Estate of Nathaniel Merril of Newbury
Essex Probate Docket # None

 

Witnes by these psents that I Nathaniell Merrill of Newbury in the Countie of Essex being sicke of body but through gods mercy of perfect memory I do here make my last will and testament,
I first bequeath my soule into the hands of my blessed Redeemer with an assured hope of a joyfull resurection, and my body when it shall please the lord to take me out of this fraile life to bee buryed in the burying place of Newbury, and for my worldly goods I giue and dispose of as followeth Impr I giue and bequeath vnto susanna my wife fiue akers of plowable land lying next to my brother Johns land and halfe the marsh dureing her naturall life and a cow and three heifers and all my household goods, And out of this estat so giuen to my wife I giue and bequeath vnto my daughter Susanna fiue pounds when she shalbe at the age of twenty yeares then I giue and bequeath vnto my Son Nathaniell (whom I appoint as my true and lawfull heire) all my land and freehold after my wiues decease, and all the working tooles & Implements of husbandry and all the cattell and stocke besids And out of this stocke
I appoint that my Son Nathaniell shall pay theise legacyes as followeth, that is I giue vnto my son John when he shallbee of the age of two and twenty yeers the summe of fiue pounds,
And also I giue and bequeath vnto my Son Abraham at the age of two and twenty years fiue pounds,
And I giue and bequeath vnto my sonne Daniell also at the age of one and twenty years fiue pound and
I giue and bequeath to my son Abell fiue pounds also at the age of one and twenty years,
And I appoint my Sone Nathaniell to be my sole executor and all my debts & funerall rites being discharged I appoint him to haue all the rest of my goods & chattels vndisposed and
I desire my brother John merill and Anthony somerby to be the ouerseers of this my las t will & testament In witness whereof I haue st my hand march the eight in the yeare one thousand six hundred fifty foure but if gods puidence should by losses & crosses |vpon ye estate| more than ordinary: then proportionobly to be abated in the legacyes

his mark Nathaniell n n merrill

Witness:
Richard Knight
Anthony Somerby
John merrell
Proved Mar 27, 1655 by John Merrill and Anthony Somerby

Inventory of the estate of Nathaniell Merrill of Newbury, who deceased Mar 16, 1654-5, taken Mar 23, 1654-5, by Daniell (his D mark) Thurston, Richard Knight and Archelaus Woodman:
Ten akers of upland and thre akers of marsh with the previledge of a grehold or commage, £20; one cow and a calfe, £4; 15 s; three heifers of three yeare old & 2 claves £12; 10s; two steers of two yeare old & two heifers £11; three yearelings, £4, one old cart & wheeles and sled and an old barow, £1; 2 spades, a mattock, a betle, 4 wedges, a crosscut & a handsaw & 4 axes and 4 hooes, £2; 3 old tubs, a fanne, an Iron staple & ring & 2 prongs & shovell, 10s; his weareing apparell, £2; ten bushells of malt & barly, 5 bushells of wheate & nine bushels of rye & about 35 bushells of Indian corne, £10; 16s; two muskets and 2 swords with match & powder, £2; cats & pease, 10s; sixe small swyne, £3; 2 flock beds & bolsters & 2 paire of sheets, old, £4; 2 old ketles, 2 skillets & a smal braspot & Iron pot, £1 10s; an old warming pan, fire shovell, grid Iron, tongs, & other small Iron things & a spitt, 12s; 4 small pewter dishes & a skimmer, dishes & spoones, 12s; a truckle bedsted, 2 buckets and a pr of cottrells, 10s; a small cart rope & halfe bushell & a pecke, 5s; a small cubberd & 2chests, 16s; one drinke vessell, 2 wheels, one powdring tub, ten milk trayes & 3 cheesfats, £2; total £84; 6s; his debts for Rent due to Mr Cutting, £5; in small debts, £2.

Source: Essex County Quarterly Court Files 3:10
Submitted by: Mariana Bean Ruggles