I found an abstract of my ancestor Edward Holyoke's will online in Googlebooks in an ebook edition of an NEHGS publication from 1855, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, Volume 9. It is part of an article, ABSTRACTS FROM THE EARLIEST WILLS ON RECORD IN THE COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, MASS. by William B Trask. What struck me right off the bat is that Edward must have really been proud of his book, as he gives a copy of it to each of his five sons in law and calls it his "best legacy."
Edward Holyoke. Will made 25 Dec. 1658. As for the holy faith of the holy one, God in trinitie, and of the holy faith of our glorious Lord, the son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the second Adam, I haue composed A booke and doe bestowell [?] vpon each of my sonns in law as their best legacy, &-c. (Being instructed chiefly by an understanding of the Scriptures) I doubt not to say my booke will giue him A hart of all sound doctrine.
Touching my worldly estate, I dispose the yoke of Oxen and my mare, to my sonn in law, George Keysar, and my mare foale and A Cow, to my sonn Prenam; tow kine to my sonn Andrewes; A Cow to my dau. Marten^ These Oxen and kine are in the hands of Goodman Wilkins, of Linn; the mare and foale is at Rumney Marsh. 1 giue to my sonn Tuttle, that £4 that yearely hee should haue giuen mee since I put ouer the house at Boston to him. I neuer yet had [a] penney of it; 40* I gaue him of that, soe theare is yet £6 beehind and theare is £5 mentioned in Goodman Wilkins Case that hee oweth mee, I giue to my dau. Marten, and 20*. to my kindswoman, Mary Mansfeild, and 10". of it to John DoUtile, and 10". of it to my kindsman Thomas Morris, of Newham, and 10". of it to Hannah Keasur. I giue my best Cloake of that Cloth that cam from England to my sonn Holyoke, as allsoe my Coate of the same cloth. I giue my other Cloke to my sonn Keaser, my best Dublet and breeches to my sonn Tuttle, my stuff dublet and my best hat to my sonn Holyoke; all the rest of my weareing apparell to my sonn Keasar. As touching the whol yeares rent of this yeare 1658, that is Dew mee from Goodman Wilkins, of Linn, I owe Theodore Atkins 49".; pay him in what I owe; John Hull Aboute 22"., pay him in wheate; pay M' Russell, treasurer, 3 bushells of wheate; for John Andrewes, 8 bushells of wheate to Mr Wilson, Paster at Boston, and 8 bushell of Indian. As for my Linell, let all my dau" part alike. The 20" Goodman Page oweth mee, as my sonn Tuttle cann witness, I giue my dau. Martin. There is aboute 15". Cap*. Sauige oweth mee, intreate him to satisfie my Cosan Dauis, and the rest giue to my dau. Marten. As for my books and wrightings, I giue my sonn Hulyoke all the books that are at Linn, as allsoe the Iron Chest, and the bookes I haue in my study that are Mr Beanghans works I giue him, hee onely cann make vse of them, and likewise I giue all my maniscripts what soeauer, and I giue him that large new testament in folio, with wast papers between eucry leafe, allso Mr Answorlh on the 5 books of Moses and the psalmes, and my dixinary and Temellius bible in Latten, and my latten Concent and daniell bound together, and A part of the New testament in Folio, with wast paper betwin euery leafe, and the greate mapps of geneolagy, and that old maniscript called a Synas sight; the rest, for A muskett I gaue of olde to my sonn Holyoke: All my land in Linn, and that land and Medow in the Cuntry neere Reding, all was giuen to my sonn Holyoke., when hee maried Mr Pynchons Daughter. Pr me. Edword Holyoke.
25 June 1660. Power of Administration to the estate of the late Mr Edward Holyoke is Graunted to Mr Elizur Holyoke, his only sonn, to performe this Imperfect will of his father as neere as may be.
Inventory of the Estate of Mr Edward Hollyoke, of Lynne, who dyed at Rumney Marsh, the 4th May 1660, taken the 19 June 1660. Prised by John Tultle, John Dowlettell. Amt. ,£681. "A farme at Lynne, .£400; 3 acres at Nahant, £6; a farme at Bever dame, neare Reading, £150," &c. &c. -p345-346
I'm bemused by the part about " I giue to my sonn Tuttle, that £4 that yearely hee should haue giuen
mee since I put ouer the house at Boston to him. I neuer yet had [a]
penney of it;". That would be my 9x great grandfather John Tuttle who had married Edward's
daughter Mary. It sounds like a bit of Puritan criticism there to me. Also, for someone
who was not actually a clergyman, Edward had an impressive collection of religious
books to pass on to his son Elizur. Combined with the amount of property Edward
owned, it fits the Puritan ideal of a godly, industrious man.
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