1930 "John: Procter and Martha Harper: ware Married the :first: of June" in Groton, Suffolk. [1]
1672 John Procter wrote his will on August 28. [2] [3]
In ye name of god Amen: I John Procter Senr beinge aged & infirme in body butt of sownd undrstandinge & memory (god be praised) doe make & ordaine this my last wil & testement in manner & forme followinge, viz. first I giue my soul into ye hands of god who hath redeemed it by ye most prcious blood of his deare Son Jesus Christ and my body be desently buried in hope of a happy resurection at ye last day. Item I giue my wife fower pownds yearly to be pd in mrchantable paye at ye price Currant soe long as she Liueth Item I giue my wife martha ye milk of two cows which She shall choos & euery spring Item my wil is yt euery yeare She shal haue a good hog of one yeare & halfe old wel fatted & fower bushels of malt & fower bushels of wheate also I giue her ye horse yt was Georg Steuensons to be kept for her use both winter & sumer & to be attended as neede doth require also two yews and there Fleeces & whatt increeses of them also I giue her ye use of ye bed and al belonging to it in ye parler roome & al ye wood she needeth ready split and cut up for her fires also ye comand of al my _____ pewter & al this (except onely ye fower pownds _____ which she shal haue dureing her life is to be _____ shal haue soe long as she remaineth a wido _____ also my wil & meaning is she shall _____ whether she will except of what I doe thus dispose or stand to her dower or thirds wch ye law al ____ for which she shal take one month to considr of also I giue Martha Hadly my granddaughter tenn pownds in mrch_____ pay to be paid out ye day of her maridg also I giue to Jno Ha_____ my grand sonn fifty shillings to be pd when his tyme ____ out with John Dauis also I giue to my ffower daughters Martha White, Abigal Varney Sara Dodg & Hanna Wede fiue pounds apeece also I doo make & appoint my three Sons John Procter Joseph Procter & Benjamin Procter executors this my last wil & testement & they are to haue my lands & my moueables equaly deuided amongst them in wittnes hearof I haue heare unto Sett my hand this 28th of august 1672.
John (his V mark) Procter
Witness: Samuel Symonds, John Dane junr.
Proved in Salem court 28: 9: 1672 by Mr. Samuel Symonds, and the court was informed there was something more added verbally to be left to the court's further consideration.
Inventory taken Oct. 11, 1672, by Jno. Andrews and Henery Bennett: His wearing cloths, 7li.; howses & lands, 700li.; fower oxen, 25li.; nine cows, 36li.; two steers, 9li.; seaven two years old & vantidg, 24li. 10s.; 3 two year old, 6li. 10s.; seven calves, 8li. 15s.; fower score & six sheepe, 47li.; two horses, two mares, a foale, 201i.; hogs, 45li.; catel, 13li. 17s.; six score bushels of Indian corn, 18li.; Beding & bedsteds, 28li.; two chests, warming pan, two boxes, a ps. of cloth, 2li. 10s.; wooden casks, 6li.; Iron things, 2 pots, skilitt, tramel, slice & a pr. of tongs, 3li.; pewter, ili. 15s.; tin ware & a morter, 12s.; seven score weight of wool, 10li. 10s.; 2 linen wheels, 9s.; 3 pr. smal cards & pr. of stok cards, 12s.; nails & hansaw, 6s.; cheeses, 15li.; chamb. pot, 5s.; frying pan, 4s.; 4 firkins butter, 6li.; 1 firkin sope, 19s.; erthen ware and ps. of saile cloth, 16s.; two Sciths & ye tackling, .; 3 axes, wedges, old Sciths, old Iron shovels, pichfork, -; pillion & cloth, 40s.; musket, fowling ps. & sword, 3li. 5s.; 2 hors, 13li.; 2 sadls, 30s.; pistel, bridl & sword, 40s.; Sadls & bridls, 20s.; Sives & chairs, 9s.; 20li. of old wooll, 1li.; 3 hammers & 2 frooes, 8s.; 300 bushels English corne, -.; thirty load of hay, 18li.; a slid, 3s.; cart & wheels & span sakel, 2 yokes, 4li. 58.; 2 pr. wheels wth ye Irons, 40li.; 2 bibls & another book, 188.; 2 draft chaines, 15s.; 2 sheers & 2 augers, 18s.; 3 sacks, 12s.; due from Samuel Cogswel, 3li.; cartrope, 6s.; due by bils, 67li. 10s.; Cow, 3li.; hatchel, 5s.; debter to several men about 60li.; total, 1228li. 5s.
Sarah Story and Mary Fellows testified in Ipswich court 24: 7: 1672 that being at Goodman Procter's house, they asked him what should be done with his wife's clothing and he answered that it should be disposed of among his daughters and Martha Hadley, both woolen and linen, also her horse and all the wool that was in the chamber, about one or two hundred pounds. He also said that he had given his son James White one pair of oxen which were not entered in his will. Copy made, Oct. 3, 1672, by Robert Lord, cleric.
The court at Salem 26: 4: 1673 ordered the above written to be annexed to the will. Essex County Quarterly Court Files, vol. 20, leaf 147.
Research Notes:
Anderson provides a biosketch of John Proctor and his wife and family. [4]
[1] Parish Registers of Groton, 1562-1875, FL506/1-9, Suffolk Record Office, Ipswich, Suffolk, England, FHL film 952218, [FHLCatalog], [FamilySearchImage].
[2] Essex County, Massachusetts, Probate Records and Indexes 1638-1916, "Old Series: Probate Records, Vol. 301, Book 1, 1671-1681," p. 3d-4, FHL film 860485, DGS 7704242, [FamilySearchImage], [FamilySearchCatalog].
[3] Register of Probate, The probate records of Essex County Massachusetts, Vol. 2 1665-1674 (Salem, Massachusetts: The Essex Institute, 1917), 315-317, [GoogleBooks].
[4] Robert Charles Anderson, Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Vol. 5, M-P (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2007), 540, [AmericanAncestors].