Transcribed by Marge Matteson

Will of Joseph Matteson
Dated May 5, 1757, Proved September 2, 1758
Source: West Greenwich, RI Wills Vol 1 pages 142-144

In the Name of God amen  the fifth Day of may in the
Thirtyth year of his majesties Reigne George the Second King
of Great Brittain (symbol) and in the year of our Lord one thous
and Seven Hundred and fifty Seven I Joseph Matteson
of West Greenwich In the County of Kent In the Colony of
Rhode island (symbol) yeoman Being Some what Discomposed as to
my  Bodyle Helth yet not withstanding of a Sound Disposing
mind and Memory Thanks Be Given to god Therefore
Calling to mind the mortality of my Body and Knowing it yt
it is appointed for men once to Dye Do make and ordain
this instrument in wrighting my Last will and testament
that is to Say Princably and first of all I Give and Recommend
my Spirit into the hands of God that Gave it and my Body I
freely Submit to the Earth to Be therein Decently Buried at the
Descretion of my Executor here for after named and as touch
ing  Such Worldly Estate Wherewith it Hath Pleased God to
Bless me in this Life I Give and  Dispose of the same in the
following manner and form and first my will is that
my Just Debts Last Sicknesses and funiral Charges be

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             Well and truly Paid out of my moveable Estate by my
              Executor in Some Conveniandt time after my Decease

Imprimis I Give unto my Beloved wife Martha Matteson
          all the Profits of my Home Stead farme ^ where upon I now dwell^ that Lyes of the
          north side of the mill Rive So Long as She Remains my widow
          Provided She Shall take care of my Lamb Daughter
          Eunice until she arives to the age of Eighteen
          Years and maintain her well and if my Said Lamb
          Daughter Should Happen to Git well then my will is
          That She have the one half of the Propets of Said farm
          With her mother During her natural Life. I also
           Lend to my Said wife one third Part of my housel
           Stuff So Long as She Shall Remain my widow and after
           my Said wifes Decease or marriage all that Shall Remain
           of that third Part to be Equally Divided amongst my
           Foure Daughters vis Aels Elizabeth Lowis and Eunice
Item    I Give and Bequeath unto my youngest Son Ezekiel
           Matteson and to his heirs and assigns forever all the
           afore mentioned farm of the north Side of the mill
           River with the Building fences orchards and all other Previled
           ges there unto Belonging But not to be Possessed by him or
           Them  untill my Said wifs Decease or marriage nor^un^till my Said
           Lambe Daughter Decease~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Item    I Give and Bequeath unto my Son Jonathan Matteson
           and to his Heirs and assigns forever a Certain Piece of land
           Lying in said West Greenwich and in the Northwest at Corner
           of the farm that  I Purchised of Peleg Spencer Beginning at
           the Highway or Country Road at the north Eand and to Ex
           tend Southerly about  Forty Rods other wise So fur as the
           Land hath been Brought tow with a Plow adjoyning to
           Kings Lane and So to Extend west untill it Comes to the
           other Highway to the west ward of Said farm Bounded
           Westerly and northerly on highways Easterly on Land
           of  Magline King and Southerly on the Remain my Part
           of Said Farm             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Item    I Give and Bequeath unto my Son Thomas Matteson and to
           his Heirs and assigns forever all the Remaining Part of  *
           farme that Lyes to the Westward of that Parth or Road that
           formerly used to Go from the house where Thomas Reynolds
           now Dwells to Cahoons mill or a Long by the House of Robart
           Briggs which Road Goes a Little to the westward of a young
           Orchard by me Lately Set out Excepting a foure Rod high
           way for my Son ** John to Pass and Repass to and
           from the west high way which foure Rod  Highway I Give
           to my Son John Matteson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Item    I Give and Bequeath unto my Son John Matteson and to his
           Heirs and assigns  forever all the Remaining Part of the afore
           said farm that I  Purchased of Peleg Spencer to Gither with
           all the Building fences orchards woods *** and all other
           Previledges and apputenances to that Part of the farm Belong
           ing  or in any wise appertaining    I also Give to my Said
           Son John all my farming tacklin of what nature
           Or Kind forever ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Item  I Give and Bequeath unto my Son William Matte
son  my Riding Horse Tadcle and Bridle~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
and where as my Son Thomas Matteson is Gone in to
the army and if it Should So happen that he Should
never Return or Be Kild in Battle then my will is
that the Land which I have Given to him Shall be
Equally Devided a mongst two of my Sons and
three of my Daughter and to be for them their
Heirs and assigns forever namely William Matteson
Ezekiel Matteson Aeli Whitford Elizabeth Matteson
and  Lowis matteson and after all my Just Debts
are well and truly Paid by my Executor all that Shall
Remain of my movable Estate **** not here to fore
Disposed of to Be Equally Devided amongst my
Three Last mentioned Daughters Ales Elizabeth and Lowis
Item  my will is that all that Part of my afore * farme
That Liyes of the South Side of the afore said mill Reciev
Quite to the mane stream be sold by my Executor for the
payment  of Doctors Bills and other Just Debts~~~~~~~~~~
*****

Item  and Lastly I Do here by nominate and appoint
    My Son William Matteson my Whole and Sole
    Executor to this my Last will and testament and
    I Do also hereby utterly Dis a low Disanull Revo
    ke  and by these Presents make void all and Every
    other former will or wills Executor or Executors
    Legacies and Bequeaths  by me at any time here
    to fore made or named or in any wise Caused to be
    named or made Rattifieing and Confirming this
    and no other to be my Last Will and testament
    In witness and confirmation where of I have here
    unto  Set my hand and Seal the Day month and
    year first afore written~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Signed Sealed Published Pronounced and
    Declared by the Said Joseph Matteson to be his
    Last Will and testament in the Presence of us
    The Subscribers
       N:R the words I Give : forever : and to his heirs
            and assigns forever was enter dined before Signing
            and Sealing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Griffen Sweet                                                           his
Hezekiah Matteson                                    Joseph   Jof   matteson
Sarah her                                                                 mark
           + Matteson
          mark

^ ^ means something was inserted between two words but between two lines because it didn’t fit
*s with a small d attached to the upper right part of the s abbreviation for “said”
** Thomas had been written in and then crossed out here
***this word could not be read clearly
****unreadable word crossed out
*****there is an entry that begins in the left hand margin in the next line under item
          a line has been drawn to separate these words..”note that these found next above
should have been recorded next above Jonathans Part it was so in the original”

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