Person:Abigail Searle (1)

Her will and the associated settlement indicate that she is the sister of Dorothy (Searle) Powell, who was the mother of Elizabeth (Powell) Merwin, wife of immigrant Miles Merwin.

The Estate of Widow Abigail (Searle) (Branker) Warham

"Mrs. Abigail Warham made a defective nuncupative will, in which she referred to gifts she had made to her cousin [probably nephew], Miles Marwin [Merwin, of Milford, Conn.], and declined to give him more, but wanted something to go to some of Merwin's children. She spent her last days in the family of Captain Benjamin and Mary Newberry, and they, with Return Strong, deposed that she wanted her movables in the Newberry house to go to them."^[2]

"Probate Records. Vol. IV, 1677-1687. Page 211-212.

Warham, Mrs. Abigail, Windsor. Died 18 May, 1684. Invt, £126-14-06. Taken by Henry Wolcott, Thomas Bissell, Return Strong. Will nuncupative. We the underwritten, being present wth Mrs Warham, who spent her last days in our family, she discourseing with us respecting her Estate, declared that she had formerly given her cousin Miles Marwine such a multitude that if she had Thousands she would not give him a penny. She did not know whether she had anything to give away. Disowned that she had any Will, and sayd further that her cousin Miles Marwin desired that she would make over her Estate to him. She did not know but that she might live to need and expend it all. This she had said before. Mary, the wife of Captain Newbery, and Abigail the daughter, both affirm that Mrs. Warham said to them, when she was of good understanding and sound memory, concerning her Estate, that if there was anything left when the Court had the consideration thereof, she had thought little Miles Marwin should have somewhat, and the other that lived wth her so long; & as for her moveables that were brought into our house, Return Strong, Mary Newbery & Abigail do Testify she freely gave them to us & said they should not be taken from us. The above was by her declared to us sometime last March.

(Signed) 4 September, 1684. Benjamin Newbery, Mary X Newbery, Abigail X Newbery, Return Strong.

In Court, 10 March, 1684-5: The children of Miles Marwin were Elizabeth (she lived longest wth Mrs Warham), John Marwin, Abigail, Thomas, Samuel & Miles Marwin.

County Court Record, Page 102-5 March, 1684-5: Plea of Mr. Edwards in behalf of Miles Marwin set aside (reference to Court of Assistants 9 May, 1671). Adms. to Capt. Newbery & Return Strong, with Order to Distribute: To Miles Marwin Jr., 1-3 of the Estate: to Elizabeth, 2-3 of one third; and to John, Thomas, Samuel, & Abigail Marwin, the remainder. Miles Marwin Jr. to possess the Lands if he desire it, he paying to his brothers and sisters as the Administrator may appoint."^[3]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} John Branker, in Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995)
   I:217.
2. ↑ Rev. John Warham, in Jacobus, Donald Lines, and Edgar Francis Waterman. Hale, House and Related Families, Mainly of the Connecticut River Valley. (Hartford: The Connecticut Historical Society, 1952)
   776.
3. ↑ Mrs. Abigail Warham, in Manwaring, Charles W. A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records. (Hartford, Conn.: R. S. Peck & Co., 1904-06)
   I:374.