[From Randall Holmes's Heraldic Collections for Cheshire, Harleian MS., No. 2119 British Museum.]

John Brindley of Brindley=Beatrix, da. and heir to John (or Jenkin) Bressey,

of Wistaston.

Thomas Brindley of Brindley=Alice, dau. and heir to David, son of Patrick de Crew.

William de Brindley-Margery, coh. to Tho. Bulkley,

of Wolstanwood.

John Brindley.

Hugh Brindley.

Thomas de Brindley-Katherine, dau. to Piers Venables, of Kinderton.
21 H. 6.

William de Brindley (21 H. 6.)

John Brindley of Brindley.

Thomas Brindley of Wolstanwood, near Wich Malbank (1 R. 3).

(Whence the main line of Brindley of Brindley descended.)

[Abstracts of deeds in evidence.] William, son of Thomas de Brindley, gives to Rich Reffs, parson of Bastomley, all his lands, tenements, &c., in the Hundred of Wich Malbank. Dated at Wolstanwood on the Feast of Epiphany-21 H. 6.

A lease of a messuage in Rottenrow in Wich Malbank, by Thomas Brindley of Wolstanwood, near Wich Malbank, to Hugh Boston of the Wich, gentleman, dated 6 February, 1 R. 3.

A lease of Crofts in Copenhall and Wolstanwood, and a messuage and two crofts in Wighterson, near Nantwich, made by Thomas Brindeley of Wolstanwood aforesaid, to Hugh Boston, gent. aforesaid, of same date. Mr. Garside to pay me for this pedigree for Mr. Sam. Smyth of Sutton Coldfield, 1637. Ff. 40, 67 A. and 68.

PETER SILVESTER of London, merchant, now inhabitant in the parish of Saint James, Dukes Place, in London, 26 January, 1657, proved 11 February, 1657. Whereas my dear mother, Mary Silvester, of London, widow, did oblige herself by promise to give unto me the sum of one thousand pounds of lawful money of England, for which said sum of one thousand pounds, &c., my said mother, at my request, hath this day become bound by obligation of the penalty of two thousand pounds unto Thomas Middleton of Stratford Bow, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, conditioned for the payment of the said one thousand pounds within six years after the date of the said bond unto me or to Mary my now wife, &c. &c. I do give and bequeath the said sum to wife Mary. To only daughter Mary six hundred pounds at the age of one and twenty years or day of marriage. If she die in the mean time, then two hundred pounds of it to my dear and loving wife, one hundred pounds to my brother Nathaniel Silvester, one hundred pounds to brother Joshua Silvester, one hundred and fifty pounds to brother Giles Silvester, and fifty pounds to my sister Cartwright. The said sum of six hundred pounds to be sent to my loving brother Constant Silvester, now resident in the Barbados, he to become bound for the payment, as above. To each and every of my own brothers and brothers-in-law forty shillings apiece to make each of them a ring to wear in remembrance of me. To my uncle Jeofrie Silvester the sum of twentyfive pounds. To my cousin Joseph Gascoigne fifteen pounds. To my Aunt Gascoigne five pounds, and to her daughter Anne Gascoigne five pounds. To loving friend Richard Duke, scrivener, forty shillings to make him a ring. To the poor of the 'parish of St. James, Duke's Place, five ⚫ pounds. Thomas Middleton, Esq., to be sole executor, and loving uncle Nathaniel Arnold overseer, and I give him fifty pounds.

The witnesses to the above were Edw: Warren, Hum: Richardson and Richard Duke, scr. Wootton, 95.

GILES SILVESTER, of London, merchant, 2 March, 1670, proved 26 May, 1671. To such child or children as my wife now goeth with, the sum of three hundred pounds at his, her or their age of one and twenty years, if sons, and at age of twenty-one, or on day of marriage, which shall first happen, if daughters. To my nephew, Constant Silvester, the four pictures that were my late fathers. The residue of the estate to loving wife, Anne Silvester, who is appointed executrix. I entreat and appoint. my dear and loving brother, Constant Silvester Esquire, and my good friend Redmaine Burrell to be overseers. To each of them forty shillings, for rings.

Grant of administration on the estate of the above was made to Constant Silvester, natural and lawful brother of the deceased, the widow Anne Silvester having renounced the executorship.

Duke, 68.

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 Dominæ Gratiæ Pickering, uxori Domini Henrici Pickering, Baronetti, filiæ naturali et legitimæ 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."
Constant Silvester was buried the 4th day of September a: d: 1671."

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.

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: "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." I do not 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 decease of wife. All the plate and wearing clothes to son Nathaniel. My Greek Testament, of Robert Stephens print, to my brother John Ward. My best gloves to my son Robert Bolton. A Greek Testament to son 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. Coventry, 47.

[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