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Last Will and Testament of Ruth Naughty

WSP · Dec 14, 1771 ·

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 ——-

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