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

I, James WHITE of Barbados, M^rchant, Infirme of body but of sound and perfect memory, ordain this my last will and testament. As to my worldly estate in Barbados or elsewhere I bequeath as followeth:

Vnto y^e parish of Horne church in y^e County of Essex, and to y^e parishes of S^t Johns and S^t Michalls in Bardados, to each of them, a piece of plate of tenn pounds for value to ye seruice Comunion table, for ever.

To y^e said parish of Horne church, being y^e place of my Natiuity, one thousand pounds, for y^e Erecting or buying of an Almes house y^t [i.e. that] Cont: sixe poore men which Cannot [    ] otherwise, & to be p^d on euery 5th of Nouember sixe pound str: to each of them, & a new gound; [i.e.gown]

And y^e ministers of y^t parish to haue forty shillings for A sermon for euer; y^e aforesaid monys I doe Will shall be paid within twelve months after all my Just debts are p^d & to [be] disposed of in purchase of y^e Discretion of my suruiueing executors, in trust with y^e aduice of the next two Justices in y^t parish of Horne church, or Adjacent theirto; but in any case my Es[tate] amount not to tenn thousand pounds str: my debts p^d, then I giue but fiue hundred pounds str: to y^e Vse & behalfe aforesaid, & to be disposed of as aboue mentioned.

I giue vnto Mr William LEISLY & [    ] Johns [    ] ministers in Barbados, to each a Ring of ten pounds sterlin in Value;

To Mr John BOWDEN, M^r Rich: SEAWELL, Mr Chr. JASON, Mr Job BROWNE, to each them Rings of 20^s value.

I giue vnto y^e parish of S^t Michalls, in Barbados, one tenth part of y^e neate [i.e.net] Value or rent Raised by my houses & Land in y^e said towne & parish; & in case my Executors, in trust, shall sell & dispose of all or any p't thereof, then I Will & ordaine y^t one tenth p^t [i.e. part] of the produce or p'veneiw [revenue] shall bee to y^e Vse of y^e said parish for y^e building, buying of a worke house, or ye setting of poore people at worke, at y^e discretion of any of executors in trust with y^e advice of y^e Justices in q'tr sessions of y^t place; this is to be after my debts are p^d vzt. in 12 months after.

I giue Vnto Ann GOLLOP, Ralph & Catherin TRUTLE, to each of them £50 str.; & to William TRUTLE, £100 str. to be p^d two yeares after my debts are p^d; but in case my estate be not valued at £10,000 str. at my decease, then I giue but halfe y^e sumes to be p^d as aboue mentioned.

I giue vnto y^e children of my well beloued Brother Will^m WHITE, Late of London, in old England, vzt. John, Will^m, Ann, Dorothy & y^e rest, Equaly, Except Josiah & Jeames , £700 to purchase of their father y^e free holde of y^e farme of Fethes, alias fethes, in y^e County of Essex, by Chensford [note:- Chelmsford] , y^e which farme so purchased, I giue vnto his sonn, Josiah WHITE, student in Oxon, & to his heirs for euer, which if he haue of his owne, if not, then of his Relation, I desire him to bestow it y^t their may neuer want one of y^e name to serue at y^e Alter, Vntill Christs second comeing in glory. I meane £700 str: amongst them; not each.

JEAMES WHITE

I giue vnto my wife, Katherine WHITE, £100 str. to buy her a Ring in Remembrance of mee, with my Jewells, plate, household stuffe for euer, & ye vse of my dwelling house on my plantⁿ & y^e prouision, stock, vntill her mariadge, Besides y^e bond giuen her by feafeas in trust, for which she is to release all claime of thirds or other interest in or to any part of my estate, & not other wise, this Legacy being in ful of her Dower.

I giue to ye child she now goeth with [    ] pounds starling to be p^d after my debts or [    ] my Executors besides y^e bond giuen & made to feafees in trust, for his portion, y^e which bonds I leaue be[aring] date w^th this my Will in y^e hands of Col. Daniell SIRLE.

I giue vnto y^e Eldest child of Mr Edward BOWDEN, deputy secretary of Barbados & to Elizabeth MORE Late daughter of of Thomas MORE to each of them, £100 str. to be paid at each, of their day of Mariadge; my debts being p^d, this Elizabeth MORE Desire speedily. To my Broⁿ . John & Will^m WHITE & [their] wiues, to each of them, Rings of £10 str. in Value, w^th mourneing.

Vnto my Nephew, Jeames WHITE, my Brother, Will^m WHITE, of London, all my [estate] Reall & p'sonal, hereby constitueing y^e said James, my sole heire & execut^r of this my Last Will & Testament.

Appointing Coll. Henry HAWLY, Edw: PY Esq, Jeames BEAKE, Esq: Willm BATE my brother Will^m WHITE & Jearamiah EGINGS march'ts: [i.e. merchants] Execut^rs in trust of this my Will, in behalfe of my said Nephew, James or any two of them, & y^e suruiuer [surviver] desireing them to follow the aduise of my said Bro: Will^m his Guardian to y^e be[st] aduantage of my Nephew, his son Giueing my sa[id] Execut^rs in trust or any two of them, full power to buy more Lands, stock or other necessaryes for my plantⁿ &c, or sell Lease, or to farme. Let any [or] all my estate, reall or p^rsonall, as in their discretion may seeme most for y^e profit of my said Nephew & heire, desiring them to doe by him, As they desire others may doe for theirs, in y^e like case.

I giue vnto Mrs Elizabeth HAWLEY (Long since maried) dau. of George HAWLEY march^s, in Gracious Streate, London, £300 str: to bee p^d three yeares after my debts are p^d, & in case of her death, without Ishue, then to y^e meanest of relicts of y^e Children of y^e said George HAWLY, at ye discretion of my Execut^rs in trust.

I hereby revoke & declare voyde, y^e Will & Bonds Left with John HARRIS, to giue Mr Job BROWNE, at my Comeing from Barbados Last, & all other Wills or papers tending thiereto, p^rvided this & y^e bonds come safe to hand; & to my Executors y^t come & appeare in trust for my Nephew, to each of them I giue a Ring of tenn pounds; & if my Brother Will^m, Come not ouer, I giue y^t Execut^r, or any two, one, y^t will take sume p'ticular charge thereof.

To Coll Daniel SIRLE, I giue a Ring of fiue pounds; to Thomas GREY, Jeames CLUTERBROOKE, to each of them, two thousand of musCo: sugar, vzt, to John HARRIS & George FRYAR three thousand pounds each of them

10th September 1666 JEAMES WHITE

Indorst.

Acknowledged by James WHITE to bee his Last Will & by him signed, sealed and deliured in these words In y^e presentes of vs with y^e Adition vnder written GEORGE FRYER

Te^s John GOBLE, Fre. PUNCHARD, Richard GREGORIE.

Boston in New England. att a meeting of ye Goueno^r, Richard Bellingham Esq^r, John Leuret Esq^r, Major Generall & Edward Rawson, Record^r in Boston 28th of March 1667

John Goble, aged forty three yeares or thereabouts, Frances Punchard, aged thirty eight yeares or thereabouts, Richard Gregorie, aged twenty foure years or thereabouts, & George Fryer, 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 present wi^th y^e s^d Late Jeames WHITE, at his lodgings in Boston, on his request, & did heare the s^d Jeames WHITE acknowledge and publish these two sheets of paper to be his Last Will & Testament y^e w^ch he had formerly according to y^e date therof so signed & sealed; & on y^e s^d fifteenth Instant, they did see y^e said James White put also on & take his seale therefrom, saying, I deliuer this as my act [&c. The words -- "Richard Gregorie, aged twenty four years" was interlined; and John Goble affirmed. "y^t he set his hand, as a Wittnesse, some day in March, but before the fifteenth"]

An addition to my Will --Whereas I am advised of a great fire in London,⁽⁵⁾ to my Brother Will^m WHITE great [loss] as well as others, I hauing invited him ouer, his wife and children, I will declare & giue him my household stuffe, being in more want thereof than my wife, whose bond I doe giue her to make void her Dower & debare her all therds [i.e. thirds] clames [i.e. claims] or other Interest in any of y^e Estate, reall or p^rsonall belonging vnto me, or anything to y^e contrary before exprest.

JEAMES WHITE

Boston October 12th 1666.

Test: [Testimony of ] Richard Gregorie, Fra Punchard, George FRYER, who deposed to the above, March 28th 1666.

Boston 1666 - Instructions to my Executors, in trust, nominated in my Last Will, bearing date w^th these p^rsents, being the 10th Oct. 1666.

As to my wife, Ka: [i.e.Katherine] WHITE ⁽⁶⁾ I haue wrote her Letter, which I desire you, H HAWLEY, or some other, to p^rvse [i.e. preserve] & be verry priuate in it; then seale and deliuer it at your owne time, I doubt not but I shall recouer y^e £4,000 of Mr BANTLY, £2,000 may be secured to her & her child, either by mortgage or to let it ly in a Judgement to y^e payment of her child £150 p^r ann^m, or if M.B. not willing to keep it, Let it be deuided, & she take her £1,000 to her new husband, but Let it not goe w^thout securing a Joynture Vpon her; if she be Kind to y^e Child, let her haue £40 p^r ann^m out of y^e interest of his £1,000, for I would haue y^t £1,000 be let out to M.B. at 4 p^r C^t Vntill y^e Child be 17, & if A boy that he be fitted for a march^t [i.e. merchant] & bound out, y^e hee w^ch hath y^e mony shall advance £200 to binde him out, and keep y^e mony fiue yeares gratis; this is but by way of aduise, I leave it to y^e care & Discretion, as in all things else. As to those two great debts I owe, you will find p'tiall Instructions herew^th, & another Copy in y^e hands of Mr BROWNE or John HARRIS. If my wife is not Contented w^th her Legacy. vtz my bond which I giue her in full of her therds, Dower, & all other claime to my Estate, reall & p'sonal then w^thhold y^e present yearely allowance mentioned in my Will, for she deserves no kindness from mee.

Yo^r seruant JEAMES WHITE

Boston Oct 10th 1666

Test: [Testimony} John Goble, Geo. Fryer, Fra. Punchard, Richard Gregorie, who deposed March 28th 1666 Edward Rawson Records

Captain James WHITE's Estate:

Boston the 30th 1m: 1667

Inuentory of the Estate of the late Capt. James WHITE, deceased, as it was shewen vnto vs , the subscribers, by George Fryer, his domestic seruant. Signed by rich. Cooke, Josh: Scottow, Amt. £178.12.5. Debts the deceased oweth, to Joshua Scottow, Mr Alwater, Mr Lynes, Edward Lilly, Deacon Trusdall, Mr Ruddock, Mr Lidget, Leisft. Cooke, Arthur Mason, Ben: Gillam, John Lake, Mr Bendall, Goodman Felch; to George Fryer for his Sallery, in p^t whereof he hath £6.11.6d paid in 69 gall. of Rum & a bill. Colondl Searles hath tooke the negro boy ( The negro boy valued at £25) as in p^t of the funerall Expence" Amt of debts £184.11

George FRYER deposed April 1, 1667

Abbreviations used in this text stand for:-ann^m [annum]: Bro^rs [brothers]: Coll. [Colonel] Cont: [contains]: C^t [cent]: p^d [paid]: p^r [per]: p^t [part]: s^d [said]: S^t [Saint]: str: [sterling]: w^ch [which]: w^th [with]: y^e [the]: y^t [that]: The letters "U" and "V" in old English were interchangeable

Note:- Another abridged ref to his Will is published in "Barbados Records Wills and Administrations Volume 1 1639-1680. Compiled and edited by Joanne MaCree Sanders - This refers to "William Loveby & Johnson, ministers in Barbados. 'Ministers' in the context used means Clergyman, (Vicar, or Rector)

Note:- The full version of the above Will is held at the National Archives (PRO 11/326 Will of James White, Merchant of Barbados) and was proved by William WHITE at the Strand in London, in the County of Middlesex on 11 February 1668. It includes the account of the Meeting held on 28th of March 1667 but does not contain the instructions to his executors or the inventory.

His fathers Will was published many years ago and the following brief summary is taken from the book 'John White The Patriarch of Dorchester [Dorset] and Founder of Massachuesetts' by Frances Rose-Troup published by GP Putnam's Sons in 1930.

Will of Josias WHITE Clerk of Hornchurch Essex [PCC11/141] 5th Feb 1622. To son Josias, at 21 messuage and farm called Fetches or Thetches containing 35a. in Roxwell. To sons John & William, at 21, crofts etc of 26a. called Cookes, adjoining Thethes, and Cookes land mead, ½ a., all in Roxwell and 100^li each. To son James 150^li. Wife Anne to have benefit of land during sons minority and to be executrix. Overseers brothers John and Steven White. Wits: - Ad Harsenett, John Morse, isaack reynolds. Proved 3rd March 1622, by Relict

21st April 1665 Will of Anne Drake, Widow of City of London. sometime wife of Josias White of Horn Church Essex Clerk and late relict of Francis Drake of Walton Surrey Esq. In pursuance of Will of son Josias gives to son William WHITE of London Grocer "whome I thincke & have found most serviceable to me " messuage, etc called Fetches or Theches in Roxwell in parish of Writtle Essex and also cookes land mead, said William to pay 20^li each to my sons John White of London Merchant and James White of the Isle of Barbadoes merchant. Wit:- mathew Martine, Eliz.Martine, Eliz. Watty. Proved 8th May 1665 by son William White.