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William Bradford Will

MD II,4,228:

Editors Note:  We have included Bradford's inventory, although quite long, because it tells us something of this man who nutured his colony for so many years.

(GEB)Governor William Bradford's will and inventory are recorded in the Plymouth Colony Wills and Inventories, Volume II, Part I, pages 53 to 59, both inclusive.

The last Will and Testament Nunckupative of Mr Willam Bradford senir: Deceased May the Ninth 1657 and exhibited to the court held att Plymouth June 3d 1657


Mr Willam Bradford senir: being weake in body but in prfect memory haveing Defered the forming of his Will in hopes of haveing the healp of Mr Thomas Prence therin; feeling himselfe very weake and drawing on to the conclusion of his mortall life spake as followeth; I could have Desired abler then myselfe in the Desposing of that I have; how my estate is none knowes better then youerselfe, said hee to Lieftenant Southworth; I have Desposed to John and Willam already theire proportions of land which they are possessed of;

My Will is that what I stand Ingaged to prforme to my Children and others may bee made good out of my estate that my Name Suffer not;

My further Will is that my Deare & loveing wife Allice Bradford shalbee the sole Exequitrix of my estate; and for her future maintainance my Will is that my Stocke in the Kennebecke Trad bee reserved for her Comfortable Subsistence as farr as it will extend and soe further in any such way as may bee Judged best for her;

I further request and appoint my welbeloved Christian ffrinds Mr Thomas Prence Captaine Thomas Willett and Lieftenant Thomas Southworth to bee the Suppervissors for the Desposing of my estate according to the prmises Confiding much in theire faithfulnes

I comend unto youer Wisdome and Descretions some smale bookes written by my owne hand to bee Improved as you shall see meet; In speciall I Comend to you a little booke with a blacke cover wherin there is a word to Plymouth a word to Boston and a word to New England with sundry usefull verses;

These pticulars were expressed by the said Willam Bradford Govr the 9th of May 1657 in the prsence of us Thomas Cushman Thomas Southworth Nathaniell Morton; whoe were Deposed before the court held att Plymouth the 3d of June 1657 to the truth of the abovesaid Will that it is the last Will and Testament of the abovesaid Mr Willam Bradford senir:


A Trew Inventory of the Estate of Mr Willam Bradford senir: lately Deceased taken and apprissed by us whose names are underwritte the 22cond of May 1657 and exhibited to the court holden att Plymouth the 3d of June 1657 on the oath of mis Allice Bradford

beding and other thinges in ye old parler   .£ s d
Impr: one feather bed and bolster   03 00 00
It a featherbed a featherbolster a featherpillow   03 00 00
It a Canvas bed with feathers and a bolster and 2 pillowes   01 05 00
It one green rugg   01 00 00
It a paire of whit blanketts   01 00 00
It one whit blankett   00 12 00
It 2 paire of old blanketts   01 00 00
It 2 old Coverlidds   01 00 00
It 1 old white rugg and an old ridd Coverlidd   01 00 00
It 1 paire of old curtaines Darnickes & an old paire of I say curtaines 25 00
It a Court Cubbard   01 05 00
It a winescot bedsteed and a settle   01 10 00
It 4 lether Chaires   01 12 00
It 1 great lether Chaire   00 10 00
It 2 great wooden Chaires   00 08 00
It a Table & forme and 2 stooles   01 05 00
It a winscott Chist & Cubburd   01 05 00
It a Case with six knives   00 05 00
It 3 matchcock musketts   02 02 00
It a Snaphance Muskett   01 00 00
It a birding peece and an other smale peece   00 18 00
It a pistoll and Cutlas   00 12 00
It a Card and a platt   02 05 02
in the great rome
It 2 great Carved Chaires   01 04 00
It a smale carved Chaire   00 06 00
It a Table end forme   01 02 00
It 3 striped Carpetts   01 05 00
It 10 Cushens   01 01 00
It 3 old Cushens   00 02 00
It a Causlett and one headpeece   01 10 00
It 1 fouling peece without a locke 3 old barrells of guns  one paire of old bandeleers and a rest } 00 16 00
Linnin
It 2 paire of holland sheets   02 00 00
It 1 Dowlis sheet   00 10 00
It 2 paire of Cotten and linnin Sheets   01 15 00
It 2 paire of hemp and Cotten sheets   01 15 00
It 2 paire of Canvas sheets   01 10 00
It 2 paire of old sheets   00 15 00
It 4 fine shirts   02 00 00
It 4 other shirts   01 00 00
It a Douzen of Cotten and linnin napkins   00 12 00
It a Douzen of Canvas Napkins   00 06 00
It a Diaper Tablecloth and a Douzen of Diaper Napkins   02 10 00
It 10 Diaper napkins of an other sort a Diaper tablecloth   03 02 02
and a Diaper Cubburd cloth }
It 2 holland Tableclothes   01 00 00
It 2 short Tableclothes   00 10 00
It 2 old Tableclothes   00 05 00
It a Douzen of old Napkins   00 08 00
It halfe a Dousen of Napkins   00 08 00
It 3 old Napkins   00 02 00
It a Douzen of Course napkins & a course tablecloth   00 06 00
It 2 fine holland Cubburd clothes   00 12 00
It 3 paire of holland pillowbeers   00 18 00
It 3 paire of Dowlis pillowbeers and an old one   00 14 00
It 4 holland Towells and a lockorum one   00 05 00
Pewter
It 14 pewter Dishes weying 47 pound att 15d pr pound   02 08 09
It 6 pewter plates & 13 pewter platters weying thirty 2 l   02 00 00
pounds att 15d pr pound)
It 2 pewter plates 5 sawsers 4 basons & 5 Dishes weymg eighteen pounds att 15d pr pound     01  02 26
It 2 ppeplates of pewter   00 03 04
It 3 Chamberpotts   00 03 06
It 7 porrengers
It 2 quart potts & a pint pott   00 07 00
It 2 old fflagons an a yore   00 00 9 00
It a pewter Candlesticke a salt and a little pewter bottle   00 03 00
It 4 venice glasses and seaven earthen Dishes   00 0 00
In the kitchen brasse
It 2 ffrench kittles   01 10 00
It 1 brasse kittle   00 15 00
It 2 little ffrench kittles   00 06 00
It an old warming pan   02 05 02
It 2 old brasse kittles   00 02 00
It a Duch pan   00 04 00
It 3 brasse skilletts   00 04 00
It 3 brasse Candlestickes and a brasse morter and pestle   00 07 00
It an old brasse skimmer and a ladle   00 01 00
It a paire of andjrons   00 06 00
It an old brasse stewpan   00 06 00
It 2 old brasse kittles   02 05 02
It 2 Iron skilletts and a Iron kittle   00 15 00
A 2 old great Iron pottes   01 00 00
It 2 Iron potts lesser   00 07 00
It 2 paire of pothangers 2 paire of pothookes   00 08 00
It 2 paire of tonggs and an old fier shovell   00 03 04
It one paire of Andjrons and a gridjron   00 10 00
It a spitt and an old Iron Driping pan   00 05 00
It a paire of Iron Rackes and an Iron veele and another peec of old Iron to lay before a Driping pan   00 10 00
It 4 Dozen of Trenchers   00 02 06
It 2 Juggs and 3 smale bottles   00 02 00
In the New Chamber his clothes
It a stuffe suite with silver buttons & a Coate   04 00 00
It a Cloth Cloake faced with Taffety and kneed throw  with baies   03 10 00
It a sad coullered Cloth suite   02 00 00
It a Turkey Grogorum suite and cloake   02 00 00
It a paire of blacke briches and a rid wastcoat   00 15 00
It a lead coullered cloth suit with silver buttons   02 00 00
It a sad coullered short coate and an old serge suite   01 10 00
It a black cloth coate   00 15 00
It a broad cloth Coate   01 05 00
It a light Coullered stuffe Coate   00 06 00
It an old green goune   01 00 00
It a light Cullered Cloth Cloake   01 15 00
It an old violets Coullered Cloake   01 05 00
It a short coate of Cloath   00 10 00
It 2 old Dublett and a paire of briches a short coate and
    an old stuffe Dublit and wastcoate   01 00 00
It 2 paire of stockens   00 07 00
It 2 hates a blacke one and a coullered one   01 10 00
It 2 old hatts   00 16 00
It 1 great Chaire and 2 wrought stooles   01 00 00
It a Carved Chist   01 00 00
It a Table   00 15 00
the plate
It one great beer bowle   03 00 00
It an other beer bowle   02 00 00
It 2 wine Cupps   02 02 02
It a salt   03 00 00
It the trencher salt and a Drame cup   00 15 00
It 4 silver spoones   01 04 00
It 9 silver spoones   02 05 00
In the Studdie
It eight paire of shooes of the 1:s   02 00 00
It 6 paire of shoes of the 10s   01 04 00
It one paire of the eights   00 03 04
It 3 paire of the 72   00 00 9 00
It 2 paire of the sixes   00 02 08
It 1 paire of the 5s 1 paire of the 4s 1 paire of the 3s   00 06 00
It 4 yards and an halfe of linncy woolcye   00 03 06
It 3 remnants of English Cotten   00 16 03
It 3 yards and an halfe of bayes   00 07 00
It 27 yards of Course English moheer   02 02 06
It 4 yards and 3 quarters of purpetuanna   01 00 00
It 28 yards of rid penistone   03 03 00
It 5 yards of broad cloth   03 15 00
It 2 yards of broad cloth   01 10 00
It 1/2 yards and an halfe of olive cullered Carsye   00 05 00
It a yard and an halfe of whitish Carsey   00 07 00
It 4 yards of Gray carsye   01 04 00
It 5 yards and an halfe of rid Carsye   01 07 06
It 4 yards and a quarter of Carsy ollive coullered   01 10 00
It 7 yards of Carsye sad Cullered   02 06 08
It 10 yards of gray Carsye   02 10 00
It 6 yards and an halfe of rid plaine   01 19 00
It 9 yards and an halfe of rash   03 16 00
It 6 yards of holland   01 08 00
It a remnant of Cushening   00 05 00
It 7 smale moose skines   04 08 00
It in sash   152 09 06
It his Deske   00 05 00
It 2 Cases with some emty bottles   00 10 00
It 3 or 4 old cases   00 03 00
his bookes in folio
Mr Perkines workes   01 10 00
It 3 of Docter Willetts workes viz on genesis exodus & }   01 00 00
It the ffrench acaddamey   00 08 00
It the Guiciardin   00 10 00
It the history of the Church   00 08 00
It bodies Comons wealth   00 06 00
It B Babbingtons workes   00 08 00
It Peter Martire Comon places   00 05 00
It Cartwright on the remish Testament   00 10 00
It the history of the Netherlands   00 15 00
It Peter Martire on the Romans   00 05 00
It Mayers workes on the New Testament   01 00 00
It Cottens Concordance   00 08 00
Speeds generall Description of the world   01 10 00
Weames Christian Sinnagogue and the portrature of the Image of God in man 08 00
It Luther on the gallations   00 02 00
It the method of phiscicke   00 02 00
It Calvins harmony and Calvins Comentary on the actes   00 08 00
It Downhams 2cond pte of Christian Warfare   00 03 00
It Mr Cottens Answare to mr Willams   00 02 00
It Taylers libertie of Phrophecye   00 00 06
It Gouges Domesticall Dutyes   00 02 06
It Justification of Seperation or reasons Descused & ob-  
    servations Devine & morall the synode att Dort; the  Apollogye  00 06 00
It Mr Ainsworths workes the Counterpoison the triing out of the truth 02 02 00
It Mr Ainsworth on geniseis Exodus & livitticus   00 04 00
It Calvin on genises   00 02 06
It Dike on the Deceitfulness of mans hart   00 0} 26
It Gifford refuted   00 00 06
It Dod on the Comaundments & an other of his   00 03 00
It three and fifty smale bookes   01 06 06
It Calvine on the epistles in Duch with Divers other Duch bookes  00 15 00
It 2 bibles   01 00 00
It a paire of boots   00 05 00
It in lether   00 08 00
It 2 old Chists   00 10 00
It 6 old barrells a bucking tubb a brewing tubb & other old lumber   01 00 00
It a pcell of Cotten woole & a pcell of sheepes woole   02 10 00
It a pcell of feathers   00 12 00
It 3 ewe sheep   04 10 00
It 3 middleing sheep & a poor one   04 00 00
It a rame lambe and an halfe & half an ewe lamb   00 16 06
It the old mare   12 00 00
It a lame mare and an horse court   04 00 00
It a horse of two yeare old and advantate   07 00 00
It an other horse court of yeare and advantage   05 10 00
It 4 bullockes   00 00 00
It 7 Cowes   08 00 00
It a bull   04 00 00
It 2 young bulls of two year old   04 10 00
It a heifer of three yeare old not with Calfe   03 05 00
It 2 heifers of two years old   05 00 00
It 4 yearlings   06 00 00
It five Calves   03 00 00
It a sow and 2 hoggs   02 15 00
It 2 shoats   01 04 00
It five smale shoates   01 10 00
It the house and orchyard and some smale pcells of land about the towne of Plymouth 45 00 00
It 2 spining wheeles & a wether   00 06 00
Att the Westward in Debts upon the Duch  account Consisting in Divers pcells 53 00 00
Item Debts owing to the estate
It the Kennebeck Stocke Consisting in goods and Debts both English and Indians 256 00 00
More Debts owing in the bay
It in Doute the shoomakers hands   05 00 00
It in Mannsses Kemtons hands   05 00 00
It more belonging to the estate in Divers pticulars   57 00 00
Debts owing from the estate
It to Mr Davis and mr Sheffe   05 00 00
It to Samuell Sturtivant   02 03 00
It 2 the townes land   01 12 00
It John Jourdaine about   02 00 00
It To goodman Clarke about   03 10 00
It two goodman Nelson for killing of Cattle & for veale   01 08 06
It to Willam Palmer   12 04 00
It To the Church of Plymouth   05 10 00


Som pcells of land not mencioned above belonging to Mr Willam Bradford senir:
It one pcell att Eastham and another att Bridgwater
It a smale pcell about Sawtuckett and his purchase land att Coaksett with his right in the townes land at Punckatessett
By us Thomas Cushman John Dunham
It Sundry Implements forgotten belonging to the teame