Will
15 April 1678
He left a will on 15 April 1678I, George Clark, one of ye Deacons of ye Church of Christ, at Milford, in the County of New Haven and Colony of Connecticut, planter, do make this to be my last will and testament: I give unto my wife, Sarah Clark, my dwelling house and homestead, with all ye outhouses, buildings, edifices and appurtenances thereunto belonging, as allso ye one-half part or moiety of all my arable land and pasture and meadow in my present possession, for her own proper use, benefit and behoof, during her natural life. I give unto my son George Clark ye reversion of ye sd. moiety of my sd. house and homestead, arable land, meadow and premises, after ye decease of my sd. wife, as also ye other moiety and half part of my sd. house, homestead, outhouses, buildings, edifices and appurtenances, lands, pasture, meadow and premises, to him and his heirs forever. I give to my son Samuel Clark ye westward half part of my sd. pasture (excepted as above). And my will and true meaning is that my son George Clark shall have ye eastward half part and moiety of my sd. pasture above mentioned, after my decease. Whereas, I have already given portions in land and other estate unto my sons Thomas Clark and Samuel Clark, and also a portion unto my daughter Sarah Laws, yet out of my fatherly affection to my sd. children I give to each of them ten pounds. I give to my son George Clark ye like sum of ten pounds. I give to my grandchild George Clark, ye son of my son Thomas Clark, all my two parcels of unfenced land known by the name of Mowhawk Swamp, and ye other parcel lying right against my other land to ye Ferry Ward. I give to my son Thomas Clark for ye use of his son George Clark, twenty pounds to buy books for him if he prove capable of learning and his father bring him up at the College, or to help to maintain him there. As a token of my love I give to ye rest of my grandchildren, vizt., to Samuel, Thomas, John, Joseph and Sarah Clark, ye children of my son Thomas, five pounds apiece. To Mary, ye daughter of my son Samuel Clark, five pounds. And to Jonathan Laws, son of my daughter Sarah, five pounds. I give to my son Thomas Clark ye long table in ye hall, after my wife's decease. I give two of my negroes, a man and a woman, to my son George Clark, which he shall chuse; to my son Thomas Clark, one negro; and another negro to my daughter Sarah; that is, I give them as above (if living) after my wife's decease. I give ye time I have in my apprentice, Samuel Phillips, to my son Samuel Clark, likewise after my wife's decease. My mind and will is that my copper furnace, ye table in ye chamber over ye kitchen, and ye form and seats belonging to it, and ye bedstead, bed and furniture of it in ye parlour, shall be and remain as standards belonging to ye house, as also ye cupboard in ye hall, so to be and remain standards in ye house as above. I do nominate, constitute and appoint my dear and loving wife, Sarah Clark, my sole and only executrix, and to request and desire my loving and honoured friends, Elder Buckingham and Deacon Richard Platt, to be my overseers. The testator did request, desire and appoint ye Hon. Deputy Governor Major Treat to be one of his overseers. Witness: Wm. Jones, Senr., Wm. Jones, Junior. George Clark, ls. Further, my will is that besides ye gift of a negro to my daughter Sarah Law, I do give unto my 2d. daughter Sarah Law my negro boy named Ishmail, desiring her to bring him up to reading, and to set him at liberty when he comes to the age of thirty-two years, or, if she please, a little sooner. And if her son Jonathan Law should marry and need him more than she, I do give her liberty to dispose of him to ye sd. Jonathan. Witness: Samuel Eells, Timothy Baldwin. George Clark, ls. 18 August, 1688. This will was recorded here, 27 December, 1737. D. Edwards, Clerk.