Individual Details

Death

He was a farmer and prominent man of affairs in Dartmouth. He took the oath of fidelity in 1668, at a session of the court held in Plymouth, 3 Jun 1668; admitted freeman 7 Jun 1681. [RVS-68]

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WILL of JOHN SHERMAN of DARTMOUTH, MA

I John Shearman of the Town of Dartmouth in the County of Bristol being of sound and perfect mind and memory blessed be God for the same but calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for men once to dye do make and ordaine this my last will & testament that is to say principally and first of all I give and reccommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it and for my body I recommend it to ye earth to be buried in a decent manner at the discretion of the Executors and as touching such wordly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I give devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form.

Imps I give and bequeath unto Sarah my wife during her life or widowhood the house wherein I now dwel with the yard ___ half the orchard and the best bed and the use of all my household goods and one cow, said one cow to be hers and her _____ after her and whereas I have given to my son Timothy my homestead by deed my will is that my said son Timothy shall keep a cow for his said mother during her life or widowhood and provide and procure for her fire wood and all the other ___essaryes as shall be suitable for her during her life or widowhood.

Item I give and bequeath unto my son Phillip Shearman forty shillings whome I also constitute and appointe on of my Executors of this my last will and testament.

I give and bequeath unto my son Isaac Shearman forty shillings.

I give and bequeath unto my son Ephraim Shearman eight pounds.

I give and bequeath unto my son Timothy whome I also constitute and appointe one of my Executors of this my last will and testament, my shop and smith tools and all my carts plows and all implements belonging to husbandry.

I give and bequeath unto my daughter Abigail Chase three pounds.

I give and bequeath unto my daughter Hanah Akin twenty shillings.

I givee and bequeath unto my grand son John Shearman twenty shillings.

I give and bequeath unto my two grand children Jonathan Shearman & Phebe Shearman twenty shillings a piece to buy each of them a bible and my will is that the above bequeathed legacies shall be paid within two years after my decease, out of all my personal estate or stock and further it is my will that after all my just debts and all ye above legacies are paid out of my personall estate or stock as abovesaid and my funeral charges and the charge of the Probate that what shall remaine of my said stock shall be equally devided among my four sons Phillip Isaac Ephraim & Timothy & further it is my will that after the deccease of my wife Sarah all my household goods shall be devided between my two daughters Abigail Chase & Hanah Akin that is to say two thirds of it to my daughter Abigail Chase and one third to my daughter Hanah Akin and whereas my brother Peleg Shearman deceased hath given unto me twenty pounds in his last will to be paid in two years after his decease my will is that I dye before I receive it that then said twenty pounds shall be equally divided amongst my above said four sons that is to say five pounds a piece, and I do hereby constitute and appointe my two sons as aforesaid-- Phillip Shearman and Timothyto be Executors of this my last will and testament and I do hereby utterly disallow revocke & disanul all other and former testaments wills and legacies bequests & Executors by me in any time before named willed and bequeathed ratifying & allowing this and no other to be my last will and testament.

In witness whereof I have set my hand and seal this nineteenth day of June 1720.

Signed Sealed Published Pronounced
and declared by the said John
Shearman to be his last will &
testament in Presence of us
John Russel Junr
George Howland
William Bowdish

John Shearman (his mark) Seal
F.D.S. 1325, 1325

Proved May 21, 1734, Taunton, Mass.
Bristol County Probate Records Vol. 8, page 111

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The above Will can be found in:"Some of the Descendants of Philip Sherman, The First Secretary of Rhode Island" by Roy V. Sherman, pp. 425, 426.