The instrument's own words
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277
To all People to whom these Presents shall come Greeting Knows
that whereas we David Lewis of westerly in Kings County Yeoman and Nathan
Hinson of Stephenhen in the County above named Yeoman being each of us Owner of a
Lot of Lot Marsh & Sedge Lot Land lying in Charlestown in the County above in the
State of Rhode Island beyond the beach on the North side of the Salt Pond, in which Lot being
bounded on each side's Lot, on the South side of a Cove, commonly called the Dead
Hopes Cove, & Lewis's Lot on the West and s. Hinson's Lot on the East throughout and
as there was a breach made some years ago from the Cove through the Reach into
the Sea, whereas the Lands & Lots join, the running of the Water has carried away the bound
between us & Lands, and at last, and removed some of the Land a bout s. Cove, and
between us & Lands & Cove a considerable part of Land, which has become a Salt Marsh
also how this & Cove a considerable part of Land, which has become a Salt Marsh
So that the Dividing Line between our & Lands became uncertain
Therefore in order to settle the Line between our & Lands for our Peace Reason
and Avoidin all future Quarrel we have agreed and enacted a Stone Heap on the
Reach a little to the Northward of the south end of s. Dead Hopes Cove, and agree
to run from there about North 26 the Degrees West a straight Line through s. Dead
Hopes Cove and Sedge Lot forwards to a small Corner Tree in the West part of the Salt Marsh
the Lot Distinguishable Plain and void to live in, until it comes to the Main Salt Pond
to the Northward of s. Sedge Lot. All we have agreed that this Line is and shall be
the Dividing Line between our Lands; that is to say it is the East Line of
David Lewis's Land, and the West Line of s. Nathan Hinson's Lands & All
which Line we the s. David Lewis, and Nathan Hinson do agree and attest it
to be the Dividing Line between our above s. Lands in confirmation whereof our
we have hereunto set our Hands and affixed our Seals the Twentieth Day of
September AD 1779.
Signed and sealed
in Presence of
Joseph Marvson
Peter Marvson
David Lewis L.S.
Nathan Hinson L.S.
September 20th AD 1779.
Before me David Lewis, and Mr Nathan
Hinson personally appeared in westerly and acknowledged
this Instrument to be their Act and Deed Had & Seal
By Joseph Marvson Justice Peace
The foregoing Instrument
was recorded D. 29. 8. 78
By Jos Longdon Clerk
In the Name of God, Amin
This Twenty fourth Day of January, in the Year of Our Lord One thousand seven hundred
and seventy seven, I Joseph Davis of Stephenhen, in Kings County, and State or
Government of Rhode Island, Yeoman being Sick, and in a very poor State of Health
but of sound and composed Mind and memory, thanks be given to Mighty God
for the Same, and calling to Mind the mortality of my Body, knowing that all
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This must yield unto Death, when it shall please God to call, do make and ordain this To
be my last Will and Testament, that as to my first and principality of all I give and recom-
mend my Soul into the Hands of God that gave it, and my Body I commit to the Earth
to be buried in decent Christian Burial at the Discretion of my Executor hereafter named
who as touching worldly Estate as it hath pleased God to bestow on me in this
Life I now order and dispose of the same in Manner following:
Item First I make all that my Debts I do owe in Right to any Person, with my present
Charges be will and truly paid, content and satisfied, by my Executor hereafter named, in a near
convenient Time after my Decease
Imprimis, I give and bequeath to my beloved Wife Anne Davis the Third of the
Possess of all my Real Estate during her Life, as the Law directs, in lieu of her dower
Item I give and bequeath to my beloved Son Obadiah Davis my Home stead Farm
Item I give and bequeath to my son Obadiah Davis my Farm called Oxen, opposite
in Skipenton where I now live, containing about One Hundred and Sixty Acres, also a
Piece of land lying in Skipenton, which I bought of William Hadfield, containing about Sixty
Acres; more I give to my son Obadiah Davis about Eighty Acres of Land, lying in Skipenton
which I bought part of my Cousin Milton, in part of Joseph Manses, also give to my Son Obadiah
Davis a Lot of Land I bought of Nathan M. Coon, about Seventeen Acres, which lyeth in
Skipenton all which Lands above lying all the Lands I have in Skipenton, give
to it & Obadiah Davis, his Heirs and Assigns forever; together with all my farming Utens-
Sils, Kettles, Spithes and Spoons, all Tools, Scythes, Hoes, Hammers and Corner Tools, with my
Best Cows, March 4th 1784
Item, I give and bequeath to my Grandson Jedidiah Browning, the whole of my
Farm lying in Charlestown, which I bought of Edward York, containing about One Hundred
and Seven Acres, it being the whole of my Land lying in Charlestown, One third of the Profits
belonging to my Wife Anne during her Life, and Two thirds of the Profits, there to be for the
Use of my Negro man James during his Life, as I shall bequeath in this Will directly and
my Grandson Jedidiah Browning to possess said Estate after their Decease accordingly, all
which Estate I give to my said Grandson Jedidiah Browning his Heirs and Assigns forever.
And in my Will is that my Negro man James shall be free from Slavery, and not be sold
as a Slave after my Decease, and I give unto my said Negro man James during his Life, two
of the Profits or Improvement of my Farm lying in Charlestown during his Life, so that
to make Worth on whether the Wood; who he wants to be under the Care of Benjamin Brown, Jr. and
Samuel Saunders to see that he does not make foolish Bargains, and wants what I give him, but
That he be provided fully for his comfort.
Item; I give and bequeath all the Remainder of my Estate of every kind or nature
in the following form, that it be all sold, and turned into Money as soon as can be done
conveniently by my Executor hereafter named; and the Money to be let out at Interest
either into some Town Treasurer, or the General Treasurer of this State, or otherwise to
take Land Security for it as my Executor shall think best for the Legatees, which
Money
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279
Money is to be kept at Interest until my Two Grand Daughters, namely—
Elizabeth Browning & Dorcas Humphrey shall or should in Case they had lived and
to the Age of Twenty one Years Do and my Will is that their Mothers, namely Susanna
Browning and Elizabeth Humphrey shall have the Interest of said Money yearly, or as
it can be collected, equally between them during the lives of my said Two Daughters
and at the Decease of my said Two Daughters, Signa the Principal Sum afore sd equally
to be divided between my said Two Grand Daughters, the purpose the same not
before they arrive to Twenty one Years Do as afore sd But in Case that either of my
said Grand Daughters should die before their arrive to the Age of Twenty one Years sd
then their Part I give to their Children of they should have Any But if they should
have none then their Part shall go to their Elder Sister
And bottle I hereby ordain my beloved Son Oliver Davis to be my sole
and sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking all other Wills
and Codicils by me heretofore made, revoking and confirming this only to be my
last Will and Testament & I Witness my Hand & I have hereunto set my Hand
and Seal the Day Month and year first written
Jedidiah Davis [seal]
Signed, Sealed, Published, pronounced and
attested by Jedidiah Davis the Testator
to be his Last Will and Testament in presence of
Thomas White
Samuel Stanton
William Green
Personally appeared in the Town Council of
Newington, the First Day of April Ad 1777 Thomas
White Esqr & William Green, Witnesses to the Will
and made Oath that this page Jedidiah Davis the Testator
legal pale publish and declare this Testament to be his last Will and Testament
and that they saw Samuel Stanton, Signer, as Witness, with themselves to this
Instrument in Presence of the Testator, and that the Testator was in his perfect
Sound Mind and Memory and that they signed in Presence of the Testator and each other
Sworn Before
Edward Wells Resident
Voted, by 3 Committ. that this Will be approved and recorded
Witness Abel Tanner Coun Clork
The foregoing is a true Copy of the original Will and Probate and entered on Record
the 5th Day of April Ad 1777 By Abel Tanner Coun Clork
The foregoing is a true Copy extracted from the Deeds at Newington, & duly
examined the 28th Day of January Ad 1798
Recorded the 29th Day of Jan 1798 Abel Tanner Coun Clork
as the record of Newington in the year
Sam Tanner Dep. Reg. for Kingston & Clark
The page as recorded
