CONSTANT SILVESTER made his will 7 April, 1671, proved 7 October, 1671, by Grace Silvester, relict and executrix. All my lands, plantations, houses and tenements in the island of Barbados, &c., to wife Grace and to Henry Walrond, Sen' Esq., brother of the said Grace, Col. Richard Hawkins, Samuel Farmer, Esq., and Mr. Francis Raynes (being all of the said island of Barbados) for one thousand years from the day of my decease, in trust, &c.; wife Grace to enjoy one moiety during her natural life, and my eldest son, Constant, to enjoy two thirds of the other moiety during his mother's life, and my second son, Humphrey Silvester, to have and hold the remaining third of said other moiety during his mother's life. After her death Constant to have two thirds of the whole, and Humphrey the remaining third. If there should be more sons, the eldest son (in that case) to have a double share, and each other son a single share. If wife Grace should marry again, then she to have one third, instead of one half, of the above described property. To daughters Grace and Mary two thousand pounds sterling each at day of marriage, or at age of twenty-one years, and, over and above that, the sum of one hundred pounds sterling each, to buy them a jewel at the age of sixteen years. Item, I give and bequeath to my brother Nathaniel Silvester, his heirs and assigns forever, one sixth part of all the lands which I and my said brother hold in partnership in Shelter Island, upon the coast of New England; so that, whereas he had a third part of the said lands before, now he shall have a moiety. And the remaining moiety of the said lands I give and bequeath to my two sons before named, equally, and to the heirs of their bodies lawfully begotten, forever; and, for want of such issue, to my brother Joshua Silvester and the heirs of his body, forever; and, for want of such issue, to my brother Nathaniel, his heirs and assigns, forever. To brother Joshua Silvester eight hundred pounds sterling. To my sister Mary Cartwright a mortgage on the estate made over to me by her deceased husband, Isaac Cartwright, during her natural life, and after her decease to my nephew, Constant Cartwright, he paying out of the same to each of his sisters, Mary and Anne, two hundred pounds sterling at their day of marriage or arrival at age of twenty-one years, whichever shall first happen. To my nephew Richard Kett, six hundred pounds sterling, and sixty pounds sterling per annum so long as he shall remain upon my Plantation after my decease, to keep the accompts thereof and taking care no injury or prejudice be done to the estate by any without giving notice thereof to my trustees beforenamed. Wife Grace to be executrix so long as she remain unmarried, then the other trustees, &c. To each of these fifty pounds sterling apiece to buy them what they shall think fit to remember me by after my decease. The witnesses were Henry Walrond, Grace Walrond, Peter Blackler, Anne Guillett, Dorothy Marshall, Samuel Ainseworth, jun' and Will. Swepson. 17 June 1702 emanavit commissio Domina Gratia Pickering, uxori Domini Henrici Pickering, Baronetti, filiæ naturali et légitimæ dicti Constantii Silvester defuncti, etc. etc. Duke, 124. In the Chancel Aisle of the church in Brampton (co. Huntington), is a stone with this inscription: "Here lieth the body of Constant Silvester Esqre who departed this life the 2nd September, 1671." The church Register contains the following: "Mr Humphrey Silvester, son of Mr Constant 3 Silvester & Mr Grace his wife, was buried April y sixteenth 1673." "M' Add. MS. 24493, Fol. 341, Brit. Mus. (Joseph Hunter's Colls.). The following is an abstract of the last will and testament of NATHANIEL SYLVESTER of Shelter Island, proved 2 October, 1680. He calls himself the right, true and lawful owner and proprietor of one moiety or half part, in fee simple, of all that Island whereon he was then dwelling, formerly called Manhansack-Ahaqua-Shuwamock, now Shelter Island, &c. &c. also of one moiety or half part, in possession and reversion, of one other Island, formerly called Robert's Island. He gives and bequeaths to his endeared wife Grizzell Sylvester, Francis Brinley, James Lloyd, Isaac Arnold, Lewis Morris and Daniel Gould, all the above described property, and also the other moiety or half part of Shelter Island which is claimed in partnership by my brother Constant Sylvester and Thomas Middleton, or any part or parts thereof which may happen to fall due unto me from the said Constant Sylvester and Thomas Middleton by reason of the great disbursements made by me for the said moiety, &c., in their behalf since the year 1652 until this present year, and likewise by reason of the great sums of money which my brother Constant doth in particular stand indebted unto me, as per accounts doth appear, and furthermore by reason of the confiscation of the said moiety, &c. &c., by the Dutch men of war at their taking of New York with their fleet of nineteen men of war, they also taking and surprising the said moiety, &c. &c., as by the chief commanders of the said Dutch men of war their instrument of confiscation and Bill of Sale given unto me for the same, as doth at large appear, the said commanders also sending one of their men of war to Shelter Island where the Captain landed with about fifty soldiers, taking possession of the said moiety, &c., and to strike the greater dread in my family they beset my house, the better to obtain the money which they forced from me and myself constrained to pay to prevent their suing of said moiety, &c. &c. The above described property is to be held in trust for certain purposes. Reference is made to his wife's jointure, as by a deed left in hands of brother William Coddington of Rhode Island may at large appear. My children to be brought up in the fear of God, and to have such education bestowed upon them as may be conveniently gotten in these parts of the world, and as shall seem meet to my endeared wife, their mother, &c. My brother Joshua to be conveniently maintained both with diet, lodging, clothing and necessaries, decent and becoming him, as hitherto he hath enjoyed, that he may in no manner of way want, and in no wise put off from the Island, unless he shall think good to live elsewhere, &c. To son Giles (certain property); to son Nathaniel; to son Peter; to daughter Patience at age of twenty-one or marriage; to daughter Elizabeth at twenty-one or marriage; to daughter Mary at twenty-one or marriage; to daughter Ann at twenty-one or marriage; to daughter Mercy at twenty-one or marriage. To sons Constant and Benjamin at twenty-one. Son Nathaniel (a minor) to have certain bricks lying at Thomas Moore Senior's farm and at the Oyster Pond. Son Peter (also a minor) to have part of the said bricks. Property at Southold spoken of. The executors of the above will to be wife Grizzell Sylvester, brother-inlaw Francis Brinley, son-in-law James Lloyd, cousin Isaac Arnold, Lewis Morris and Daniel Gould. The witnesses were John Colling, Ann Colling (by mark), Peter Aldritch and Jaques Guillott. These made deposition 2 October, 1680, under authority given by the Governor 2 September, 1680. 19 Additional MS. 24493, Fol. 344, British Museum (Joseph Hunter's Collections). [On the 9 of June, 1651, Thomas Middleton, Thomas Rouse, Constant Sylvester and Nathaniel Sylvester, purchased Shelter Island, on the east end of Long Island, for sixteen hundred pounds of good merchantable Muscovado sugar, from Stephen Goodycare, of New Haven, who had purchased it May 18, 1641, from the agent of the Earl of Sterling. Full particulars of the transactions of Nathaniel Sylvester in relation to Shelter Island will be found in Thompson's Long Island, vol. i. pp. 364-9. Nathaniel Sylvester died in March, 1680, according to Thompson, who gives an account of his descendants. Savage, in his Genealogical Dictionary (iv. 99), says: I do not "There is no slight reason to believe this Nathaniel to be the son of the celebrated poet Joshua Sylvester, translator of the divine rhapsodies of Du Bartas.' know what reason Mr. Savage, who was a cautious genealogist, had for thinking 80. It is possible that he was a son, or more likely a grandson.-ED.] " SAMUEL WARD, the elder, of Ipswich, clerk, 19 October, 1639, proved 24 April, 1640, by Nathaniel and Joseph Ward, sons of the deceased and executors of his will; to whom he left all his books, all his loadstones, shells, papers, pictures and maps. Item-I will and bequeath all that money which doth belong to me upon the house where I now dwell, situate in Ipswich aforesaid (which money was given by many gentlemen and townsmen my friends), to be equally divided between them and their heirs forever; also all my lands and houses in Brickelsea, both free and copy, equally, &c. &c., on condition that every year during the natural life of Deborah, my loving wife, and Samuel Ward, my eldest son, they pay to the said Deborah and Samuel twenty pounds a year apiece,-to either of them at four times or terms in the year,-upon the feast-day of the Nativity of our Lord God, upon the feast day of the Annunciation of our Blessed Lady St. Mary the Virgin, upon the feast day of St. John the Baptist, and upon the feast day of St. Michael the Archangel, by even and equal portions, &c, at the now dwelling house of Mr. Robert Knapp in Ipswich; or, in lieu of said twenty pounds a year to son Samuel, to keep and maintain him in a comely and decent manner for and during his natural life, at the election and choice of the said Nathaniel and Joseph. To my mother forty shillings yearly, to be paid her at her now dwelling house in Weathersfield, quarterly. My watch to my daughter Deborah, and my fair English Bible, printed anno domini 1633, to my said daughter Deborah, only my wife to have the use of said bible during her life. Sundry chattels to daughter Abigail, after My decease of wife. All the plate and wearing clothes to son Nathaniel. Greek Testament, of Robert Stephens print, to my brother John Ward. A Greek Testament to son My best gloves to my son Robert Bolton. John Bolton. To Margaret my maid, twenty shillings. To John Boggas, my servant, ten shillings. To the poor of the parish of St. Mary Tower and of St. Mary Key in Ipswich, either of them twenty shillings apiece. To Mr. Robert Knapp, my ancient friend, a pair of gloves of five shillings price, or a book of the same value. The witnesses to the signature were Thomasin Willis and Daniel Ray. [The Rev. Samuel Ward, B.D., the maker of the above will, was the town preacher at Ipswich, and a celebrated Puritan author. He was the eldest son of the Rev. John Ward of Haverhill, in Suffolk, and brother of the Rev. Nathaniel Ward, author of the Massachusetts Body of Liberties, or code of laws adopted in 1641. Samuel Ward married, January 2, 1604-5, Deborah Bolton, widow, of Isleham, Cambridgeshire. It seems from this will that she had two sons, Robert and John Bolton, by her first husband. For further details of his life, see a brief me moir of Rev. Samuel Ward, appended to the editor's memoir of the Rev. Nathaniel Ward (Albany, 1868). An abstract of his will, furnished by the late Col. Chester, will be found on pages 154-5 of that work.-ED.] MARGARET SIMONDS, late widow of John Simonds, late of Kunckles Alley in London, deceased, her nuncupative will, August, 1665; To daughter Margaret Burton, who is now beyond the seas. Proved 6 March, 1667, by Margaret Burton. Hene 36. TIMOTHY SNAPE, London, yeoman, one of the sons of Edmond Snape, late of the parish of St. Saviors, in Southwark, co. Surrey, clerk, deceased, being bound forth on a voyage to Virginia in the parts beyond the seas, executed his will 10 September, 1624, proved 9 July, 1629. He names brothers and sisters, Samuel, Nathaniel and John Snape, Hannah, now wife of John Barker, citizen and haberdasher of London, and Sarah Snape, spinster. Ridley, 67. SAMUEL IVE, of Portsmouth, 13 July, 1667, proved 17 August, 1667, by John Ive, brother and executor. To sister Sarah Putland, of Strood, wife of Elias Putland, four score pounds. To brother John Ive. To Mary Alderidge or any other of our kindred. To my brother Thomas Ive twenty pounds. To Mary Alderidge, my sister's daughter, twelve pence. To Robert Reynolds, carver, all my working tools and the time of my servant John Rauly which he has yet to serve, only six months of the time I do give to the said John Rauly. To Mris Reynolds what goods I have in the house, except my desk and trunk of linen and wearing clothes, which I do give to my brother Thomas Ive if he live to come home; or, else, to my brother John Ive, to whom all the residue. Carr, 107. [Much about the Ive family will be found in Emmerton and Waters's Gleanings from English Records, pp. 60-1.-ED.] WILLIAM QUICKE, citizen and grocer of London, 26 October, 1614, proved 21 January, 1614. He mentions daughter Apphia, wife Elizabeth, daughter Elizabeth, daughter Debora, brother Nicholas Quicke and his children, the rest of brothers' and sisters' children, kinswoman Mary Marshall the younger, brother-in-law Thomas Hodges, merchant taylor, &c. "I give and bequeath to and amongest my three daughters aforesaid, all my pte of all such landes, tenements and hereditaments as shall from time to time be recovered, planted and inhabited eyther in Virginia or in the somer Ilandes heretofore called the Bermoodas togither wth all such mynes and mineralls of gold, silver and other mettalls or treasure, perles, precious stones or any kinde of wares and merchandices, comodities or profitts whatsoever which shalbe obtayned or gotten in or by the said voyages and plantations accordinge to the adventure and portion of money that I have employed to that use." Rudd, 1. [John Smith, in his "Generall Historie," Ed. 1626, page 126, gives the name of William Quicke in the List of the Adventurers for Virginia.-R. A. BROCK, of Richmond, Va.] NATHANIEL WARDE, of Old Winsor, co. Berks, Doctor in Divinity, 3 December, nineteenth of K. Charles, proved 11 February, 1667. He mentions wife Susanna and marriage contract, a bond of one thousand pounds unto Mr Thomas Hanchett and M' Solomon Smith, in trust for said wife. Son Nathaniel to be executor. The witnesses were Robert Aldridge, Elizabeth Reynolds and (the mark of) Edward Stokes. Hene, 26. SMALEHOPE BIGG, of Cranbrooke in the County of Kent, clothier, 3 May, 1638, proved 3 October, 1638, by John Bigg. Brother John Bigg, of Maidstone, to be executor. To the poor of Cranbrooke ten pounds. To my Aunt Mary Bridger of West Peckham and her two sons, Robert and Thomas Betts; to my kinswomen, the wife of William Hunt of Brenchley, Anue Bottinge of Brenchley, widow, and the wife of John Saxby of Leeds; to Judith, wife of Thomas Tadnall, late of Dover; to Godfrey Martin of Old Romney and his sisters; to the children of Robert Pell of New Romney, jurat, deceased. To my kinsfolk Thomas Bate, of Lydd, James Bate, Clement Bate, the wife of William Batchelor, John Compton, Edward White and Martha his wife, all which are now resident in New England, twenty shillings each. I give ten pounds to be distributed to them or to others in New England by my mother and my brother John Stow. To Peter Master of Cranbrook who married my sister. To my mother Rachell Bigg one hundred pounds. Lands &c. at Rye in County Sussex to my wife Ellin. To my sisters Patience Foster and Elizabeth Stow in New England. To IIopestill Foster, son of my sister three hundred pounds. To Thomas and John Stow, sons of my sister Stow two hundred pounds each. To Elizabeth Stow and the other three children (under age) of my said sister Stow. Lands in Horsmonden to my brother John Bigg. Lands at Wittersham, Lidd and Cranbrook to Samuel Bigg, my brother's son, at the age of twenty-three years. My friends John Nowell of Rye, gentleman, James Holden and Thomas Bigg the elder, of Cranbrook, clothiers, to be overseers. To my cousin Hunt's children and John Saxbey's children; to the two sons of my Aunt Betts; to my cousin Bottenn's children; to my cousin Pell's children, viz., Joan Pell, Elizabeth Pell, Richard Pell and Thomas Baytope's wife. After a hearing of the case between John Bigg, brother and executor of the one part, and Hellen alias Ellen Bigg (the relict), Patience Bigg alias Foster, wife of Richard Foster, and Elizabeth Bigg alias Stow, wife of Richard (sic) Stow, testator's sisters, of the other part, sentence was pronounced to confirm the will 4 April, 1639 (the widow having previously died, as shown by date of probate of her own will which follows). Consistory Court, Canterbury, Vol. 51, Leaf 115. ELLEN BIGGE, of Cranbrooke, widow of Smalehope Bigge, of Cranbrook, clothier, 24 November, proved 12 February, 1638. To be buried in Cranbrooke Cemetery, near my husband. To Samuel Bigge, son of my brother John Bigge, of Maidstone. Lands and tenements at Rye in the County of Sussex to my only sister Mary, wife of Edward Benbrigg, jurat, of Rye, for her life, remainder to her son John Benbridge; to Anne Benbridge, alias Burrish, and Elizabeth and Mary Benbrig, daughters of my aforesaid sister Mary. To John Benbrigg, clerk, Thomas Benbrigg and Samuel Benbrigg, sons of my deceased sister Elizabeth; also her daughters Anne Benbrigge, alias Puttland, and Elizabeth Benbrigg (the last named under age). My said sister Mary Benbrigg and her son John Benbrigg to be executors. To Peter Master, son of my brother Peter Master, of Cranbrooke; to my sister-in-law Katherine Master. To William Dallett (son of my dec'd sister Bridgett) and his son (under age). To William Edwards, son of my sister Mercy. To Thomas Pilcher, Elizabeth Pilcher alias Beinson, Judith Pilcher alias Burges, and Anne Pilcher, son and daughters of my uncle John Pilcher of Rye, deceased. To Mary, wife of Robert Cushman and their son Thomas (under age). James Holden of |