THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF MYLES STANDISH

"The Last will and Testament of Captaine Myles Standish Exhibited before the court held att Plymouth the 4th of may 1657 on the oath of Captaine James Cudworth; and ordered to bee recorded as followeth:
Given under my hand this march the 7th 1655 Witnesseth these prsents that I Myles Standish seni'r of Duxburrow being in prfect memory yett Deseased in my body and knowing the fraile estate of man in his best estate I Doe make this to bee my last will and Testament in manor and forme following:
1 my will is that out of my whole estate my funerall charges be taken out & my body to bee buried in Decent manor and if I Die att Duxburrow my body to bee layed as neare as Conveniently may bee to my two Daughters Lora Standish my daughter and Mary Standish my Daughterinlaw
2 my will is that out of the remaining prte of my whole estate that all my Just and lawfull Debts which I now owe or att the Day of my Death may owe bee paied
3 out of what remaines according to the order of this Gov'rment: my will is that my Dear and loveing wife Barbara Standish shall have the third prte
4 I have given to my son Josias Standish upon his marriage one young horse five sheep and two heiffers which I must upon that contract of marriage make forty pounds yett not knowing whether the estate will bear it att p'rsent; my will is that the resedue remaine in the whole stocke and that every one of my four sons viz Allexander Standish Myles Standish Josias Standish and Charles Standish may have forty pounds appeec; if not that they may have proportionable to ye remaining prte bee it more or lesse
5 my will is that my eldest son Allexander shall have a Doubble share in land
6 my will is that soe long as they live single that the whole bee in prtenership betwixt them
7 I Doe ordaine and make my Dearly beloved wife Barbara Standish Allexander Standish Myles Standish and Josias Standish Joynt Exequitors of this my last will and Testament
8 I Doe by this my will make and appoint my loveing frinds mr Timothy hatherley and Capt: James Cudworth Supervissors of this my last will and that they wilbee pleased to Doe the office of Christian love to bee healpfull to my poor wife and Children by theire Christian Counsell and advisse; and if any difference should arise which I hope will not; my will is that my said Supervissors shall Determine the same and that they see that my poor wife shall have as comfortable maintenance as my poor state will beare the whole time of her life which if you my loveing frinds pleasse to Doe though neither they nor I shalbee able to recompence I Doe not Doubt but the Lord will;
By mee Myles Standish
further my will is that marcye Robenson whome I tenderly love for her Grandfathers sacke shall have three pounds in some thing to goe forward for her two yeares after my Decease which my will is my overseers shall see prformed
ffurther my will is that my servant John Irish Juni'r have forty shilling more then his covenant which will appeer upon the towne booke alwaies provided that hee continew till the time hee covenanted bee expired in the service of my exequitors or any of them with theire Joynt Concent
March 7th 1655 
My mee Myles Standish
9 I give unto my son and heire aparent Allexander Standish all my lands as heire apparent by lawfull Decent in Ormistick Borsconge Wrightington Maudsley Newburrow Crawston and the Ile of man and given to mee as right heire by lawfull Decent but Surruptuously Detained from mee my great Grandfather being a 2cond or younger brother from the house of Standish of Standish
March the 7th 1655
by mee Myles Standish
Witnessed by mee James Cudworth

 

The inventory of Myles Standish, deceased 1656

Note: inventories are valued in pounds (L), shillings (s) and pence (d).  There were 12 pence (or pennies) to a shilling and 20 shillings to a pound.

"an Inventory of the goods and Chattles that Captaine Miles Standish gent: was possessed of att his Decease as they were shewed to us whose names are underwritten this 2cond of December 1656 and exhibited to the court held att Plymouth the 4 may 1657 on the oath of m'is Barbara Standish
L s d
It one Dwelling house and outhuses with the land therunto belonging 140 00 00
It 4 oxen 24 00 00
It 2 mares to mare coults one yung horse 48 00 00
It six cowes 3 heifers and one Calfe 29 00 00
It 8 ewe sheep two rames and one wether 15 00 00
It 14 swine great and smale 03 15 00
It one fowling peece 3 musketts 4 Carbines 2 smale guns one old barrell 08 01 00
It one sword one Cutles 3 belts 02 07 00
It the history of the world and the turkish history 01 10 00
It a Cronicle of England and the Country ffarmer 00 08 00
It ye history of queen Ellisabeth the state of Europe vusebious Dodines earball 01 10 00
It DOctor halls workes Calvins Institutions 01 04 00
It Wilcocks workes and Mayors 01 00 00
It rogers seaven treatises and the ffrench Akadamey 00 12 00
It 3 old bibles 00 14 00
It Cecers Comentaryes Bariffes artillery 00 10 00
It Prestons Sermons Burroughes CHristian contentment gosspell Conversation passions of the mind the Phisitions practice burrowghes earthly mindednes Burroughs Descovery 01 04 00
It Ball on faith Brinssleys watch Dod on the lords Supper Sparke against herisye Davenports apollogye 00 15 00
It a reply to Doctor Cotten on baptisme the Garman history the Sweden Intelligencer reasons Discused 00 10 00
It 1 Testament one Psalmebooke Nature and grace in Conflict a law booke the mean in mourning allegation against BP of Durham Johnson against hearing 00 06 00
It a prcell of old bookes of Divers subjects in quarto 00 14 00
It an other prcell in Octavo 00 04 00
It Wilsons Dixonary homers Illiads a Comentary on James balls Cattechesmes 00 12 00
It halfe a young heiffer (?)1 00 00
It one feather bed bolster and 2 pillowes 04 00 00
It 1 blankett a Coverlid and a rugg 01 05 00
It 1 feather bed blankett and great pillow 02 15 00
It one old featherbed 02 05 00
It one feather bed and bolster 04 00 00
It one blankett and 2 ruggs 01 15 00
It one feather bolster and old rugg 00 14 00
It 4 paire of sheets 03 00 00
It 1 paire of fine sheets 01 04 00
It 1 Tablecloth 4 napkins 00 10 00
It his wearing clothes 10 00 00
It 16 peeces of pewter 01 08 00
It earthen ware 00 05 00
It 3 brasse kettles one skillett 02 00 00
It 4 Iron potts 01 08 00
It a warming pan a frying pan and a Cullender 00 09 00
It one paire of stillyards 00 10 00
It 2 bedsteds one Table 1 forme chaires 1 Chest and 2 boxes 02 13 00
It 1 bedsted one settle bed one box 3 Caske 01 07 00
It 1 bedsted 3 Chists 3 Casses with som bottles 1 box 4 Caske 02 06 06
It one Still 00 23 00
It 1 old settle 1 Chaire one kneading trough 2 pailes 2 traies one dozen of trenchers 1 bowle 1 ferkin 1 beer Caske 1 Table 00 26 00
It 2 beer Caske 1 Chern 2 spinning wheels one powdering tubb 2 old Caske one old flaskett 00 25 00
It 1 mault mill 02 00 00
It 2 sawes with Divers Carpenters tooles 01 19 00
It a Timber Chaine with plow Chaines 01 06 00
It 2 saddles a pillion 1 bridle 01 00 00
It old Iron 00 11 0
It 1 Chist and a bucking Tubb 00 08 0
It 1 hachell 2 tramells 2 Iron Doggs 1 spitt one fierforke 1 lamp 2 gars one lanthorn with other old lumber 02 01 0
It in woole 00 15 0
It hemp and flax 00 06 0
It eleven bushells of wheat 02 05 0
It 14 bushells of rye 02 02 0
It 30 bushells of pease 05 05 0
It 25 bushels of Indian Corn 03 15 0
It Cart and yeokes and plow Irons and 1 brake 02 05 0
It axes sickles hookes and other tooles 01 00 0
It eight Iron hoopes 1 spinning wheele with other lumber 00 14 0
022 03 00
John Alden 055 18 00
James Cudworth 280 06 00
358 07 00
Mayflower Descendant, Vol. 3, p. 153-156.

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Updated 18 May, 2005