In the name of God Amen. The fourteenth day of December in the year of our Lord God 1696, I Joseph Souther of Boston in New England, Cooper, being very sick and weak of Body, but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be given to God therefore, falling in mind the mortality of my body and knowing it is appointed for man once I die, Do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament, that is to say principally and first of all I Give and Recomend my soul into the hands of God that gave it and for my body I commend it to earth to be buried in decent manner at the discretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at the general Resurection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God. And as touching such worldly effects it hath pleased God to bestow on me in this life, I give Devise and Dispose of the same in the following manner and form. . .
Imprimis I give and bequeath to Elizabeth my dearly beloved Wife the improvement of my whole estate both reall and personall for and during her naturall life, with all the rent and profits arising there from. . . Jhorn My Will is that after the decease of Elizabeth my P Wife, My house and Land and what moveables may be left, shall be Apprised and an Equall Diffusion made amongst my Children that is to say into seavon Equall parts and whereas my son Joseph is Dead, his two Children, Joseph and Christopher shall have their fathers part equally between them, My sons John, Daniel & Samuel and My Daughters, Elizabeth, Diannah & Sarah shall all have alike even part of My Estate, and my Will is that my son John Souther shall have my house and Land and shall have three years time to pay his Brothers and sisters there part, that so he be not Constrained to resell house and Land for payment, thereof, and inform any of my P children should Die before paid, and have no child as heir such part or parts shall be equally Divided amongst the survivors my Children, and I do hereby Constitue make and ordain My Dearly beloved Wife Elizabeth and My loving son John Souther the sole Executors of this my Last Will and Testament And I do hereby utterly disallow, revoke and disanul all and every other formar Testament wills and Legacies Requost and Exeuctors by me in any ways before this time named, Willed and beqhoathed Rattifying and confirming this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament In Witness I have hereunto put my hand and Seal this day and year first above Written:
the mark of Joseph Souther
Signed, Sealed, Publish'd, Pronounced and declared
by the said Joseph Souther as his Last Will
and Testament In the presence of us subscribers.
William Clough / Elizabeth Souther Executrix pre-
John Clough / sented this Will for Probat, and
John Cole / William Clough, John Clough, and John
**********
/ Cole made Oath that they saw Joseph
/ Souther signature seal, and heard him
Publish and declare the same to be his last Will & Testament and that when he so did, he was of sound disposing mind & memory to the best of their discerning and that they let to their hand as witnesses thereof in the Testator's Presence.
Boston; Nov.r 27.1721. Samuel Sewall J. Probate
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