Will, MA, Hampshire, JONATHAN SHEPHERD 1756 In the name of God Amen. This 27th day of October in the year of our Lord Christ 1756, I, JONATHAN SHEPHERD of Westfield in the county of Hampshire and province of the Massachusetts Bay and New England being very sick but of sound mind and memory thanks be given to God there for yet calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing it is appointed for all men once to die Jamaican ordain this my last will and testament, that is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it and my body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in a decent, Christian burial at the discretion of my friends and neighbors, nothing doubting, but that I shall receive the Same Again by The Mighty power of God, and as touching such worldly a state where with God hath pleased to bless me and this life I give, demise, and dispose of the same in the following Manner and form. IMPRIMIS I give and bequeath unto RACHEL, my well-beloved wife, the one third part of my movable estate to be at her own disposal forever after my just debts are paid and also the use and income of one third part of my real estate during her natural life. ITEM I GIVE unto my beloved Son JONATHAN SHEPHERD the sum of £40 lawful money. ITEM I GIVE unto my eldest daughter RACHEL SHEPHERD the sum of £40 lawful money to be paid her by my executor when she shall arrive at the age of 18 years, either in movables or in money or in land at the apprizement of indifferent men. ITEM I give unto my second daughter MARY SHEPHERD the sum of £40 lawful money to be paid on to her by my executor when she shall arrive to the 18 years either in money or in the movables or land at the apprizement of indifferent men. ITEM I give them to my third daughter ELEANOR SHEPHERD the sum of £40 lawful money to be paid her by my executors when she shall arrive to the age of 18 years either in movables or in money or in lands at the indifferent apprizement. ITEM I give unto my fourth daughter SARAH SHEPHERD the sum of £40 lawful money to be paid her by my executor hers when she shall arrive to the age of 18 years either in movables or in money or lands at the apprizement of indifferent men. ITEM I give them to my three sons JONATHAN SHEPHERD, SOLOMON SHEPHERD, and AMOS SHEPHERD all the remainder of my estate both real, personal after my just debts and legacies are paid to be equally divided between them according to the judgment and discretion of indifferent men, which I do now give and dispose of to them, the said JONATHAN, SOLOMON [and AMOS SHEPHERD] their heirs and assigns forever. ITEM I do now constitute and appoint my beloved wife RACHEL SHEPHERD and my son JONATHAN SHEPHERD and my brother JOHN SHEPHERD to be the executor of this my last will and testament. AND I DO NOW utterly disallow, revoked, and disannul all other and former Wills, legacies, bequest, and executive orders any wise before willed, or named here by ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament. Page 1 of 4 ** PAGE BREAK ** Will, MA, Hampshire, JONATHAN SHEPHERD 1756 In witness whereof I I have, said JONATHAN SHEPHERD, have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year before written. JONATHAN SHEPHERD {seal} Signed, Sealed, published, pronounced and declared by the said JONATHAN SHEPHERD as his last will and testament who executed the same in the presence of us the subscribers and we signed as Witnesses in his presence. ISRAEL ASHLEY JOHN BALLANTINE JOHN BANCROFT Page 2 of 4 ** PAGE BREAK ** Will, MA, Hampshire, JONATHAN SHEPHERD 1756 Hampshire November 23rd 1756 The foregoing will was presented for probate by the executors, as therein named, and ISRAEL ASHLEY Esquire and JOHN BANCROFT two of the witnesses to the same appearing made oath that they saw JONATHAN SHEPHERD, the testator, sign, seal and heard him pronounce and declare the same to be his last will and testament and that he was of a sound mind and memory when he did it, and that they, with the Reverend JOHN BALLANTINE, all signed as witnesses to the same, at the same time, in the presence of the set testator and each other. Wherefore at a court of probate holden at Northampton with and for the county of Hampshire on the second Tuesday of December being the 14th day of the said month Anno Domini 1756, I, TIMOTHY DWIGHT Esquire, judge of Circuit Court, the foregoing will is ratified, approved, and confirmed as the last will and testament of said deceased. JP TIMOTHY DWIGHT Hampshire November 23rd 1756 ISRAEL ASHLEY Esquire, JOHN BANCROFT and ENOCH HOLCOMB, all of Westfield, said in court that they are appointed and sworn to make a just and indifferent apprizement of the estate of JONATHAN SHEPHERD, late of said Westfield, deceased, according to the best of their skill and judgment as it shall be presented to them by RACHEL SHEPHERD, JONATHAN [SHEPHERD] and JOHN SHEPHERD executors of the last will and testament of the said deceased TIMOTHY DWIGHT, judge of probate Page 3 of 4 ** PAGE BREAK ** Will, MA, Hampshire, JONATHAN SHEPHERD 1756 ###### # # ##### ####### # # ##### ####### # # # # ## ## # # # ## # # # # # ## ## # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ###### # # # # #### ##### # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ## ### # # # # # # ###### # # ##### ####### # # ### ##### ####### # # Transcribed from original documents by Brent R. Brian & Martha M. Brian. This document and others can be found on our website: BMGEN We claim COPYLEFT on the documents that we publish that are our original work. COPYLEFT “rules” can be reviewed on the web site: GNU Free Documentation License In short, use what you like. But if you use our stuff, mention us as the source. Brent R. Brian Martha M. Brian BrianMitchellGenealogy@gmail.com Page 4 of 4 ** PAGE BREAK **