Samuel Packard Will
Samuel Packard the immigrant, early of
Weymouth and Hingham came on the ship Diligence and ultimately settled in
Bridgewater. He and his wife, Elizabeth ______ had numerous children. For
Packard descendants, of course, his will should be of interest, but it is also interesting
to note that she late in life married John Washburne, son of John and Margery Washburn and
the husband of Elizabeth Mitchell, Mayflower Descendant. He died within a few years of the
marriage, being then about 65. Note the interesting comment as it relates to a
bequest for dau. Jael, current wife of John Smith, in which he seems to, but perhaps not
necessarily, expresses some distaste for Smith.
[4:2:96] (MD 15:4:253+)
On 29 October, 1684, "Samuell Packer
senir of Bridgwater .... yeoman" made his will.
Bequests were as follows:
"unto my loveing wiff Elizabeth all that my farm in the
said Towne of Bridgwater which I now Dwell upon Containing" 36 acres "with all
the houses Lands and Meddowes belonging to the said farme, During the tearm of her
Naturall Life;" also "all my Share of Meddow Lying att a place in Bridgwater
Called Bulls hole" for life; "end alsoe all my goods and Cattles" for life;
also £40 in money for life.
"unto Samuell Packer my eldest son" 64 acres of land
in Bridgewater "which his Dwelling house Now stands upon .... buting upon West meadow
brook on the east side of the said brooke and Runing east & west"; also 25 acres
of land in Bridgewater "which is not yett Layed out"; also "one Lott of
Meddow" in Bridgewater "in the West meadow on the south east syde of .... the
west meadow Brooke"; also "one Lott of Meddow" in Bridgewater "in the
Great Meddow on the North east side of the pond Joyning to the pond"
"unto my son Zacheus Packer .... the house wherin hee my
said son Zacheus Packer Dwelleth in with the Land therunto belonging which is" 24
acres lying in Bridgewater; also "my Lott of Meddow" in Bridgewater "in the
west meddow on the Norwest syde of the brooke"; also "a Lott of" 50 acres
in Bridgewater "by the Bay. Path bounded on the south side by Marke Laythorpes
Land"; also "one Lott of Meddow" in Bridgewater "in the Great meadow
on the southeast side of the River"
"unto my son John Packer" 70 acres in Bridgewater
"on the Eastward side of the River; alsoe .... one lott of Meddow in "Meddow
Called Poor Meddow Lying in the said Bridgwater, alsoe .... all my lott of Land att
Teticut;"
"unto my son Nathaniel Packer .... two third prtes of my
aforsaid farm lying in Bridgwater which I Now Dwell upon Containing" 36 acres of land
more or less "That is to say of
all the houses Lands and Meddowes belonging to the said farme, to enter upon it emediately
after the Decease of my said wife;"
"The other third prte of my said farme that I Dwell Now upon in the said Towne of
Bridgwater; That is to say one third prte of the houses Land and meddowes belonging to the
said farme I give & bequeath unto my Grand Child Israell Agur
and to his heires .... hee or they to enter upon it Imediately after the Decease of my
said wife;"
"unto my said son Nathaniell: Packer .... the one halfe of my lott of" 50 acres
in Bridgewater lying "Next to Joseph Bassetts lott Neare to the Pond; alsoe I Give
.... unto my said Grand Child Israell Augur and to his heires .... the other halfe of the
said Lott of fifty acrees of land; to be equally Devided between the said Nathaniel Packer
My son and the said Israell Augur; they and both of them to enter upon it Imediately after
my Decease;"
"unto my said son Nathaniel Packer and To his heires and assignes for ever the one
halfe of my Share of meadow in Bridgwater lying there att a place Called Bulls hole; hee
or they to enter upon it after the Decease of my said wife; alsoe I give and bequeath unto
my Grand [p. 97] Child Issraell Augur and to his heires and assignes for ever, the other
halfe of my said Share of meadow lying att Said bulls hole, hee or they, to enter upon itt
after the Decease of my said wife ;"
"I Give and bequeath unto the said Elizabeth Packer my wife and
to her heires and assignes for ever all my Lott Containing twenty Acrees of land lying and
being in Bridgwater; between the Land of mr James Keith on the one side and the Land of
Joseph haward on the other side, buting upon the pond Called Satuckett pond;"
"unto my fouer sones (viz) Samuell Packer Zacheus Packer John Packer and
Nathaniell Packer; and to my Grandchild Issrael . Augur .... all my Right
& title of Comons and Comonage which I Now have in the Townshipp of Bridgwater to be
equally Devided betwixt them them five excepting som prticular prsells of land already
Given by will and are not yett Layed out
and alsoe my will is that my five Daughters Mary Phillips the wife of Richard
Phillips and hannah Randall The wife of Tho: Randall Jaell Smith the wife of John Smith
and Daborah Washburn the wife of Samuell Washburn and Deliverance Washburn The wife of
Thomas Washburn with my Grand Child Deliverance Augur shall have equally
Devided amongst them six all what mony or Chattles shalbe left after the Decease of my
said wife Elizabeth Packer;
alsoe my will is That as Concerning my Daghter Jaell Smith the wife of John
Smith that the prte of the Mony and Chattles above Named that shalbe Due to my said
Daughter Jaell after the Decease of my said wife Elizabeth Packer shall not be Delivered
to the said John Smith; but shalbe Desposed of to my said Daughter Jaell for her Comfort
by the executors of my said
Will; alsoe my will is that my Grand Child Deliverance Augur shall have a
heifer; when shee my said Grandchild is of age; and alsoe I Give unto my Grandchild
Deliverance Augur one bed; with such furniture to it as is now in the house; I Doe mean a
feather bed after the Decease of My said wife, Elizabeth Packer"
"my said son Nathaniel: Packer shall pay unto my Executors heerafter mencioned"
£10 in money "when hee .... shall Come to Injoy his prte of the farme that I have
before mencioned and Given him in this My will"
"to my two Grandchildren Samuell Packer, and Daniell Packer the
son of my son Samuell Packer ten shillings apeece in Mony; ,
"to my Grandchild Issraell Packer; the son of my son Zacheus Packer: ten
shillings in Mony"
"to my Grandchild Caleb Phillipes the son of Caleb Phillipes ten
shillings in Mony"
"To my Daughter Deliverance the the wife of Thomas Washburn
ten acres of land" in Bridgewater, "which said ten acrees is agreed on by the
Towne; to lay it Conveniently to the Lott not yett layed out"
"my beloved wife Elizabeth Packer and my son Samuell Packer; to be Joynt
executors"
"I Desire that mr James Keith and William Brett should be overseers to this my last
will"
The will was signed by a mark and witnessed
by John Field, John Ames, Jr., and Shadrack Wilbore. John Field and John Ames, Jr.,
testified on 3 March, 1684/5, and at the same time" Declared upon the oath they had
taken as abovewritten that the said Samuell Packer senir Declared att the time hee signed
and sealed this Will .... that hee Intented Thomas Washburne to be a Joynt executor of his
Last will & Testament with the other two that in the said Will are Mensioned; and
accordingly are alowed of by the Court"
"An Inventory of the estate of Samuall Packer of the Towne of Bridgwater Deceased the
seaventh of November 1684 "No real estate is mentioned and the total is £133, 6s.,
6d. "A true and faire apprisall .... taken by us the eleventh of Novem: 1684 as
witnesseth our hands Marke Laythorpe John ffeild" "Samuell Packer Junior made
oath to this Inventory before the Court held att Plymouth" on 5 March, 1684/5.
He had an estate probated on 29 Nov 1684 in Plymouth Colony, MA.
The will was signed by a mark and witnessed
by John Field, John Ames, Jr., and Shadrack Wilbore. John Field and John Ames, Jr.,
testified on 3 March, 1684/5, and at the same time" Declared upon the oath they had
taken as abovewritten that the said Samuell Packer senir Declared att the time hee signed
and sealed this Will .... that hee Intented Thomas Washburne to be a Joynt executor of his
Last will & Testament with the other two that in the said Will are Mensioned; and
accordingly are alowed of by the Court"
