In witness whereof I have written this my last will and testament with my own hand the day and yeare above written Rott Peck This will was proved at London before the judges for probate of Wills and granting of Administrations the tenth day of April in the year of our Lord God One thousand six hundred fiftye and eight PART FIRST. THE DESCENDANTS OF OF JOSEPH PECK, JR, ELDEST SON OF JOSEPH THE ANCESTOR. JOSEPH PECK, JR.,2 was born in England, and baptized there, August 23, 1623, and came over with his father in 1638, being then about 15 years of age. He removed with the family from Hingham Mass., to Seekonk, in 1645. He settled near his father at what was then called Seacunk since known as Seekonk plain. His house was located near, if not upon the exact spot where now stands the depot of the Boston and Providence Railroad, where it crosses this plain. His name frequently appears upon the records of the town. In 1655, he was one of a committee to levy a tax or rate for the maintenance of the minister. His name appears among those who drew lots in the north purchase at different times. In 1661, he was appointed to view the damage in the Indian's corn upon Kickemuet neck, and Consumpsit neck, and give the town notice of it. He was one of those who advanced money for the prosecution of King Philip's war. About 1660, he left the plain, and settled upon Palmer's river in the southwesterly part of Rehoboth. * The remains of his old *He deeds, July 15, 1665, to Thomas Cooper, his house, orchards, yards and home lot, containing twelve acres. Bounded on the south by the town common, on the west by land of said Cooper, on the north by a highway, and land he bought of Edward Gillman, adjoining upon the aforesaid land to the west of the common, south of the land of Peter Hunt; east and north by land which he had possessed for fifteen years. Likewise twenty-five pounds state of town common with all the rights and privileges appertaining to said common. The said Cooper was to enter upon said lands at the next Michaelmas or as soon as the said Peck had gathered and carried away his corn. cellar and well were still to be seen when I visited the place, which is about one mile northwest from the Orleans Factory so called, near the late residence of Mr. William Covel. He became the owner of a large amount of land, in addition to that given him by his father. Here he lived and died. The following is a copy of his will: In the name of God Amen, in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred ninety & seven in the ninth year of his majiesties reigne the fifth day of the seventh month called July I Joseph Peck of the town of Rehoboth of the county of Bristol within his Majties province of Massachusetts Bay in New England sen' yeoman being now aged and weak of body & in expectation of my change yet through the mercy of God I am whole and sound in my memory and understanding and of a disposing mind do make this my last will & Testament for the disposing & settling the things of this world which the Lord has entrusted me to & among my children in manner & form as followeth And imprimis I bequeath my soul into the hands of our most blessed savior and dear redeemer & my body to the dust untill the resurrection day, which I die in the firm belief & expectation of Item 1sly I give unto my daughter Patience wife of Richard Bowen & to her heirs forever twenty acres of land in the first division last agreed upon & twenty pounds Item 2aly I give unto my daughter Mary the wife of Benjamin Hunt & to her heirs forever half my lot in the north purchased lands belonging to Rehoboth purchase and twenty pounds Item 3aly I give unto my daughter Elizabeth wife of Capt Mason & to her heirs forever the other half of my lot in the aforsaid north purchase & twenty pounds Item 4thly I give unto my daughter Hannah wife of Daniel Reed & to her heirs forever all my medow in the north purchase & twenty pounds And my mind & will is the abovesaid sums given to my daughters (each being named) be by my executor of this my last will & testament well & truly paid within the term of four years after my decease Furthermore my mind & will is that if all or any of my daughters shall happen to die before the time prefixed by me for my executors paying the several sums before expressed unto them then my mind & will is that each daughters legacy that shall happen to die shall be sold & truly paid to her children by an equal distribution Item 5thly I give unto my son Jathnall Peck as an addition to what I have before given unto him the lot upon which his dwelling house now stands containing twenty acres be it more or less which lot I had of William Carpenter of Rehoboth in exchange and also one parcel of land being a lot of twenty & six acres lying on the easterly side of Palmers River in Rehoboth near the oak swamp be the same more or less And also I give him my fresh meadow formerly purchased of William Bucklin late of Rehoboth and also six acres of upland, adjoining to the said meadow & also my upper meadow upon Palmers River and also the great piece of meadow that lieth in the meadow abutting upon the meadow of Joshua Smith on the one side & the meadow of Preserved Abell on the other side and also that part of my salt marsh lying on the southerly side of the creek bounded from a pine tree unto a little creek upon a straight line & also half my common rights in the town of Rehoboth and all my common in the north purchased lands yet undivided—All and each of these lands I give unto my said son Jethniel Peck & to his heirs forever. Item 6thly I give unto my son Samuel Peck & to his heirs forever my dewelling house barn and out houses & all my lands wheresoever & whatsoever which by deeds & grants their quantity & places being & bounds will appear which in this my last will & testament are not before by me given, with the residue of my common rights Item 7thly My mind & will is that after my debts and funeral charges be paid out of my movabal estate, that then the whole & residue thereof be equally divided amongst my children or those of their children that survive if any of them be dead before that time shall come Item 8thly I do by this my last will & testament make null & void & of none effect all other & former wills by me made Finally I do nominate constitute appoint & ordain my son Samuel Peck my sole executor of this my last will & testament unto whom I commit all power for the execution & performance thereof & for the burrial of my body in decent & christian manner & for all other things requsite unto him as my executor and in testimony this above written is my true & last will & testament I the said Joseph Peck have hereunto set my hand & seal the day & year first above written JOSEPH PECK Read, signed & sealed in the presence of JOHN PECK WILLIAM DEAN These presents may serve to declare to all whom it doth & may concern that whereas I Joseph Peck sn' living at Palmers river within the township in the county of Bristol in the Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England have made my last will & testament bearing date the fifth day of July in the year of our Lord 1697 for the settleing of my estate upon my surviving children & for the preventing of trouble & difference after my decease do also now for the same end & cause make this declaration as an explanation of my said last will & testament unto which these presents are annexed. That is to say that all the lands that I have given & bequeathed to any of my children sons or daughters I give to them & to each of them & to each of their respective heirs & assigns forever without any design of entailment of the said lands or any of them And further whereas I have given to my son Jathniel Peck that part of my meadow or salt marsh lying on the southerly side of the creek bounded from a pine tree to a little creek upon a straight line & it is to be understood of that part of my salt marsh lying & being on the southerly side of the creek bounded from the pine tree standing by the Indian graves & from said tree to the river And to this declaration & explanation of my last will as above expressed I have set my hand & seal this eleventh day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & one in the eleventh year of his majesties reign William the third over England &c JOSEPH PECK Signed & sealed in the presence of us as an explanation of the last will & testament of the said Joseph Peck THOMAS ORMSBEE WILLIAM BLANDIN HANNAH ORMSBEE This will may be found upon record at Taunton, Mass. Hannah m. Daniel Read, Aug. 20, 1677. Elizabeth m. Major Samuel Mason, of Stonington, the son of Major John Mason, the conqueror of the Pequots, being his second wife. Her children by him were Samuel, b. Aug. 26, 1695, and d. Nov. 28, 1701; Elizabeth, b. May |