AAFA Wills
WILL OF ALEXANDER ALVORD

May 23, 1687. Whereas I Alexandr Alvord of Northampton in ye Countie of Hampshire in ye Massachusets Bay in New England being weak and deceased in strength and well stricken in years, dayly Lookeing wn I shall go hence vnto ye place appointed for all liveing doe therefore make, ordaine constitute & appoint this my Last Will and Testament, I being of perfect memory and sound Understanding I comitt my soul to God yt gave it and Jesus that redeemed it.

Hopeing through his merrits to receive pardon of all my sins and to be accepted in ye sight of God.

I leave my Body to be buried in comely manner at ye discretion of my Executor herafter mentioned & as for that portion of outward estate yt God hath given me I dispose, alienate and bequeath it as followeth viz:

Whereas my son John Alvord; my daughter Abigaile wife to Thomas Roote; Mary Weller deceased; and Elizabeth Birth deceased; having received ye full of their portiones already, I only give as follows viz.

To John Alvord twenty shillings; to Samu Root son to Thomas Root twenty shillings; to two of my sons Weller’s children, Experience, and Abigail, to each of ym 20s., to Henry Burt’s child 20s.

Item to Thomas Alvord twentie shillings and to his two sons Thomas and John twentie shillings to each of them.

To my son Benjamin Alverd I give that part of my old house joyneing to that wch my son Weller lived in, togeather with that piece of Land it standeth upon which was given me by the town.

Item to my son Jeremiah Alvord I give thirtie pounds. To my daughter Sarah Alvord I give thirtie pounds.

Item, to my son Jonth Alvord I give twentie pounds;

The rest of my Estate my just and due debts being payd I give to my son Ebenezer Alvord viz: my house barne, orchard, pasture, meadow land, stock, debts, household stuff and all my estate whatsoever, both moveables and immoveables.

Alsoe my will is that ye Legacies be paid out of ye stock, debts & in moveable Estate, and to be payd to each of them, the one half at my decease, the other half within two years after; & my will is yt son Ebenezer shall not alianate any part of ye lands given him but shall make such disposall of ye same to the heirs of his body as shall see cause.

And I do hereby constitute and appoint my son Ebenezer Alverd to be ye sole Executor of this my last will and testament.

In witness hereunto I have subscribed and sealed this 23d May 1687, and I desire my trustie ffriende Mr Hawley to see this my will to be accomplished and to take speciall care of my unmarried children; to advise them in matching & to have ye oversight of ym while they re-

mayne in a single condition.

ALLEXANDER ALVORD (his A. A. marke)

Signed sealed in ye prsence of us

Joseph Hawley

John Lyman.

Northampton decembe 6. 1689 at ye Core of Common pleas ye aforesaid Will was presented the witnesses thereto mr Joseph Hawley & Jno Lyman Examined concerning there being prsent at ye tyme of Allexander Alvord signeing & sealeing it wch they acknowledged and set their hands thereto and further made Oath that ye sd Allexander was then of sound disposeing mynde.

JOHN PYNCHON

JAMES CORNISH

[Northampton Reg. of Probate, Hampshire Co., Vol. 1, P. 265.

This Will was copied verbatim with the Old English spelling of many of the words from THE BURKE AND ALVORD MEMORIAL.