Dill, Lawrence
W3,1:146
8 October 1691
proved 10 Nov 1691

In the name of God, Amen, I Laurence Dill of Devonshire Tribe in ye Sommer Islands als Bermudas ___ being sick in body but of sound mind and memory praise bee therefore given to Allmighty God doe make and ordaine this my last will and testament in manner and forme following, that is to say

First & principally I comend my soul to Allmighty God my savior assuredly believing that I shall receive full pardon & free remission of all my sins and inherit everlasting life by the precious death and merritt of my beloved saviour & redeemer Jesus Christ and my body I comitt by ye earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executors hereafter named. And as touching ye disposall of all such temporall estate as it pleased Allmighty God to bestow upon mee I give and dispose thereof as followeth.

Imp:rs. I will that my debts and funerall shall bee first paid and discharged.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my deare and entirely beloved wife Elizabeth Dill for and dureing the terme of her naturall life all that my mansion house and the outhouses edifices and buildings thereunto belonginge scituate in Devonshire Tribe aforesaid. And allsoe those two shares of land in the said tribe belongeing to the said mansion house conteyinge by estimation ffifty acres more or less. Upon condition that she continues in the state of widdowhood but in case she shall remarry after my decease that then she shall only have and enjoy dureing her life the said mansion house and ye northside share of the said two shares of land, wch northside share is to bee severed and divided in breadth from ye southside share at the tyme of her remarriage.

Item. I give and bequeath after ye decease of my wife, unto my son Abraham Dill all that my said mansion house with ye outhouses & buildings together with fforty acres of the aforesaid two shares of land to bee taken & measured from ye northside sea in breadth southerly to hold to him the said Abraham Dill and to the heyres male of his body lawfully begotten and to bee begotten and if it shall happen my siad son Abraham so dye without issue male of his body as aforesaid then I give devise and appoint the same unto my sonn Joseph Dill and to ye heyres male of his body lawfully to bee begotten and for default of such issue then to my sonn Samuell Dill and the heyres male of his body lawfully to bee begotten. And for default of such issue then to my son Benjamin Dill and the heyres male of his body lawfully to bee begotten. And for default of such issue then to my son John Dill and the heyres male of his body, lawfully to bee begotten. And for want of such issue then to the next heyres of me the said Lawrence Dill forever. Allso I give unto my said son Abraham Dill his heyres and assignes forever all ___ my ___ of ___ land belonginge to the said two shares lying in the tribe aforesaid att or in and contained place there called Brackish Pond Dock and my will and meaning is that the _____ out and division of the said two shares of land bee done with the advise & appropbation of the overseers of my will hereafter mentioned.

Item. I give and bequeath (from and after the remarriage or death of my said wife which shall first happen) unto my son Joseph Dill all those ___ of land referred of the said two shares of land in Devonshire Tribe. Allsoe I give unto him all that my one share of land with the appurtenances thereon belonginge ___ in large by estimacon twenty five acres more or less (adjoyning to ye said five acres above part thereof) lyeing and being in Pagetts tribe in ye aforesaid Islands lots by mee purchased of Mr John Keeol to hold to him the said Joseph Dill and to the heyres male of his body lawfully to bee begotten. And if it shall happen my said son Joseph dye without issue male of his body lawfully begotten then I give devise and appoint the same unto my son Samuell Dill and to his heyres male of his body lawfully to bee begotten. And for default of such issue then to my son Benjamin Dill and the heyres of his body lawfully to bee begotten. And for default of such issue, then to my son John Dill and the heyres male of his body lawfully to bee begotten. And for want of such issue then to the next heyres of mee the said Laurence Dill forever. Allsoe I give unto my son Joseph Dill his heyres and assignes, forever all that my halfe acre of ___ land belonginge to the said share of land lying in Pagetts tribe aforesaid at or neare a contained place there called Hungrey Bay.

Item. My will is that my said wife shall at such time and in such manner as she shall think fitt dispose the occupation f the lands hereby given unto her (under the limitations aforesaid) and allsoe the proffitts thereof to bee imployed ___ for the support & maintenance of her selfe, as allsoe of my children as occasion shall require.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my deare wife the sd Elizabeth Dill all my ready money which shall be in my custody or otherwise belonginge to mee at the tyme of my decease. Allsoe I give unto her three of my slaves to be such as she shall amke choice of and the rest of my slaves I doe hereby impowre my said wife to give and dispose them to such of my children and in such manner as shee shall thinke fitt.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my said wife one third part of all and singular goods chattels, household stuff, plate, cattell and personall estate of what mater or kind soever wch herein before particularly understood and the other two thirds of the same I doe hereby give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary ____, and my sonns Samuell Dill, Benjamin Dill, my daughter Miriam Dill and Martha Dill, and my son John Dill to be equally and indifferently parted and divided betweene them, to bee paied and delivered out to them when my said sonns shall severally attaine the age of twentyone yeares and unto my young daughters when they shall severally attaine that age or be married which shall first happen. And my will is that if it shall happen any of my said children last mentioned dye before the times aforesaid appointed for the payment and delivery of the said severall portions that then the part of his her or them soe dyeing shall remain in and come unto ye survivor and survivors of them.

Lastly. I doe by these presents revoke disannull and make void all former wills & testaments by mee before made and doe hereby declare this only to be my last will and testament.

In witness whereof I the aforementioned Laurence Dill to this my last will and testament contayned in two sheetes of paper have to the bottom of each sheete sett my hand and to ye topp at the labell my seale. Dated ye eigth day of October in teh third yeare of the reigne of our Sovereigne Lord and lady William and Mary King and Queene of England in ye Anno Dni 1691.

Signed sealed and declared by ye sd Laurence Dill as his last will & testament in ye presence of
Joseph Darrell
Samuell Smith
John Place
Samson Potter

Bermuda als Summer Islands

Novem:ber 10th 1691
By His Excell'cy ye Gov'r
Then personally appeared before me Joseph Darrell, Sam:ll Smith, John Place, and Samson Potter who made oath upon ye Holy Evangelist that they saw this instrument of writtinge signed sealed and delivered by the within mentioned...
(copy of original ends).