Person:John Wilcox (1)

Will & Probate

John Willcocks of Hartford, Conn. made his dated July 24, 1651.

"He gives Mary his wife a house to dwell in, two young cows, two best hoggs, two best shoates, heive of bees, all the fowles, a colt, fruit of the orchards, 'wood enough for her expence laid in the yard in season fitted for her to lay on the fire during the time of her life,' allsoe my linen except one paire of sheets, allso my pew ter, all my hcmpe and flaxe both spun and unspun into yarn and all I have growing this yeare, all my sugare honye, spice and silvcr,'and wampum peage, allso the use of all the household stuff," during her widowhood. He also gives her certain sums of money if she remains a widow, or she remarries.^S1

• He makes additional bequests to: ^S2
  • I give to my daughter Ann Hall £20 and one remnant of grey cloath and my Long Coate, ten pounds to bee paid the first day of December next, the other ten pounds to be paid iippon the 24th day of June next.
  • my daughter Sarah Biddell my mare and two working stears, Allso a Carte & a plowe with a share and Coulter & a plowe eare, provided that my wife may have the mare for her owne use to ride either to Windsor, to Wethersfield, or to Hartford, or to The Sermon, for the space of two years.
  • I give to John Biddell's Children forty pounds, to be paid at the death of my wife, equally to be devided amongst so many of Sarah Biddell's Children as then shall be living
  • I give to Ann Hall twenty pounds more, to be paid at the death of my wife to my daughter Ann Hall, to her Children if shee have any then living; but if shee be dead and leave no Issue, then my will is that ten pounds be paid to John Hall her husband if he be then Living.
  • Ffurther my will is that my wife should at her death give to Sarah Willcock, the daughter of my sonne John Willcock, the sum of five and twenty pounds.
  • I give and bequeath to John Willcock, my sonn, my debts and Legacies being paid, all the rest of my goods and Lands unbequeathed, whom of this my prsent Testament I make and ordaine my whole Executor.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} John Wilcox, 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)
   803-05.

   "1. John¹ Wilcox, born in England, died at Hartford, Conn., 1 Oct. 1651; … He was an original settler of Hartford, and his lands were entered in February 1639/40. Besides his houselot of two acres, he had various parcels, one of four acres of upland, ten acres beyond Rocky Hill, two acres and twenty acres of upland, three acres bought of Francis Andrews, forty-one acres bought of Richard Risley and others, bounded on land of John Hall, Sr., and George Hubbard (this last was sold to John Bidwell, April 1666), an acre bought of Ralph Keeler, over five acres obtained by exchange with John Cullick, over two acres bought of Thomas Bull, three acres bounded on the Great River, and five acres bought of James Coles. He was a 'payle-maker' and seems to have been materially successful, leaving an estate of moderate size, and having two apprentices, a boy and a girl. He served on a jury, 5 June 1645."

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Wilcock, John, Hartford, in Manwaring, Charles W. A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records. (Hartford, Conn.: R. S. Peck & Co., 1904-06)
   1:164-65.

   "Probate Records. Vol. II, 1650 to 1663. Page 1-2-3.
   
   Wilcock, John, Hartford. Died 1st October, 1651. Invt. £391-03-00. Taken by John Talcott, Andrew Bacon, John Barnard. Will dated 24th July, 1651:
   
   I John Wilcock of Hartford, upon the River of Connecticut, payle maker, being at this present of good memory and perfect senses, doe by this my Last will and Testament give and bequeath to Mary my wife the Sum of twenty pound, to bee paid in Corne, that is to say, forty bushels of wheat, thirty bushells of it in winter wheat and ten bushells in sumer wheat. Also twenty Bushells of Barlye and twenty Bushells of Rye and forty bushells of Indian Corne. Allso it is to be Cleane and Merchantable. Item. I give her my two young Cowes, Allso my best hogg at mattabeseck, Allso two of my best shoates at home; Also I give her my Colt, to be delivered Safe to her uppon May day next ensueing. If the said Colt shall in the meanetime miscarry, Shee shal have Six pounds paid her in stead thereof. Allso I give her my ould howse to dwell in, and that little Closett that is betweene the ould howse and the new howse, during the time of her Life, and my sonne is to keepe it in repairation. Allso I give her one third parte of all my fruite of both the orchards. Allso my will is that Shee should have wood enough for her expense Laid in the yard in Season, fitted for her to Lay on the fire, during the time of her Life. Allso I give her four pounds by the yeare, to bee paid one halfe of it uppon the 25 day of March and the other halfe to bee paid uppon the 29 day of September, during the time shee dwelleth in the howse; but if shee thinks good to leaue the howse and to remove her dwelling, or shall marry, then my will is that shee should allso leave the fruite and the wood, and that she should have six pound paid her by the yeare in manner as aforesaid. Allso I give to my wife the Bedd I Lye uppon with all thinges belonging to it as it is furnished, as allso my Linnen except one paire of sheets, as allso my pew, to dispose of as shee pleases. Allso I give to her all my hempe and flaxe, both spun into yarne and unspun, and all that I have growing this yeare, and all my woollen Cloth and stockings that is not otherwise disposed of. Allso my will is that my wife shall give my servant Samuell two suites of Apparrell and all other Convenience according to his Indenture when his time expires. Allso I give her one heive of Bees and all my fowles and all my sugar, honye, spice and Siluer and wamppeage. Allso my will is that, during the time of her widdowhood and dwelling in the howse, shee shall have the use of all my household stuff that is not allready disposed of. Item. I give to my daughter Ann Hall £20 and one remnant of grey cloath and my Long Coate, ten pounds to bee paid the first day of December next, the other ten pounds to be paid uppon the 24th day of June next. Item. I give to my daughter Sarah Biddell my mare and two working stears, Allso a Carte & a plowe with a share and Coulter & a plowe eare, provided that my wife may have the mare for her owne use to ride either to Windsor, to Wethersfield, or to Hartford, or to The Sermon, for the space of two years, and to this end I give my wife my pannell and Bridle. Allso It is my will that my sonn John Willcock shall provide Stover for the wintering of the two Stears and the mare given to Sarah Biddell. Item. I give to John Biddell's Children forty pounds, to be paid at the death of my wife, equally to be devided amongst so many of Sarah Biddell's Children as then shall be living. Allso I give to Ann Hall twenty pounds more, to be paid at the death of my wife to my daughter Ann Hall, to her Children if shee have any then living; but if shee be dead and leave no Issue, then my will is that ten pounds be paid to John Hall her husband if he be then Living, and the other ten pounds to John Biddell's Children, to be Equally divided amongst them. Ffurther my will is that my wife should at her death give to Sarah Willcock, the daughter of my sonne John Willcock, the sum of five and twenty pounds. Allso my will is that my maide Elizabeth Wakeman shall serve out the remainder of her Apprenticship with my wife, and that my wife performe all Ingagements to her according to Indentures, and when her time is expired to give her twenty shillings. Item. I give and bequeath to John Willcock, my sonn, my debts and Legacies being paid, all the rest of my goods and Lands unbequeathed, whom of this my prsent Testament I make and ordaine my whole Executor. In Witness whereof I have Sett to my hand and Seale the day and yeare above written. I desire that Andrew Bacon and John Barnard would stand my ffriends and see my will prformed.
   
   JOHN X WILLCOCK.
   
   Witness: Andrew Bacon, John Bernard, Geo. Grave."

3.   John Will, in Nash, Elizabeth Todd. Fifty Puritan ancestors, 1628-1660: genealogical notes, 1560-1900, by their lineal descendant. (New Haven, Connecticut: Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Co., 1902)
   p 49-50.

   John Willcocks came from Leicestershire, Eng., it is supposed, to Hartford. He was an original proprietor of Hartford (his name being on the Founders' Monument in Center Church Burying Ground, Hartford); was made first selectman in 1649; surveyor of highways in 1642 and 1644; juror in 1645; called Senior in 1649. Died October 14, 1651, leaving a widow Mary, his second wife, and daughter Martha, who married John Biddle, beside John and Ann Wilcox Hall.