Person:Jonathan Oatley (4)

The Oatley Family Association of Providence RI published "The Oatley Family in America and their Descendants" in 1969-70.

Jonathan Oatley was baptized on 6 January 1689 in the Parish of St. James, Clerkenwell, in London, England, probably the son of Jonathan and Rebecca Otley (Oatley) of London. The Oatley family tradition is that Jonathan came from London.

Nothing is known about Jonathan's immigration to Rhode Island. Jonathan was a tailor by trade.

On 2 August 1729, Jonathan Oatley received a deed from Jeremiah Wilson of South Kingstown, Rhode Island for "one acre of land bounded on the north by a highway and bounded on the east, south and west by property of Jeremiah Wilson", for thirty pounds. The property is now on the corner of Broad Rock and Saugatucket Roads in South Kingstown. The Oatley homestead was built there, and a broken foundation measuring 18 by 20 feet with a pile of bricks was visible in 1970.

The mother of the children of Jonathan Oatley is not positively known. One record indicates that he married a Deliverance Cleveland, who apparently died in 1734. It is assumed that she was the mother of the first four children.

Jonathan Oatley married his second wife, Mary ____, and she was probably the mother of the last two children, Jonathan and Joseph.

Jonathan Oatley was admitted a freeman on 5 May 1747. He was active in civic affairs in South Kingstown, serving as a juror of an early murder trial on the first Tuesday of April, 1751.

Will

Jonathan Oatley died testate, having written a will on 25 July 1755, less than two months before his death. The will reads (transcribed by the author from South Kingstown (Rhode Island) Probate and Town Council Records, Volume 5, Pages 25-27, on FHL Microfilm 0,931,834):

"In the Name of God amen, I, Jonathan Oatly of South Kingstown in the County of Kings County in the Colony of Rhode Island &c. yeoman being sick & weak of Body but of a sound mind & in perfect memory Do make & ordain this my last Will & Testament That is to say principally & first of all I commend my soul into the Hand of God who gave & my Body to the Earth to buried in decent Christian manner according to the Discretion of my Executor herein after named my just Debts & funeral charges being first paid by my said Executor, I give devise and bequeath of my Worldly Estate in the following manner & Form.

"Imprimis - I give & bequeath unto my well beloved wife Mary Oatly, my large black chest and all that part of my Household Stuff which she brought with her to me together with all my stock without Doors & any part of my House she shall incline to Improve for & During the Time of her widowhood. I likewise give her the sum of Fifty Pounds in Bills of publick Credit to be paid her by my sd Executor in Two years after my decease.

"Item - I give & devise unto my beloved son Samuel Oatley the sum of Five Pounds in Bills of Credit to be paid by my said Executor within two years after my decease.

"Item - I give & Devise unto my beloved son Benedict Oatly all my Housing & Homestead Bounded Northerly on an Highway Easterly & Southerly on land of Joseph Torry & Westerly on land of James Willson. To him his heirs and assigns forever, He paying to his mother in law & his Brother Samuel the legacies before mentioned and given, and all my Just Debts also I bequeath to him my great Bible.

"Item - I give & bequeath unto my beloved Daughter Rebecca Champlin the one half of all my Household goods not herein disposed of to her mother, to her, Her Heirs and assigns for ever I likewise give her the use & improvement of the other half Solong as Ephraim Drake (my daughter Rhoda's Husband) shall live at whose decease the one Half as aforesaid I give & bequeath unto my beloved daughter Rhoda Drake her Heirs & assigns. But it is to be understood & my will is that my daughter Rebecca (before any division is to be made) shall have one Feather Bed & Beding.

"Item - I give and bequeath unto my two sons Samuel and Benedict all my wearing apparel and what Cloath is in the House not made into any garment to be Equally divided Between Them -- and my Will is that all my Books not herein before disposed of be equally divided between my said Wife and my said son Benedict.

"Lastly, I do hereby constitute, ordain & appoint my Beloved son Benedict Oatly Sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament Revoking & disanulling all former Wills and Testaments by me heretofore made Ratifying and Confirming this and this only to be my Last. In witness Whereof I have hereunto set my Hand & Seal the Twentyeth Day of July Anno the Domini one Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty five.

"Signed, sealed, published, pronounced, & declared by the said Jonathan Oatly to be his Last Will & Testament in presence of us the subscribers.

                                                                                    Jonathan Oatly  (seal)

Latham Clarke Martha Clarke William Steward."

On 8 September 1755, Latham Clarke and Martha Clarke personally appeared before the Town Council and declared under oath that they witnessed Jonathan Oatley of south Kingstown deceased sign, seal and declare the above to be his last will and testament and signed as witnesses to the act.

An inventory of the personal estate of Jonathan Oatly, late of South Kingstown, deceased, was taken by Latham Clarke and Benjamin Rodman, as showed by his executor Benedict Oatly and his widow Mary Oatly. The inventory of the personal estate, in two columns over two pages of the records, totalled 559 pounds, 12 shillings, 1 pence. The inventory was approved by the Town Council on 12 January 1756, and recorded by the clerk on 15 January 1756 (from South Kingstown (Rhode Island) Probate and Town Council Records, Volume 5, Pages 34-36, on FHL Microfilm 0,931,834).

The mention of Benedict Oatly's mother-in-law refers to his step-mother, the present wife of Jonathan Oatley. However, the will also refers to Mary as Rebecca Champlin's mother, who was likely also the mother of Benedict.

1. ↑ (i)South Kingstown (Rhode Island) Probate and Town Council Records(/i)
   Volume 5, Pages 25-27, on FHL Microfilm 0,931,834.

   Jonathan Oatley died testate, having written a will on 25 July 1755, less than two months before his death, and proved

2. ↑ (i)South Kingstown (Rhode Island) Probate and Town Council Records(/i)
   Volume 5, Pages 25-27, on FHL Microfilm 0,931,834.

   Jonathan Oatley died testate, having written a will on 25 July 1755, less than two months before his death. On 8 September 1755, Latham Clarke and Martha Clarke declared under oath that they witnessed Jonathan Oatley of South Kingstown deceased sign, seal and declare the above to be his last will and testament