Notes:
A farmer; prominent and leading citizen; Deacon for many years; served on important civil committees; Deputy 1690; Captain 1712; served in Narragansett War; the town granted 6 acres for his services in the Indian Wars; burial in Congregational cemetery, Clinton, CT; it is possible that Bathsheba is buried in the vacant space next to his tombstone. His wife became his stepsister when his father married Mary's mother Sarah (Dimond) Bemis.His WILL
State Library, Hartford, Conn.In the name of God, Amen, I, John Griswold, of Killingworth, being in prefect health of body and of sound mind and memory, blessed be God for it, do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following, viz: Imprimis: I do commit my soul into the hands of God and my body a decent burial after this life at the descretion of my executor hereinafter named, in hopes of a joyful resurrection to life eternal thro Jesus Christ our Lord. For my worldly goods and possessions, I do devise, bequeath and dispose of them as followeth; my funeral expenses and just debts first paid. Imprimis: I give unto my dear and loving wife Bathshuah one third part of all my lands, tenements, buildings, mills, and hereditaments whatsoever, to be her and her assigns during the term of her natural life as her dower, and one third part of all my goods and chattels to be her own and at her own dispose forever. I do hereby give, grant and devise, unto my sons Samuel Griswold, Joseph Griswold, Benjamin Griswold, Daniel Griswold, and Walter Griswold, the other two thirds of my lands, tenements, buildings, mills, and hereditaments whatsoever, and reversion of one third part of lands, tenements, buildings, mills, and hereditaments whatsoever devised for life to my loving wife, to have and to hold to each an equal share to them and their heirs forever. Saving that my son Samuel Griswold shall have that two acres of land I have given him by deed of gift over and above and more than an equal share with each of his brethren, my sons, above mentioned, to him and his heirs forever. I give and bequeath to my two daughters Dorothy & Martha Griswold, to each of them, fifty pounds as money; to my daughter Bathshuah twenty and two pounds as money besides what she already has of me and to my daughter Lucy ten pounds as money besides what she already has of me. All these legacies to my daughters to be paid out of remaining two thirds of goods and chattels and credits and all of residue of my goods and chattels and credits what is above disposed of and bequeathed, my will is that it shall be equally divided to and among my seven daughters, Mary Avery, Margaret Chapman, Hannah Crane, Bathshuah Clark, Lucy Ball, Dorothy Griswold, and Martha Griswold, and if this legacy shall not amount to ten pounds as money to each of my said seven daughters so much as to make up the legacy ten pounds to each of my said seven daughters. I do appoint and constitute my loving wife Bathshuah Griswold, my son Samuel Griswold, and my son Joseph Griswold, executors of my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hands this sixth day of June, Ano Domini, one thousand seven hundred and thirteen.
Notes:
It seems unlikely that Moses and Hannah had more than just the two children; references to additional children have not been found.
Notes:
It seems unlikely that Moses and Hannah had more than just the two children; references to additional children have not been found.
Notes:
James, son of William Draper, was the immigrant ancestor. He was born in Heptonstall in 1622 and came to New England about the time he came of age. From 1640 to 1650 he was a pioneer and proprietor of the town of Roxbury, MA. In 1654 he became proprietor of Lancaster, MA but remained in Roxbury and died there in July 1697, aged seventy-five years. His grave and that of his wife are in the old Roxbury churchyard where their gravestone is among the oldest to be found there. He was admitted a freeman in 1690. From his exceeding strict piety he was known in his day as "James the Puritan", and thus is still known to genealogists and historians. He was the owner of several looms, and followed his trade of clothier in this country.
Torrey writes: According to Roxbury town records, James Draper died July 13, 1697. This date is probably correct as it is also to be found in the Roxbury Vital Records (Deaths) page 513. That he did not die in 1694 is evident from the fact that he deeded land to his son, James Draper, Jr. , March 13, 1697. According to a deed made Oct 3, 1667, James was then 'of Dedham' but the birth of his daughter Patience, August 17, 1668, was entered in Roxbury records. It appears, then, that he moved to Roxbury in 1667 or 1668.
Notes:
The two constants in Miriam's vital statistics are her birth date and the date of her marriage; all researches seem to be in agreement on these. Her death date is, however, a matter of some dispute. 13 July 1697 is given by family records found by researchers Ila May Draper and Max LaVell Draper, and used by genealogist James Scott in a genealogy compiled for Judy Graff England dated 24 January 1985. In Scott's work he reportedly used all the following sources:
- Drapers in America by Thomas W. Draper (1892)
- Roxbury, MA, Vital Records
- Charlestown, MA, Records
- Dedham, MA, Vital Records
- Boston, MA, Church Records.
Yet, an examination of sources reveals the following death dates:
- Jan 1700/01 is to be found in "Drapers in America by Thomas W. Draper (also see below)
- Jan 1691/92 is to be found in the Roxbury Vital Records published by The Essex Institute, Salem, 1926.
- Jan 1697 is given by William Richard Cutter in "Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., NY, 1910.
Her gravestone reportedly reads: "Here Lyes ye body of Mrs Marriam Draper wife to Mr James Draper Aged about 77 years Dec.[deceased] Jan. 1697". From this, one might assume that Jan 1697 is surely the correct date but if the gravestone is to believed then she must have been born in 1620 to have been 77 at death. This is a date that no one seems to believe. What is more, we find in the work "The English Ancestry of James Draper" published in The American Genealogist, Vol XV, p 241 the following: "His sons James and Jonathan were appointed administrators of his estate, Aug. 19, 1697, his widow Miriam having declined administration; she could not have "declined" something in August if she were dead in January! Jonathan Draper, the surviving administrator, rendered his account June 9, 1718. One item is 'Paid a debt of keeping my Mother 3 years & 6 months L50'. Undoubtedly, this debt was for keeping his mother after her husband's death. As he died July 13, 1697, if she survived him at least three years and six months, it is evident that she did not die in January 1697, but survived at least until January 1700/01." It is rare thing that we must question even a gravestone.A middle name "Giddon" was supplied 17 Sept. 1995 by Ruth Lugton, 520 E 3000 S,P.O. Box 429, Heber City, UT 84032.
Notes:
It is believed that John had more than one wife, possibly three.
Notes:
WILL OF WILLIAM READE, SON OF ROGER.
In the name of God, Amen. The iijrd day of July in the yeare of our Lord 1603. I, William Rede of Wickford, in the county of Essex, yeoman, (beinge in perfect mynd and memory lawde and prayse therefore moste heartily I give unto God) doe ordayne, make and constitute this my presedt testament, contayning therein my last will in manner and forme followinge, that is to say, fyrst and principally, I give and bequeathe my soule to Allmighty God, my Maker, Redeemer and Saviour, Jesus Christe, by whose death and passion I trust to be saved, and by no other meanes, and my body to be buryed in the church of Wickford, whensoever the same shall fortune to departe this life.
Item--I give and bequeathe to the poore of Wickford three pounds, to be payed yearely xxs; the first xxs to be payd presently after my death.
Item--I give to the poore of Rayley xxs.
Item--I give to the poore of Rawreth xxs.
Item--I give to the poore of Nevington xxs.
Item--I give to the poore of Runnwell xxs.
Item--I give and bequeathe to my cozen, Roger Reade, the some of eight poundes, to be payd unto him by forth shillings a yeare.
Item--I give to every one of my household servants xs a piece.
Item--I give and bequeathe to Mary, my well beloved wife, one hundred poundes of good lawfull money of England, to be payd unto her within half a yeare after my decease, upon this condicion hereafter mentioned, that is to say that she, the sayd Mary, shall accept and take twenty poundes a yeare of my son, Edmund Reade, his heyres or assignes, for her dowrye or third, which she is to have out of my landes. And if that the sayd Mary, my wife, do refuse to yeeld up and release all her right, title and interest of dowrye or third of all my sayd lands, (my
sayd sonne beinge bounde to pay her quarterly, that is to say v? every quarter so long as she shall live), then my will and meanings is that Mary, my wife, shall not have any part of this legacy of one hundred poundes to her given by my will before bequeathed.
Item--I give and bequeath to the sayd Mary, my wife, all such household stuffs and plate as she had when and at such tyme as we were marryed except suche household as she hath given since to her children, or is otherwise worne, altered or decayed, which my will and meaninge is that my executor hereafter mentioned shall not be charged withall.
Item--I give and bequeath to the said Mary, my loving wife, six kyne, to be delivered by my executour out of my stock here in Wickford within one moneth after my decease.
Item--I give and bequeath to my sayd wife my baye trotting geldinge.
Item--My mind and will is that my sayd wife shall have her dwellinge and entertaynement in all honest and comely manner for herself and her mayde in my nowe dwellinge house, for the terme of one whole yeare next after my decease, if she will so long there continue and abyde.
Item--I give and bequeath to my sonne, John Reade, three hundred pounds of lawfull English money, to be payd within one yeare after my decease.
Item--I give and bequeath to my brother, Edmund Churche, the some of vj? xiijs iiijd, to be payd unto him within one quarter of a year after my decease.
Item--I give and bequeath to my sonne, Edmund Rede, and to the heyres of his body lawfully begotten, all my landes and tenements whatsoever, and for want of such heyres my will and meaninge is that all the said landes and tenements shall descend and come to my sonne, John Rede, before mentioned, and to his heyres forever.
Item--I give and bequeath to my sayd sonne, Edmund, my lease of Fryearne(*) and the lease which I bought of my brother Edmund Churche.
The residue of all my goods and chattells whatsoever unbequeathed, my funerall charges discharged, and this my present testament and last will performed and fulfilled, I give and bequeath to my sayd sonne, Edmund, whome I doe institute, ordayne and make my sole executour of this my present testament and last will, and I doe appoynt my cozen, Edmund Thorneton, and my cozen, Richard Dowe, to be myne overseers, and I doe give to either of them xxs apiece to make them a ringe in recompence of there paynes and token of my good will.
In wittness whereof unto this my present testament and last will, I have sett my hand and seale the daye and yeare above wrytten.
The mark x of the sayd William Reade, the testator, and his seale.
Sealed and subscribed, ratified, acknowledged and delivered by the sayd William Reade, the testator, for his last will and testament in the presence of us,
WILLIAM HARRIES and
THOMAS MEREDYTHE.
Notes:
Martha Reade had two children by Daniel Eppes; Elizabeth (abt. 1622) & Daniel (abt 1625), and she had five children by Samuel Symonds; Martha (aft. 1637), Ruth, Samuel, Mary and Priscilla.