Person:John Goodwin (60)

Deacon John Goodwin's Will and Probate

"His will, recorded in the Hartford Probate Records, is as follows: —

'In the name of God Amen.

I John Goodwin Sen^r of Hartford in the County of Hartford and Colony of Connecticutt in New England being through the Devine favour and goodness of God in my Ordinary State of health and of a disposing mind and memory and mindfull of my own Mortallity do make this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following, and first and principally I Commend my Soul to God who gave it in hope of the free and full remission of all my sins through the Merrits and Righteousness of Jesus Christ my Lord and Redeemer my Body to a Comely Christian Burial. And as to the Estate God has given me I dispose of in manner following that is to say that my Just debts and funeral charges shall be first paid out of my Estate.

I Give to my loveing Wife Mary Goodwin all the household Goods & Estate whatsoever which she brought with her at the time of her Marriage with me and Forty pounds out of my Estate to be paid by my Executors Equal to the now present Value of old Tenor Bills and also one Cow to be at her own Disposeal and also order my Executors to make her full payment of the Note or Obligation I gave her before Marriage. I Give to my Son John Goodwin and to his heirs and Assigns forever he paying as is hereafter in this my Will ordered that is to Say the Northerly half of my Meadow lot called the Island lot, and also so much of the Meadow pasture that lies near the Meadow gate as to make with the three Acres he owns in it one half of the whole pasture and I give him also in my lot on the East Side of the Highway next to the Land of Timothy Kimball Two and a half Acres takeing half the bredth of the lot and Extending East till it make the Two and a half Acres, and also part of the same lot and my Lands Adjoyning that is to say bounding West on the foot of the hill Jest East of the Indian Fort and on Lands I have given to my Son Caleb Goodwin So Extending Eastwards takeing the Width of my lands till it comes to the East End of his the Said Johns present Improvements at a White pine Grindle and I also give to him of the lot of upland I have lying on the South Side of the Land which the said John Goodwin and Caleb Goodwin bought of William Goodwin that is to say one piece on the East Side of the way or Country Road on the South side of my lot bounded West on the Said Highway, extending East about Sixty Rods more or less to Two Stones pitched by John and Caleb Goodwin North on Land herein after given to Caleb Goodwin and at Two Stones pitched as aforesaid Six Rods South of the North Line of my lot and whereas my Sons John Goodwin and Caleb Goodwin have agreed to Divide and have divided between them the lot Adjoyning next North to my lot and the Said Caleb Goodwin by his deed of Quit Claim Dated May the 4^th 1749 quited his Claim to my Son John Goodwin in Sundry pieces of Land in the Said lot of William Goodwine the Westermost bounds of the Westermost piece mentioned is a Brush or quick Fence (which is Soposed to be Something more than one hundred Rods East from the Country Road. I do now give to ye Said John Goodwin what Land on my Said lot that lies next South of the Respective pieces of Land fully described in the said quit Claim and Eastward of the Said brush or quick Fence all the pieces or parcels of Land herein given to said John I give to my Son John Goodwin and to his heirs and Assigns forever.

I Give unto my Son Caleb Goodwin and to his heirs and Assigns Forever he paying as is hereafter in this my Will Ordered that is to Say my house, Barn, Shopp, Looms and Tackling and my lot of Land on which my Dwelling house Stands as it bounds East on the Highway in part and part on Land of John Goodwin Jun^r West on the Common or Meadow Fence, North partly on Land of John Goodwin Jun^r and partly on a Highway and the South half of my meadow lot called the Island lot and also my meadow lot in the great pasture (so-called) and one half of the whole pasture lying within the Meadow Near the Meadow gate I also give him of the lot Near me on the East Side of the Highway taking half the Width of Said lot on the South Side Extending East to the End of two Acres and a half given to John on the North Side of Said lot then ye whole Width of Said lot to the foot of the hill Jest East of the Indian Fort (so-called) and the East End of the Same lot and Land Adjoyning from the East End. thereof all the Width Extending West to my Son John Goodwins Improvement at a white pine Grindle: and of the Lands in my lot lying South of the lot that was William Goodwins I give to him the said Caleb Goodwin five rods wide in the meadow bounded East and North on his own Land West on the Meadow lots South on Land of John Goodwin Jun^r and also Six Rods wide in the upland on the East Side of the Country Road Bounded West on Said Highway or Road Extending East about Sixty Rods to a Stone pitched by John and Caleb Goodwins North on his the Said Calebs Land South on Land herein given to John Goodwin and from the End of the last mentioned piece the whole width of my Lot East Till it comes to a line drawn Square across the Lot from a brush or quick Fence before more particularly Described and farther as my Son John Goodwin has by his Deed of Quit Claim Dated May the 4^th 1749 quited his Claim to Sundry pieces of Land in the lot that was William Goodwins to his Brother Caleb Goodwin Lyeing East of the aforementioned quick Fence which are particularly described therein. I do now give to my Son Caleb Goodwin what Land on my said Lot that Lyeth Next South of the Respective pieces of Land Quit Claimed to the Said Caleb Goodwin and East of said quick Fence all the above mentioned pieces of Land herein given to Caleb I give to my Said Son Caleb Goodwin and to his heirs and Assigns forever I also give to my Said Son Caleb Goodwin one Yoke of Oxen one Cart horse or Mare the Cart, plows, Chains and the whole of my husbandry Tools of all Sorts.

I Give to my Grandaughter Damaris Porter one Cow, and I give to be Equally Divided to and amongst the four Children of my Daughter Hannah Porter Dec^d (viz), Aaron Caleb Damaris and Hannah Porters one hundred and Twenty-five pounds in or Equivilent to the now present Value of old Tenor Bills of Creditt.

I Give to my Daughter Mary Cowls the Sum of Sixty five pounds in or Equivilent to the now present Value of old Tenor Bills of Creditt &c.

I give to my Daughter Sarah Smith the Sum of Seventy Two pounds in or Equivilent to the now present Value of Old Tenor Bills of Creditt.

I give to my Daughter Susannah Forbs the Sum of forty Pounds in or Equivilent to the now present Value of Old Tenor Bills of Creditt &c.

I Give to my Daughter Ruth Abby the Sum of Forty pounds in or Equivilent to the now present Value of Old Tenor Bills of Creditt &c.

And Whereas the Tilling of my Land is wholly done by my Son Caleb Goodwin my Will is that whatever Lands are under my Improvement shall happen to be Seeded at the Time of my Death my Son Caleb shall take the whole benefit of Such Crops and further my Will is that what provysons are in Store in the house or in grain for the use of the Family shall be used in the Family and not accounted for by my Executors, and that grain of any and Every Sort, Shall be over and above what is needful to be used as aforesaid and hay in Store (if any there be) I give to my Son Caleb Goodwin.

And further I Order and Direct mv Sons John Goodwin and Caleb Goodwin to make payment of the Several Legacies here in this my Will given that is to Say my Son John Goodwin to pay Equal to Two Hundred Twenty Seven pounds Ten Shillings.

And my Son Caleb Goodwin Equal to one Hundred Seventy five pounds Ten Shillings —

he haveing paid to his Sisters Mary and Sarah about Fifty pounds already and to Enable my said Sons John and Caleb to pay the Legacies and as Executors to discharge the Debts I give to my Sons John Goodwin and Caleb Goodwin and to their Heirs and Assigns forever in Equal parts all my Estate whatsoever whether Real or personal not before in this my will Disposed off. And further Order and Direct that if my Said Sons John and Caleb or Either of them are Desirous of making any payments of any of the Legacies given in this my Will or any part thereof and do make any payments to any or Either of the Legatees after the Day of the Date hereof (and in my life time) and producing a fair Accompt thereof or a Receipt therefor after my Deceas it shall be Accounted as part of the Legacy or Legacies to them who shall So Receive the Same and as payment for so much from him Either John or Caleb that Shall pay Such Sum or Sums.

And I do Constitute and appoint my Loveing Sons John and Caleb Goodwin to be Executors to this my last Will and Testament In Witness and for full Confirmation of which 1 have Set to my hand & Affixed my Seal the Ninth Day of May Annoque Domini One Thousand Seven Hundred forty and Nine.

JOHN GOODWIN [Seal]

John Goodwin Senior the Signer and Sealer to this written Instrument and Signed Sealed pronounced & Declared the Writeing foregoing on this Sheet of paper to be his last Will and Testament.

In presence of WILLIAM PITKIN WILLIAM PITKIN JUN^R GEORGE PITKIN

Hartford, February 13,1758,

Then personally appeared ye Hon^le W^m Pitkin Esq. & W^m Pitkin Jun^r & George Pitkin Esq^re Subscribing Witnesses to ye above written Will and made Solemn Oath that they Saw John Goodwin ye above Testator Sign & Seal ye above written Instrument and heard him declare it to be his Last Will and Testament and that they Judged him to be of Sound mind & disposeing Memory and that they Signed together as Witnesses in presence of 6d Testator.

Jurat Coram EBEN^R SILLIMAN, Assist.'"^[5]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} John Goodwin, in Barbour, Lucius Barnes. Families of Early Hartford, Connecticut. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1977)
   271.

   "Dea. John Goodwin s of Nathaniel & Sarah (Cowles) bp May 19, 1672 died Feb 6, 1758 ae 86 … John Goodwin owned cov 1 Ch Mch 8, 1695-6."

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 East Hartford Vital Records [NEHGS], in Connecticut, United States. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records
   36.

   "Goodwin, … John, b. [____], 1672; Dea. of East Hartford Cong.Ch., 1748; m. Sarah [_____]; d. Feb. 6, 1757, Æ86 [1:43]"
   "Goodwin, … John, [s. Nathaniel & Sarah], b. [____], 1672; d.[____],1758, Æ 86 [1:43]"

3. ↑ List of Births and Baptisms Taken from the Hartford Town Records, in Historical Catalogue of the First Church in Hartford, Connecticut, 1633-1885. (Hartford, Conn.: The Church, 1885)
   161.

   "1672. … John Goodwin, son Nath'l Goodwin; bapt. May 19."

4. ↑ Deacon John Goodwin, in Find A Grave.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} 1013. John Goodwin, in Starr, Frank Farnsworth, and James Junius Goodwin. The Goodwins of Hartford, Connecticut : Descendants of William and Ozias Goodwin. (Hartford, Conn.: Brown and Gross, 1891)
   566-72.