Person:John Cowles (12)

The Estate of John Cowles of Hatfield

"The original will of John Cowles is lost, but the following is from a copy of it on file in the Probate Court at Northampton, Mass:
'Hannah Cowles, ye Relict of John Cowles Deceased Presented to this Corte ye Last Will and testament of her Deceased Husband to which will Nath'll Dickenson Sen^r made [oath] before Corte yt it was ye Last Will and testament of John Cowles Sen^r of Hattfield and that ye sayd John Cowles was of Sound minde when lie made it to ye best of his apprehentiones he lickwise affirmed yt Leift Allice (though not then Present at Corte) could testify to ye above-sayd The widdow Cowles did likewise Exhibite to this Corte at Northampton, March 29, 1676, to which she made Oath which Inventory with ye will is on ffile with ye Recordes of this Corte which Estate this Corte have left to be disposed according to ye will of ye Deceased./
Here ffolloweth a Copy of ye Last will & testement of John Cowles Deceased

I John Cowles of Hatfield Sen^r, Being Sicke in Body but whole in minde doe in ye name & feare of my God make my Last will & testement first Comending & bequeathing me Soule into ye handes of God yt gave itt me & my Body to be buried in ye Earth from whence it was taken. Dyeing in ffaith & hope of a joyfull Resurrection to Receive my Inheritance with those yt are Santifyed by faith in Christ, ffor my temporall State I doe Order & Dispose of it as Duty Requires in manner as ffollow^th my ffunerall Expenses being Discharged & Debts payd I thus Dispose of my Estate ffirst all my houses & landes in hattfeild which is a hundered & quarter Pounds alottment I give to my Loveing & Dere Wife Dureing her life for her maintenance while she lives After his mothers Death I give ye sayd Land a Hundered & quarter alottment unto my son John Cowles to posses & injoy for Ever. It is my Will that my Son John Cowles after Posest of this Hundred and quarter alottments he shall pay Out to his Sisters as their Portiones twenty nine Pounds, to his Sister Hanah Standly five Pounds to his sister Sarah Goodwin Eight Pounds, to his Sister Mary Dickenson Eight Pounds, to his sister Elizabeth Lyman Eight Pounds. My Son John shall Pay these Portiones within One Yeare after his Mothers Decease

I make my Loveing wife & Deare, Hanah Cowles my whole and Sole Executor to pay all my Debts & ffunerall Expences & to make ye best improvement of all my Other Estate as she shall see meete for her Comfort while she lives, and I Doe Leave all both Corn and Cattell & all my household to her Dispose. I ffurther make my Son Sam'^ll feoffee of trust too see after & be helpfull to his mother in ye Ordering of her Estate left her by me. Out of ye moveable Estate I give my Son Sam^ll in hope of his Care and tender Respect to his Mother herein; Ten Pounds within One whole Yeare after my Decease. [Dated September 11, 1676, according to his Widow's Will but the year should be 1675.]

John Cowles J (his marke
The witnesses were. Nath^ll Dickenson Sen^r Wm. Allice.' "^[1]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Cowles, Calvin Duvall, and Cowles Family Association. Genealogy of the Cowles Families in America. (New Haven, Conn.: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Co., 1929)
   12-28.
2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 John Cowles, in Find A Grave
   [1].