Individual Details

Will

His will on file at Hartford, was dated February 28, 1725-6, and proved May 10, 1726. It was not written in his own hand and his signature shows extreme infirmity.

Will of John Fuller

I, John Fuller, Senr of the township of Haddam, County of Hartford, upon
the east side of the Great river, by the great goodness of God retaining
my reason, yet being crazy and infirm in body and not knowing the day of
my death, have thought it my duty, and do by this my last will and
testament, dispose of what temporal estate God has graciously given me as
follows: viz: first of all I commit my body to the dust to be decently


buried, and my soul to God in Jesus Christ in hope of eternal life.

Imprimis: I give and bequeath to my dear and loving wife, one cow, such
as she shall chuse, eight sheep, four pounds in money, the bed she lies
on, one room in my dwelling house, and so much interest in the plow land
and grass land of my home lot as may be necessary for her comfortable
support during her widdowhood, and I do appoint my son Thomas to take care
of the creatures from year to year, and I do appoint my sons Joseph and
Benjamin each to give her a day's mowing, in a year yearly, and my sons Shubael and John to do her weaving in same proportion between them yearly.

Item, I give to my oldest son Thomas besides what I have already given him
by deed of gift, twenty pounds of my right or interest in the common or
undivided land, and all my interest in the Iron Ware belonging to the
field, but not what is in or for the house.

Item: I give to my son Samuel besides what I have already confirmed to him
by deed of gift, viz: twenty pounds of my right or interest in the common
or undivided land, and one half of my meadow lot called by the name of the
little pine meadow, together with sundry other valuable things he has
already had of me.

Item: I give to my son Shubael, besides what I have already confirmed to
him by deed of gift, viz: twenty pounds of my right or interest in the


common or undivided land, and one half of my meadow lot called by the name
of the little pine meadow, together with sundry other valuable things he
has already had of me.

Item: I give to my son Edward, six pound in money, that is to say, in case
he never finds his lost money, yet the demands upon him from me upon the
account of the fat cattle he bought of me late shall be abated to the
value of six pound, because he hath had a deed of gift and sundry other
things from me.

Item: I give to my son John, beside the deed of gift, one half of my first
division meadow lot.

Item: I give to my son Joseph, beside the deed of gift, twenty pounds of
my interest in the common and undivided land, and one half of the little
pine meadow.

Item: I give to my son Benjamin, beside the deed of gift, twenty pounds of
my interest in the common land and one half of my first division meaddow
lot.

Item: I give to my daughter Thankful what she has had already in brass,
pewter, etc.

Item: I give to my daughter Elizabeth sundry valuables she has already


received.

Item: I give to my daughter Mehitabel what she has already received, a


coverlet and iron pot, also the bed I lie on after my and my wife's
decease.

Item: I give to my wife my mare and to my son Thomas a steer coming two
years old. I appoint my sons Thomas and John to be executors of this my
will, and direct them to divide any overplus of my estate between my three
daughters. Signed and Sealed Feb. 28, 1725-6.

This will was exhibited in court at Hartford, May 2, 1726, and proved May
10, 1726..

You will note neither Anne Fuller, wife of Jonathan Rowley, nor Deborah
Fuller, wife of John Rowley are listed.

However, the most significant item is the last paragraph wherein the
executors are directed to divide any overplus of his estate between his
three daughters. One cannot say he deliberately overlooked Anne and Deborah who were both living at the time. He listed three daughters:
Thankful, Elizabeth and Mehitable. There were no others.

In the "Bowman" files, George Bowman had his doubts as he listed all the
children, and then added Deborah and Anne with question marks in front of
their names. Significantly, he also added the name "Fuller" to all but


those two.