General Notes

LIEUTENANT JOSEPH ROGERS, WILL AND INVENTORY.
Transcribed from the Original Records,
BY GEORGE ERNEST BOWMAN.
Lieutenant Joseph Rogers died at Eastham, between the day his will was
made, Wednesday, 2/12 January, 1677/8, and the day his inventory was
taken, Tuesday, 15/25 January, 1677/8. From the depositions of Jonathan
Sparrow and Samuel Berry, taken the day the will was probated, it is
evident that he lived "some few" days after making his will. His oldest
surviving son, Thomas, who was named in the will as executor, and his
youngest son, James, both died within a few months, and on 30 ctober/9
November, 1678, Captain Jonathan Sparrow and the only remaining son, John
Rogers, were appointed administrators to complete the settlement of the
estate.
[Plym. Col. Wills, Vol. III, Pt. II, pp. 103 - 105]
[p. 103] I Joseph Rogers senir: of Eastham of Good Understanding and
prfect memory being weake in body; and not knowing the the day of my
departure out of this life, doe thinke meet to Leave this as my Last will
and Testament
Impr: I Comend my soule to God that Gave it; whoe is my God, and father
in Jesus Christ, and my body to the earth by decent buriall; firstly And
Concerning my temporall estate that God hath posessed me off; I doe make
my son Thomas Rogers whole and sole executor which I will should be
disposed of as followeth; Impr I doe Give unto my Loveing son James
Rogers and his heires Lawfully begotten of his body: or the next of kinn;
my house and housing and Land with ffences or the like appurtenances,
that I now dwell in and Improve adjoyning to my house be it more or
lesse; as it is Recorded & bounded on the Towne book, I say I doe Give it
to him and to his heires Lawfully begotten of his body forever or the
Next kinred; Item I doe give To my sonnes John and James Rogers all my
meadow Ground that I bought of the Indians ffrancis and Josiah, Lying att
Pottammacutt and therabouts; I say I doe give and will it to them and
theire heires forever equally to be devided Item I doe Give to my sonnes
Thomas and John Rogers and theire heires all my meadow and sedge lying on
the otherside of the Cove, on keeskagansett syde; I say I doe Give it to
them and theire heires Lawfully begotten of theire bodys forever; I doe
Give to my Daughter Elizabeth higgens the wife of Jonathan higgens six
acrees of Land lying Neare the Barly neck, by a swamp Called Ceader
swamp; as it is Recorded and bounded in the Towne book, I say I Give this
six acrees To her and her heires of her body for ever; shee nor they
shall not sell hier farm it out, directly nor Indirectly to any prson
whatsoever, except in Case of Removall it shalbe lawfull for my sonnes or
theire heires to buy or purchase it; Item I Give to Benjah higgens my
Grandchild on Condition hee live with mee untill I die; I say I Give to
him and his heires, one third prte of all my upland and meddow att
Paomett, purchased and unpurchased Item It is my will That the Remainder
of my lands or marshes, both att the barly necke, Pochett Iland Paomett
Billingsgate or elswher purchased or unpurchased not disposed of
prticularly in my will; I say it is my will that all those lands be
equally devided betwixt my three sonnes Thomas John and James Rogers; and
the heires lawfully of theire bodyes for ever; Noteing that my son Thomas
his twenty acrees of upland that already hee hath in the barly necke be
prte of his devision of my land in the barly Necke; Item I doe Give unto
my daughter hannah Rogers, if shee be not disposed of in Marriage before
my decease, and my wifes decease, then I say I doe Give to her my bed and
beding with all the furniture therto belonging or that shall belonge
therto att our decease; Alsoe it is my will that shee shall have her
Choise of one Cow before my Cattle be distributed, and the use of three
acrees of Tillage Ground; ffenced in, with the arable Ground of her
bretheren in the barly necke if shee desire, it soe longe