Will Probate, RI, Kent, John Stafford 1798 I, JOHN STAFFORD, of Warwick in the county of Kent & c., Yeoman, being favored with a sound, disposing mind & memory do make and ordain this my last will and testament, hereby directing the interment of my body in a Christian like manner at the discretion of my executrix and executor, hereafter named. And touching such worldly property as I’m possessed of, I give and bequeath in the manner following, viz: IMPRIMIS My mind and will is, and I hereby order and direct, that all my just debts and funeral expenses be first paid out of my personal estate by my executrix & executor, hereafter named. ITEM I give and bequeath to my beloved wife MARTHA STAFFORD, in addition to her right of dower & power power of thirds in my real estate, the use and profits of all my monies and securities for money not herein otherwise disposed of during her natural life, provided she remain my widow, as well for the advancement of her comfort in life, as the better to enable her to bring up, support and educate our children yet under age. But in case of her second marriage, then and in that case, all right, claim to the use and profits of the money & securities aforesaid to cease, when our youngest child shall arrive to lawful age. And my mind and will further is and I hereby order and direct, that upon the death of my said wife, or upon her right ceasing by second marriage, as aforesaid, that then the money and security aforesaid be equally divided among all my children. ITEM I give and bequeath to my son THOMAS RICE STAFFORD my now dwelling house and log of land on which it stands, together with my grist mill and all the other real estate I am seized and possessed of lying & being in that part of Warwick called the Fulling Mill, to him, his heirs and assigns forever. As also three eighths of my Schooner Sally, now at sea, and one thousand dollars, to be delivered up and paid him when he shall arrive at the age of twenty one years by my executrix and executor hereafter named. ITEM I give and bequeath to my son HENRY RICE STAFFORD my farm or lot of land lying in Warwick adjoining the main road leading from the Compact Part of East Greenwich to the Fulling Mill (so called) with the dwelling house and other buildings thereon standing, to him, his heirs and assigns forever, together with my live stock and farming utensils. And also a salt meadow lying in Thatch Cove, it being the log I purchased of Thomas Arnold & Joshua Godfrey, to him, his heirs and assigns forever. ITEM I give and bequeath to my daughter BETSY GREENE, two hundred dollars to be paid out of my personal estate by my executrix and executor, within one year after my decease, provided she shall not have received the same in household furniture previous to proving this testament. Page 1 of 4 ** PAGE BREAK ** Will Probate, RI, Kent, John Stafford 1798 ITEM I give and bequeath to my four single daughters, namely MARBARY [MARBURY] STAFFORD, PATTY STAFFORD, POLLY STAFFORD & MARCY STAFFORD, two hundred dollars each, to be paid them by my executrix and executor, hereafter named, out of my personal estate, when they shall severally arrive to the age of eighteen years, or at the time of marriage, provided they should marry previous to their arriving to that age. And my mind and will further is that should any or all them remain unmarried at the aforesaid age of eighteen years, that they have a right to the use and improvement of the great room, in the west end of my farm house given to my son HENRY RICE STAFFORD, with the bedroom in the cambers at the head of the stairs, together with a privilege in the cellars under the west end of said house to put things therein as they may need, with right to pas to and from said rooms. The use and improvements aforesaid to continue so long as they remain unmarried & no longer. ITEM I give and bequeath to my honored and aged mother, ELIZABETH STAFFORD, one hundred dollars to be paid her by my executrix and executor hereafter named within one year after my decease, the same to be paid out of my personal estate. ITEM I give and bequeath to my beloved wife MARTHA STAFFORD and my son Thomas Rice STAFFORD all the residue and remaining part of my property not herein otherwise disposed of to be equally divided between them. AND LASTLY I nominate, constitute, ordain and appoint my beloved wife MARTHA STAFFORD, and my son THOMAS RICE STAFFORD, executrix and executor of this my last will and testament, ratifying and confirming this and no other as such. In witness hereunto I set my hand and affixed my seal this nineteenth day of March, Anno Domini 1798. JOHN STAFFORD {seal} Signed, sealed, published & declared by the said JOHN STAFFORD to be his last will & testament in the presence of DANIEL HOWLAND, JUNR. BOWEN ARNOLD THOMAS HOWLAND Page 2 of 4 ** PAGE BREAK ** Will Probate, RI, Kent, John Stafford 1798 Mr. DANIEL HOWLAND Junr., Mr. THOMAS HARLAND both of East Greenwich in the county of Kent & c. and Mr. BOWEN ARNOLD of Warwick in said county came before the Town Council of Warwick on the 7th day of April AD 1798 and solemnly affirmed that they saw the testator, JOHN STAFFORD, Esquire, deceased, sign, seal, publish, pronounce and declare the aforewritten instrument to be his last will & testament, and in his presence and in the presence of each other they set their hands as witnesses to the same. And that he, the said JOHN STAFFORD, was in his perfect mind and memory at the same time. ATTEST. JAMES JERAULD, Council Clk Whereupon the said Town Council took the promises under their consideration and after they had mutually considered the same, did thereupon prove and approve the aforesaid last will & testament to be good and valued in the law according to the true intent and meaning thereof. In testimony whereof the council ordered the seal of this office to be hereunto affixed this 7th day of April, 1798. {seal} JAMES JERAULD, Council Clk Recorded the 3rd day of August 1798 by JAMES JERAULD, Council Clk Page 3 of 4 ** PAGE BREAK ** Will Probate, RI, Kent, John Stafford 1798 An inventory of all & singular the goods & chattles, rights and credits of JOHN STAFFORD, Esquire, late of Warwick, deceased, that were set forth by Mrs. MARTHA STAFFORD, executrix to the last will and testament of her late husband, JOHN STAFFORD, Esquire, aforesaid, and appraised by us the subscribers this 9th & 10th days of April AD 1798. [INVENTORY LIST] JOHN R. ARNOLD GORTON JERAULD JOHN R. ARNOLD, Esquire of Cranston & Doctor GORTON JERAULD of Warwick came before the Town Council of Warwick on the 13th day of April AD 1798 and on solemn oath declared that they had prized each and every article contained in the afore written inventory, according to the best of their judgment, and that the same was an account of all the personal estate of the late, deceased, JOHN STAFFORD, Esquire, that was shown and set forth to them by MARTHA STAFFORD, widow and executrix of the last will and testament of the said JOHN STAFFORD, deceased. And the said MARTHA STAFFORD likewise appeared before the said Town Council and on oath declared that she had shown and set forth to JOHN R. ARNOLD & Doctor GORTON JERAULD all the personal estate of her aforesaid deceased husband that had come to her possession or knowledge and that if anymore hereafter should come into her hand, possession or knowledge she would cause the same to be added to the aforewritten inventory, whereupon the aforewritten inventory was accepted and approved by the council. ATTEST JAMES JERAULD, Council Clk. Recorded the 10th of September 1798 by JAMES JERAULD, Council Clk Page 4 of 4 ** PAGE BREAK **