Person:Robert Merriam (2)

The Will of Robert Merriam

"I Robert Meriam of Concord in the County of Middlesex in Massachusetts Colony in New England, being in prfect memory doe make this my last will and Testament in manour and forme following:

First I comitt & comend my soule into the hands of God my faithfull Father who hath called me to the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ in hom I have beleved, knowing that he is able to keepe that which I have comitted to him and my body to be decently buryed, beleving the Resurrection thereof to eternall life, as touching the temporall Estatwhich God hath given me, as foloweth:

It I give to my loving wife all my moveables to be to her use and dispose, and the housing and lot of land it stands on & two orchards: which I now live in; and lyeth in the Towne of Concord; between John Wheelers house lott; and Joshuah Whelers and also all the medow I have lying in the great Medow between Mr John Flints medow; and my Cosen Buss medow; and all that medow & upland lying in oake medow or mento so called; and ninty six acres of coman land in the South quarter of the Towne as the bounds of it appear in the Towne booke.

It I give to my Cosen Isaak Day in old England, which is son to my sister Joan Day now decesed; all my housing and lands being and lying within the bounds of Cambridg; provid he come over and take possession of it before my wifes decese, in case he doe not, I give it to my Cosen Joseph Meriam now decesed, Robert Meriam his son of the Towne of Cambridg and his heires forever.

It I give to my Cosen Jonathan Hubard hoe liveth with me twenty shillings.

It I give to Joseph French, whoe formerly lived with me; Twenty acres of land to be layed out where he now liveth; and all the housing which stands on it; beginning at the drene he hath mad in the gutter wher the water runeth next my brother George Meriams now dececed lands; south west of it, and betwene the great medow, and the heiway going from the Towne to Billicary [Billerica]; I say to the nombor of twenty acres.

It I give all my other lands except before mensioned, and by deeds of gift to others to this day: to my too Brothers children now decesed, that is to say Joseph Meriam and Geo Meriams Children; that is to say three sons and five daghters; William Meriam and John Meriam; & Samewell Meriam; the daughters Elizabeth Hinkesman; Seuesan Schotchford; Elizabeth West; Hanna Tailler and Abigail Batman; said lands medow & uplands; These eight persones foremensioned; to devide said lands every on to have an equall proportion; also I bequeth and give to those forementioned Eight prsones, every on of them (ten pounds) apeece.

It I give to Reverend Mr Bulkely Paster of the Church of Concord forty shillings.

It I give to my Cosen John Buss four pounds.

It I give to Sarah Wheler, which formerly lived with me forty shillings.

It I give to the poore of the Towne of Concord four pound in corne.

I doe hereby further declare my mening to be, and my full will is that house at Cambridg & house that Joseph French liveth in, before mensioned. The rents of them be payed to and receved by my Wife, deuring her life; lastly I do hereby nominat, and constitut my dear and loving Wife Mary my sole executrix of this my will; In witnes hereof I sete to my hand and seale; the word, accep, above interlined before signing and sealing, I do set to my hand and seale this tent day of Desembr on thousing sex hundred, Eighty on.

Robert Meriam.

Signed, & sealed in the presents of us

Timothy Wheller

John Smedley sener

Proved 4 April 1682."^[1]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Robert Merriam, in Pope, Charles Henry. Merriam Genealogy in England and America: Including the "Genealogical Memoranda" of Charles Pierce Merriam, the Collections of James Sheldon Merriam, etc. (Boston: Charles H. Pope, 1906)
   38-41.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Robert Meriam, in Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England: Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co, 1860-1862)
   3:197.

   Robert (Meriam), Concord, br. of George, freem. 13 Mar. 1639 (the day bef. his br. Joseph), was town clk. 1654-76, rep. 1655-8, deac. d. 15 Feb. 1682, aged 72, 1eav. no ch. His will of 10 Dec. bef. pro. 4 Apr. foll. names w. Mary, brs. Joseph and George, and their ch. and the wid. d. 22 July 1693, aged 72.

3. ↑ Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States. Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1635-1850. (Boston: Beacon Press, 1891)
   25.

   Rob^t Mirryam Deacon of y^e ch. dyed 15. 12. 81 [February 15, 1681/82].

4. ↑ Robert Meriam, in Find A Grave.
5.   Appleton, William S. The Merriam Family and Connections. New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Apr 1868)
   160-61.

   See Merriam Family and Connections for a detailed review of Robert's and his wife's wills and deductions made from family members named therein.