Will of Joseph Winn d. 2/22/1714-15
Will of Joseph Winn died 2/22/1714/15 Woburn Mass
Son of Edward Winn of Woburn Mass


In the name of God Amen I Joseph Winn Senr of the town of Woburn in the County of Middlesex in her Majesty's Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England, Yeoman being aged and weakly in body but of sound understanding and perfect memory blessed be God for it. I knowing it to be a Christian duty for a man to set his house in order, I do therefore make ordaine and publish this writing my last will and testment in forme and manner following, and I commit my soul to God that gave it me and my body to the earth to be decently buried in hopes of glorious resurrection to life againe thro the death and merits of Jesus Christ my lord and only Savior and as to that portion of temporal Estate that God of his bounty hath bestowed upon me I do give and bequeath as follows: My will is and I do give unto my loving and well beloved wife Rebecca after my just debts are fully paid and funeral charges defrayed the free use of and full improvement of which halfe of my Estates as before Expressed my wife shall hold and enjoy during the time she shall remain my widow and when she shall decease or see cause to marry againe then the said halfe of my Estate that my wife hath so improved shall return into the hands of Executor, and if my wife shall see cause to marry againe I give unto her five pound per annum to be paid her out of my Estate by my Executor hereafter named. Item- my will is and I do hereby give unto my son Tymothy Winn all my housing and lands, meadows, pastures, orcharding and woodlands in Woburne Excepting what I shall in this my will dispose of to my two Sons Joseph Winn and Josiah Winn, the one halfe of my said housing and lands etc. be my said Son Tymothy Winn shall possess and enjoy at my wifes decease, but in case he my said son Tymothy Winn shall dye without a male heir lawfully begotton of his body then my will is that one or both of my other sons namely Joseph Winn or Josiah Winn shall have the liberty of redeeming the above mentioned hereby given to my Son Tymothy Winn as above said they or he shall appeare to redeem the same paying to the female heires of my son Tymothy Winn begotten as aforesaid the full value of thereof at an equal and an indifferent aprisement, but if my said son Tymothy Winn shall leave a male heire lawfully begotten as aforesaid or that nither of my Sons before said shall appeare to redeem the said lands and housing belonging thereto as it is before expressed then my will is and I do give them to my said Son Tymothy Winn and to his heires forever be or they paying out to his brother Joseph and his sisters hereafter named what I herein order him to pay. Item - to my son Joseph Winn I give all that meadow near his house called Joseph Winns meadow with swamp and low land appertaining thereto which contains by Estimation twenty acres and also a five acre lot at Maple Meadow plan that I purchased of Richard Nevers, and also a tract of land called my great Lott which is by Estimation twenty acres, all which he shall enjoy and his heires forever,a nd I father give unto my said Son Joseph Winn my cloak and four pounds to be paid him by my executor hereafter named within three years after my wife's decease all which together with what I have foremerly otherways given to said Son Joseph WInn I do accompt to be a full double portion out of my lands and my whole estate if it were divided into Eight parts. Item I give unto my son Josiah Winn a trace of land in hungry plain field the which I purchased of Israel Walker and is by Estimation nine acres be it more or less but if my son Josiah Winn doth not see cause to live on said tract but doth sell it or that it ever be sold then my Son Tymothy Winn shall have liberty to purchase the same when it is to be sold then I give the same to my said Son Josiah Winn and his heires forever the which with I have formerly given to him I do accompt his full porportion out of my lands or the value thereof. Item to my daughter Sarah Johnson I give fifteen pounds six shillings and three pence to be paid to her by my Executor within three years after my wifes decease out of my Estate the which with what I have formerly given her I do accompt her full portion out of my lands. Item to my daughter Joannah Knight I give three pounds five shillings and three pence to be paid her out of my Estate by my Execator with in three years after my wife's decease the which with five acres of land that which I have already gen a deed of gift to her husband and what I have otherwayes given to her I accompt her full portion out of my land. Item to my daughter Rebecca Spalding I give Eleven pounds fourteen shillings to be paid her by my Executor with in three years after my wife's decease. Item to my daughter Abigail Winn I give fourteen pounds six shillings to be paid by my Executor within three yeares after my wife's decease the which with what I have done for her since she came of age I reckon to be her full portion out of my lands, and as for my personal Estate my will is that there be an equal apprisement made thereof at my decease and one halfe thereof to be at my wife's dispose and improvement as is before expressed, the other halfe to remaine in my Executor's hands until my wife's decease and at her decease the whole of my Personal Estate to be equally divided amongst all my children, that is to say the whole of what shall be left of that part which my wife hath had the improvement of, and that halfe which my Executor hath had the improvement of. And farther my will is that nither of hte Legacys which I have in this my will ordered my Executor to pay out shall be required of him until thrree yeares be expired after my wife's decease Excepting each childs portion of my Personal Estate which shall be set out to them at their Mothers decease. And finally my will is and I do hereby nominate and appoint my Son Tymothy Winn to be Sole Executor of this my will incerted in this and the fore page of this sheet of paper. In and for the full conformation of which as it is before Expressed and set downe herein I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my Seal this 29th day of January in ye Sixth yeare of her Majestys reigne Anno y Dom 1707. Joseph Winn Senr and a Seal Signed Sealed and published to be the last will and testament of Joseph Winn (Seal) Before us Jonathan Wyman, Stephen Richardson Junr., James Howle, John Russell, Junr. and Joseph Russell.