This is the last Will and Testament of Ruth Naughty, widow of David Naughty who died 33 years earlier. In his will, he directed his executrix (Ruth) to free the enslaved couple Montros and Phillis and their children at her death. Her will frees only Montros and Phillis and explains why she felt she did not have to free their children Pompey, Moses, Aaron and Candace. Persons not mentioned are Flora (who had died in November of 1771), another one of Montros and Phillis’ children, and Cesar, Flora’s son.
Doctor John Redfield Executor of the Last Will & Testament
Of Ruth Naughtye late of Guilford Dec’d Exhibitted s’d Will
Which was Proved & Approved in Court & Ordered to be Recorded.
The s’d Executor Excepted the Trust therein Commited to him.
In the Name of God Amen. This Fourteenth Day of
December 1771 ___ I Ruth Naughtye of Guilford in the County of New
Haven & Colony of Connecticut in New England widow being under
Infirmityes
Infirmities of Body but of Sound mind & Memory thanks be given to God
therefor, Calling to mind the mortallity of my Body & Knowing that it
is appointed for all men Once to Die Do Make & Ordain this Last
Will & Testament that is to say Principally & first of all I Give I Give &
Recommend my soul into the Hands of God that Gave it; & my Body
I Recommend to the Earth to be Buried in decent Christian Burial
at the discretion of my Executor Nothing Doubting but that at the
General Resurrection I shall Recieve the same again by the
Mighty Power of God. And as touching such wordly Este where _
with it hath pleased god to bless me in this Life I Give Demise and
Dispose of the same in the following manner & form. ________
Imprimus —- My Just Debts and Funeral Charges being first paid
Whereas my Late Husband Mr. David Naughtye late of Guilford
Deceas’d by his Last will & Testament (whereof I was made Executrix
Ordered that after my Decease his negro Man Named Motross & his
Negro Woman named Phillis & their Son (a Negro Boy) named Pompye
and any other Children that should be born of sd Phillis should all be
made free & no Longer Servant or Slaves, & whereas the Debts due
from the Estate of sd Dec’d surmounted the personal Estate as t’
Inventory in which sd Negroes were included so that I might lawfully
Have sold sd Negroes for the paying of sd Debts or have kept as Slaves to
my own Estate but by the Divine Blessing on Labour & Industry I have
paid all the Debts of my sd Husband out of my own Estate so far as sd
Negroes & several other necessaries amounted to, but I being willing
that the two old Negroes (viz) Montross & Phyllis should injoy their
Freedom and the Legacies which by my sd Husbands will
were given to them, My Will is that sd Montross and Phillis be
free and no Longer Servants or Slaves, & that my sd Husbands
will be fully performed with respect to them~~~~
Item ___: As to the sd Pompye & the other children which have been born
Of sd Phillis since the date of my sd Husbands Will (viz)
Moses, Aaron & Candace thinking it much better for them to Live
in some good Regular & Religious families as servants than to enjoy Freedom I
Have with their free Consent & Choice when they were Come to years
of Discretion Bound them all out by Indenture for Life (viz) the
Sd Pompye to Mr. Eben’r Dod of sd Guilford, Moses to the Rev’d Mr. Amos
Fowler of sd Guilford Aaron to Mr. Levi Hubbard of Guilford & Candace
Candace to Mr. Eben’r Parmelee of sd Guilford & Ann his wife during
Their Lives and after their Decease to Ensign Hooker Bartlet widow & Ruth his
Wife & it is my will and I do give the sd Pompye to the sd Eben’r
Dod, & I also Give the sd Moses to the sd Amos Fowler, & also In give the
sd Aaron to the sd Levi Hubbard I also Give the sd Candace to the
said Eben’r Parmele & his Wife during their Lives & at their Decease
to Ruth Bartlet Widow to the aforesd Hooker; They & Each of them
performing what they by Indenture are bound to Do. ——
Item — I give & Bequeath to my Negro Man Montross Four Pounds lawfull
mony to Buy him a Jhersy Coat & Vest, & Leather Breeches & also two
Pounds Lawful mony to purchase things most Convenient for him
Item — I give and bequeath to my Negro Woman Phillis her Bed Beding & Bed-
Stead also my silk Crape Frock, my largest Iron Pot & my Iron Skil-
Let & four Pewter Plates, one Pewter Platter, Funnel, one pair Tongs
One Slice, one Trammel, Box Iron & heaters, Gridiron, Warming pan & one
Preel two pair sheets one frying pan, one small spinning wheel & Great
wheel one Large Trunk & my Copper Coffee Pott & tea Kettle. —–
Item — I give & bequeath to my Negro man Pompey five pound Lawful mony
In Lieu of the Clothing which his Master Gave him by Will which I used
To pay his sd Masters Debts, which sold for sixty Pounds Old Tenor
Whis is Equal to five pound Lawful mony; I give to sd Pompie my
Great Bible & also Four Pounds Lawful money. ——————–
Item — I give & bequeath to my Negro Girl Candace my bed Bedding & Bedstead
on which I lye two Pillows & other furniture Belongings to it my Little
Iron Pot on Iron Skillet four pewter plates, two pewter Platters, on Looking
Glass, one Dutch Spinning Wheel one New great wheel, tow pair sheets
two pillow Coats my Callimance Frock, One White Holland Holland
Apron, One Chest of Drawers, my Light coloured shalloon Quilt &
Broadcloath short Cloak also I give to sd Candace my Trundle Bed
& Bedclothes & Bedstead my desk, my Large Brass Kettle a
Large Pewter Bason & my Callico Frock & my Dark Colour’d
shallom Quilt. —————————————
Item — All the Remainder of my Everyday Wearing apparel I give to the sd
Phillis & Candace with all my shifts & Caps to be equally divided between them
Item — I give and Bequeath to my Negro Man Moses four pounds lawful mony-
Item —I give and Bequeath to my Negro Man Aaron four pound lawful mony—
Item — I give & bequeath to sd Pompie, Moses Aaron & Candace all my books
Eccept my Best Bible to be equally Divided between them.
Item — I give & Bequeath to the Church of the first Society in Guilford four
Pounds Lawful Mony to purchase a Silver Cup for the use of the Lors
Table which Cup shall have my name Engraven on the same
Item — My will is that my Gold Chane & Locket my Ring & Piece of Gold
two Silk Damask Frocks, my silk Quilt my Furbelow’d Scarf my
broad Cloth Ridinghood & head together with all the Remander of my
movable Estate to be sold & the mony that shall arise upon sd sale togehter
with all the mony that is due to me by Bonds, notes, or Book, or mony that may be in my House or Else where belonging to me, shall be loan’d out
upon good Security (Except what mony is or shall be otherwise disposed of in this
my Will and the Interest thereof from time to time shall be disposed of
for the Maintenance of my two Old negroes (viz) Montros & Phillis or to
Either of them that shall stand in most need of it; & the Principle shall
not be disposed to them Except the necessitous Circumstances of Either
or Both of them shall or may require it in which Case only it may
be used for their Relief. ——————-
Item — I Give & Bequeath the Ballance in any there be on two of
Hand Given to me & Executed by by Abraham Hodkin, this Balance
I Give unto David Benton son of James Benton Jun’r of Guilford.
Lastly — I Do Hereby Constitute Ordain & Appoint my Trusty Friend Doctor
John Redfield of Guilford aforesd Executor of this my Last Will & Testament
to whom I give my best Hand Irons & also five pounds, Lawfull mony
to Purchase him a Silver Watch; And I do hereby revoke & Disannul
All other & former Wills Testaments & Executors by me at any time be-
fore named or made Rattifying &Confirming this & no other to be my
last Will & Testament — In Witness wereof I have herunto
set my Hand & Seal the day of the date first above written ————–
Signed Sealed, published, pronounced &
Declared by sd Ruth Naughtye
As her last Will & Testament in (signed) Ruth Naughtye (seal)
Presence of us
Sam’l Stevens Messrs. Sam’l Stevens, Frederic Redfield
Frederic Redfield & John Eliot the witnesses to the forefo-
John Eliot ing Will personnally appeared before
The court of Probate Held in Guilford July
Ye 21; 1772 & made oath that they saw Mrs. Ruth Naughty sign & Seal the
Foregoing instrument & heard her declare the same to be her Last Will and
Testament & that according to their Judgement she was of sound mind & memory
At the doing thereof & that they all signed to the same as Witnesses in Reference
Of the Testament ————————– Test. Eben’r Parmele Jun’r Clerk ——-
