link In the name of God, Amen: The Twenty third day of April Annoque Domini 1743, and in the sixteenth year of his Majesty's reign, George the Second, King &c., I, Abraham Wood of Sudbury, in county of Middlesex, In his Majesty's Province of Massachusetts bay, In New England, yooman, being aged and infirm of body but sound mind and memory, for which I bless God, and likewise for all instances of mercy and goodness toward me, and now, calling to mind my own mortallity, and that it is appointed for all men once to dye, and that it is my duty to set my house in order before I dey, and to this end that peace may flouish in my hows and Justice done to those who succeed me, I make this instrument or writng, to me my last will and testement, wherin and first of all I give and recomend my soule into the hands of God who gave it to me, In through Jesus Christ my ever blessed redeemer, and my body I recomend to the Earth, to be decently interred in a decent and christian burill at the discresion of my executors heare after named and appoynted, nothing doubting but the general resorection , I shall receive the same again by the Allmighty Power of God.
And as touching such wordly estate wheire wiht it hath plesed God to bless me with I give, Bequeath abd dispose off as followeth:
1 ly If it shall ples God so to order it in his wyse and Just providence that my well beloved wife Sarah shall survive me, I will and order that Shee shall have one of my cows to be at hir own disspose for ever, and that ye sundrys heare after mentioned be provided for her by my three grandsons, Samuel Wood Cornelius Wood and Nathan Wood all of Sudbury, (viz) yearly and every year dewring her valuable life, or her remaining my widow, Six bushells of Indian Meall and foure bushells of Rey Meall and one hundred and twenty pounds of good Fall poork and fifty pounds of good Fall Beafe and two barrills of Seyder and four bushells of Maltt and three peks of good Saltt, all brought into the hows to hir, and convenient fyre wod and Room in my howse, the wood to be cut fit for the fyer and brought in to the howse, and that my sd grandsons, keep ye sd cow for my wife summer and winter, and her deasase she have a decent and chirstian buriel bestowed upon her by my sd grandsons, also ten bushells of Appells a yeare, yearly.
Ithem. I give and bequeathe to my dafter Mary Fletcher, the wife of Hezekiah Fletcher of Concord, the sum of twenty pounds, in bills of credit of the last Emision, to be payed her out of my estate by my sd grandsons at my deacese, allway provided and my will is that her sd husband ye sd Hezekiah Fletcher shall not have any ordering or dissposing of any of the sd money, but that it shall be for her own parsonal use and at hir own dispose forever, entlrly exclusife of ye sd Hezekiah Fletcher, which is in full of her portion out of my Estate.
Ithem. I give and bequeeth to my two dafters, Sarah Willis the wife of Josiah Willis of Sudbury, and to my dafter Rebacah Blood, the wife of Jonathan Blood of Concord, the sum of twenty pounds apeace, In bills of Credit of the last Emition, to be paid to them and to each of them out of my estate, to be payed to them by my sd three grandsons within three years of my decesse, with lawful interest for the saime from my desese, which with what they have already had is in full of theire part or portion out of my Estaite.
Ithem. I give and bequeathe to my dafter Abigill Booth the wife of John Booth, the sum of Twenty five pounds, in bills of credit of the last Emition, to be payed her out of my Estaite, for her own parsonall use by my sd three grandsons under the restriction following: (viz.) to be payed to her by ye order and dyrection of Samuel Dakin of Sudbury, yooman, who I heareby appoynt to take ye caire of ye sd money and order the saime to be payed to her as she shall have nessary ocation therefor at his discression, The saime to be upon interest from my desease, and the reason why I order the payment above is Because the above said John Booth hath delt deceatfully with my sd dafter and goat what Shee had and is goane and luft hir, which sum above with what my sd dafter hath allready had is in full of her part or portion out of my estate.
Ithem. I give and bequeath all the rest of my estate boath reall and personnal, after my Just debts and funarall charges are payed and the Legeseys above, that I shall dey seized of to my sd three grandsons Samuel Wood, Cornelis Wood and Nathan Wood, all of Sudbury, and theare heirs and asigns forever, and to each of them, and to each of their heirs and assigns, to be equally divided to and amongst them allways reserving to my well beloved wife the use of all such of my movable estaite as she shall have ocation for dewring her naturall life, and the reason why I give the rest of my Estaite to my three grandsons is for the many good services done for me by their father, my duty full and well beloved son Abraham Wood Junior, Laite of Sudbury deceased, and allso what I expect them further to do for me.
Ithem. And I hearby nominate and appoynt my duty full grandsons Samuel Wood and Cornelious Wood boath of Sudbury, my Executors, to this, my last will and testaments heare by nully fying and making void any and all other wills and testaments at any time heare to fore made by me, Raty fying and alowing this will and thisondly to be my last will and testament, and I do heare by Publish and Declare and Pronounce this will and this will ondly to be my last will and testament.
In witness whareof I the sd Abraham Wood have heare unto set my hand, afixed my seale the Day year above written.LRW
ABRAHAM WOOD, [L.S.]
