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In the name of God, Amen, the third day of September, 1718, I Abraham Gael of Watertown, in the County of Middlesex, within his Majesties Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England yeo; Being very sick and weak in body, But of perfect mind & memory, thanks be given unto God: Therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my body, and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to Dye, Do make and ordain this my last will & Testament, that is to say, principally, and first of all, I give & recommend my soul unto the hand of God that gave it; and my body I recomend to the earth to be Decently buried in Christian burial at the Discretion of my executor; Nothing doubting but at the genl. Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God. and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath ?pleased? God to Bless me in this life, I give and Bequeath the same in the following manner and form.
Item: I give and bequeath to Sarah my well beloved wife all my Personal estate with in doors for her comfort & support during the time she remains my widow, and further my will is that my wife shall have a comfortable Room in my mansion house and to be Constantly Provided with sufficient fior wood laid at the door fit for the fior, and also to have ten pounds annually pd. her in corn & meat and other Provisions by my two youngest sons namly John & Joshua Gael. But in case my wife shall be cause to marry againe my will is she shall be pd. the sum of twenty pounds by my two above sons out of my Personal estate and no more, and the annual rent to ___.
Item: I give and bequesth unto my son Abraham Gael & to his heirs & assigns forever the land on which his mansion house now standeth with all the land adjoyning that I formerly staked out and designed for him, being about sixty or seventy acres by estimation but not measured to know the certainty. Provided my sd. son pay ten pounds in money of the Debt I now owe either into the Publick Bank of the Province, or to Paul Dudly Esq. of Boston, and in case he shall refuse to pay ten pounds as aforesd. then my will is that he shall injoy ten acres short of the land before given. Sd. ten acres to be taken off conveniantly together to be disposed of as I shall hereafter declare. I also give unto my said Son and heirs aforesd. one piece of meadow lying upon Charles River containing by estimation four acres, called Beaver Pool meadow. further I give unto my sd. son as aforesd. one piece of woodland, containing by estimation five acres lying on the westerly side of that piece I formerly staked out to him upon condition he gives a Deed of Release to my other sons of one quarter of an acre of orchard and his right to the land about my Mansion house by virtue of his grandfather’s will. And in case my sd. son shall refuse so to do, then my will is the above five acres of woodland to be disposed of as I shall hereafter declare, and this to be in full of what I intend him for his portion out of my estate.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my son Richard Gael and to his heirs and assigns forever, the sum of thirty Pounds to be pd. by my two youngest sons, viz: John & Joshua equally within two years after my Dec’d. upon Condition that he gives to my two youngest sons aforenamed a Deed of quit-claim of some small right he hath by virtue of his Grandfather’s will to a Quarter of an acre of orchard & his claime to the land about my mansion-house. But in case he shall refuse to so do, then my will is that my sd. Son Richard shall have only twenty Shillings to be paid in time and manner as aforesd. and that with what I have already given him to be in full of his portion out of my estate.
Item: I give and bequeath to my son Ebenezer Gael & to his heirs & assigns forever, two acres of Land joyning to what I have formerly given him a Deed of lying on the Easterly side of the same, and this with what I have have already given him to be in full of what I intend him for his portion out of my estate.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Sarah Pratt and to her heirs and assigns forever the sum of five pounds to be pd. by my two youngest sons aforenamed in equall manner within three years after my dec’d., and that with what she hath already had to be in full of her Portion out of my Estate.
Item: I give and bequeath to my Daughter Mercy Sanderson & to her heirs & assigns for ever the sum of five pounds, to be pd. by my two youngest sons above named within four years after my Dec’d. and that with what I have already given her to be her full portiion of what I intend out of my estate.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Mary Gael and to her heirs & assigns for ever the sum of twelve pounds to be pd. by my two youngest sons namely John and Joshua in equall halves withinj two years after my Dec’d. or at her day of marriage which may first hapen, and that to be in full of her portion of what I intend out of my estate.
Item: I give and bequeath to my Daughter Lydia Gael and to her heirs & assigns for ever, the sum of twelve pounds to be paid by my two youngest sons aforenamed, in equall halves within two years after my Dec’d., or her day of marriage if that be before two years are expired, and to be in full of her portion out of my estate.
Item: I give and Bequeath to my Daughter Abigail Gael & to her heirs & assigns for ever the sum of twelve pounds to be pd. by my two youngest sons afore mentioned within two years after my Dec’d. or the day of her marriage, if that first be, in equal halves and that to be her full portion of what I intend her out of my Estate.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my two youngest sons namly John Gael and Joshua Gael and to their heirs and assigns for ever, all my Real and Personal estate of what kind or Denomination soever not before given away in this my last will & testament, to be equally Divided Divided between them, they taking care of their anxious and tender mother and providing for & paying to her annually what I have assigned her in this my last will, as also all my just Debts of all kinds, except the ten pounds I have ordered my son Abraham to pay in case he shall comply with it, and in case he doeth refuse to pay the sd. ten pounds, then my will is that my two sons aforesd., pay the same and they to Injoy the ten acres of land conditionally given to my son Abraham as also the said five acres of woodland in case he refuses to give a quit-claim as before expressed. And I do nominate appoint, Constitute and ordain my wife Sarah Gael and my two youngest sons John Gael and Joshua Gael my executors to see this my last will & testament performed, and I do hereby utterly disallow and revoke all and every other former testament, and executors in any way, before this time by me named, Rattifiing & confirming this and no other to be my last will & testament. In witness whereof I have herunto sett my hand and seal the day and year above written.
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