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| Misc. Notes |
The following undated original paper appears as Docket #27518 in the records of "The Court of Superior Judicature" (Boston Court House Annex). It presents a rare and very human picture of contemporary life:
"I, William Gifford, aged about fourty years or therabouts, Declare & say That I, being called from my house by Indian Cappe of Sukanesset on 15 April last, to go with himself & a little Indian boy, called Little Cappe, to help kill a parcell of Fishes which he said were near the shore at a place called Little Sepawissit - I readily went a Long with him, and said Little Cappe carried along with us a long-billed axe and two other small axes and when we came to ye lea side, we say a little ffish, which was a very one, yt was killed and lay upon the shore, which Cappe said that Little Cappe told him yt he had killed & hauled on shore which there was reason to believe, because it seemed to be newly stabbed and killed, by his bleeding afresh. And then we rushed into ye water, the rest of ye sd ffishes being near the shore and Cappe killed or wounded all said Fish & having so done, we went up to a wigwam not far distant to refresh ourselves, we being exceeding spent & tired with our labours and after which I proposed (being a stranger to such ffish) to have made an enquiry for information as to their worth, whereupon John Robinson came occasionally to me and informed me what ffish they were, when he came to see them; and the tide being down, some of sd Fishes remained with life in them and we, taking advantage of the season (for some of them now lay dry and others a ground) worked so long upon them we supposed we had killed them all, and now night drawing on, we thought to have secured said ffish by seizing or fastening of them, but the wind arising at West & blew hard & being fair to bring them on shore we left them for the night. Veras copies attest Jona Elatson, Clark." |
| Will |
unto my loving wife Lydia Gifflr, one half of all my household stuff, as bed, pewter, iron, chests... besides her right of dower... Item... my son Gideon shall have out of my moveable Estate what he hath had; ten pounds, to be paid by my executor within three years after y decease. Item 2. To my son Jabez fourty pounds of my moveable Estate... within three years.. Item 3: My son Gershom to have ten pounds... Item 4: To my daughter Experience Wing, ten pounds. Item 5. To my daughter Mehitable Willis, ten pounds. It. 6 ... my daughter Mary Willisses children shall have ten pounds... It. 7 ... my daughter Hannah Butler shall have ten pounds.. It. 8 .... my daughter Harris [sic] shall have ten pounds. It.9. My daughter Temperance Gifford shall have 10 pounds.. It. 10.. To my daughter Sarah Gifford ten pounds. It 11... my son Justice Gifford shall have five shillings besides what I have given him. It 12... to my son Seth Gifford five shillings besides what I have given him. It 13... my son William Gifford... five shillings.... It. 14... my son Silas Gifford... five shillings... It. 15... my son Nathan Gifford, my son Melatiah Gifford and my son Joseph Gifford to have each of them out of my Estate five shillings.... It is my Will that if my moveable Estate does not out to be sufficient to pay the full sums above sett to each one, then for each one to have less, equal in proportion to what is given each... further: it is my Will that my son Justice Gifford and Stephen Bowerman and Thomas Bowerman Junr, be executors... If either of these executors should dye before this my Will is proved, that Benjamin Bowerman be executor in their room that deceases.... this 25th day of February 1737" Witnessed: Benjamin Swift, Samueil Bowerman, Ezra Bourne (Barnstable County Probates, 5:389)
The witnesses swore to the will at Sandwich 22 Oct 1739. An inventory, dated 2 Nov 1739 was presented by Joseph Landers, Thomas Bowerman and John Hammond. Total value: £341.2s.10d. |
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abt 1675, Falmouth, Barnstable, MA |
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21 Jun 1711, Falmouth, Barnstable, MA |
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