue, then to the meanest of relicts of the children of y^e said George HONLY, at the discretion of any of my Executors in trusts.

Item: I hereby revoke & declare void, the Will & Bonds left with John HARRY, to give Mr Job BROWNE, at my comeing to Barbados last, and all other Wills and papers tending thereto, Provided this and the Bonds come safe to hand; and to my Executors that come & appeare in trust for my Nephew, to each of them I give a Ring of tenn pounds; and if my Brother Willaim come not over, I give that Executor or any two, one that will take some particular charge thereof.

Item: To Coll Danyel SIRLE, I give a Ring of ffive pounds

Item:To Thomas GREY, James CRICKELOOKE, to each of them, Two Thousand of Musk: Sugar, v to John HARRIS & George FRIER three thousand pounds each of them in Testimony of this my Last Will & Testament I have sett my hand and affixed my seale this Tenth of September Anno One Thousand Six Hundred Xixty Six JAMES WHITE and a seale

Acknowledged by James WHITE to bee his Last Will and by him signed, sealed and delivred in these words with the additin under written

GEORGE FRYER, In the presence of us Test: John GOBLE, Ffran. PUNCHARD, Rich: GREGORY.

At a meeting of the Govenor, Richard BELLINGHAM, John Leuret Esq^r, Major Generale & Edward Rawson, Record^r in Boston twenty Eighth day of March one thousand six hundred and sixty seaven 1667. John Goble, aged fforty three yeares or thereabouts, Ffran: [Frances] Punchard, aged thirty eight yeares or thereabouts, Richard Gregorie, aged 24 years or thereabouts, & George Ffrier, seruant to y^e late Capt James WHITE, of Barbados, aged twenty three yeares or thereabouts on theire Corporall oathes deposed y^t on ye 15^th of this Instant March, being p^rsent with the said Late James WHITE, at his lodgings in Boston, on his request, & did heare the said James WHITE acknowledge and publish these two sheets of paper to be his Last Will & Testament the which hee had formerly according to the date therof so Signed & Sealed; and on the said ffifteenth instant, they did see the said James White put also on & take his Seale therefrom, saying, I deliver this as my Act deed to the uses therein expressed and thereupon they aubscribed their names as witnesses thereunto and that hee the said WHITE was of sound disposing mind to their best knowledge when he did soe declare and publish the same and further they say not. Taken upon oath by the severall persons above mentioned this twenty eight day of March 1667 with John GOBLE affixing the same with the rest of his oath said that hee sett his hand as a witness same day in March but before the ffifteenth. Taken upon oath as before Rich: BELLINGHAM Esquire Govenor / John LENERET Esq and Recxorder after the interlining thye words Richard GREGORY Aged twenty Ffower yeares or thereabouts, to attest Edw: RAWSON Recorder.

An addition to my Will --Whereas I am advised of a great fire in London,⁽⁵⁾ to my Brother William WHITE's great losse aswill [as well] as others, I having Envited him over, his wife and children, I will declare & give him my household stuffe, being in more want thereof than my wife, whose Bond I doe give her to make void her Dower & debarr her all thirds or clame or other Interest in any of the Estate, reall or p[er]sonall belonging unto mee, or anything to the contrary before exprest.

JEAMES WHITE

Boston October the 12th 1666.

Test: [Testimony of ] Richard Gregorie, Ffran: Punchard, George Ffryer

Richard Gregorie, Ffrancis Punchard, George Ffryer, doe further on their corporall oates depose that on the above mentioned with of instant they being at the lodging of the late Capt James WHITE did heare the said James WHITE to acknowledge the above written addition to his above mentioned Will and Testament to bee his act and deed soe formerly signed by him as above and further say not taken upon oath by the said person written this twenty eight day of March 1667 Before Richard BELLINGHAM Esquire Govenor, john LENEVET Esquire and the Recorded as attested Edw: RAWSON Recorder. That these two sheets of paper conteyne a true coppy of the original Will of the late Capt James WHITE together with the severall depositions for the probate thereof as they are recorded word by word in the Book of Record for Wills in the County of Suffolke in New England and there taken attested Edward RAWSON Recorder

Probate: [My Latin is not good enough to provide an exact transcription but it appears to state:-]

Proved was this Testament (Will) with Codicil at the Strand (London) in the County of Middlesex before Peter Lane magistrate and surrogate of the venerable Sir William Mericke Doctor of Laws at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on the eleventh day in the month of February in the year one thousand six hundred and sixty seven judgement granted administration to William WHITE executor etc -- others named were Edw: PYE; Jacobe BLAKE; William BATE; Jeremiah EDGINGTON -- named in the Testament ---