The Last Will & Testament
of Nathaniel Tilden

Plymouth Wills & Inventories
George Ernest Bowman

Daughter Mary marries Thomas Lapham who has dau. Rebecca who m. 
John Washburn. 

(MD 3:4:220 - Vol. 1, fol. 37) The last Will and Testament of Nathaniell 
Tilden of Scittuate in New England in America gen Deceased exhibited at 
the genrall Court of our Sovraigne Lord Charles by the grace of God King
of England Scotland ffrance and Ireland Defender of the fayth &c held at
New Plym in New England aforesaid the sixt Day of Septembr in the 
seaventeenth yeare of his said maties now Raigne of England before 
Willm Bradford gen gov, Edward Winslow Thomas Prence 
Willm Collyer Miles Standish Tymothy Hatherley John Browne and 
Edmond ffreeman gent Assistants and testyfyed upon the oathes of 
Symon Sutton and Thomas Hatch 

In the Name of God Amen the five and twentyeth Day of May 
Anno Dni 1641 I Nathaniell Tilden of Scittuate of New England wthin 
America gen being sick and weake of body but of good and prfect 
remembrance (thanks be given to God therefore) Do make ordaine and 
appoynt this my last will and testament in manner and forme as followeth. 
And first I will and bequeath my soul into the hands of Almighty God my 
creator and maker, and to Jesus Christ my redeemer by whose death and 
merits onely I hope to obtaine everlasting salvation, and my body to be 
conveyed unto the earth from whence it was taken, at the place where it 
shall please God to put an end unto my Dayes. And as concerneing my 
worldly goods and estate wherewth it hath pleased God to blesse me I will 
give and bequeath in manner and forme as followeth. 

And first I will give & bequeath unto Lidea my welbeloved wyfe all her 
weareing apparell both linnen and wollen, also one bed furnished wch shee 
shall please to take also the greate trunck, also I give unto my said wyfe 
three paire of sheetes and two paire of pillowcoates wch shee shall please 
to take, one long table cloth one square table cloth one dosen of middle 
napkins and half a dosen of other napkins two long towells twelve peeces 
of pewter wch shee shall please to choose, and of wodden vessells so many 
as shee shall thinke to be convenient for her use also three silver spoones & 
two of my best cusheons, also I give unto my said wyfe one peece of white 
fusteon wch shee shall please to take, also my two cloakes, also tenn bushells 
of Corne, five of English and five of Indian, also my will is that shee shall 
have the whole prfitt of my whitefaced cow and the calves and prfitt wch shall 
come of her During the tyme of her naturall life, to be mayntained and kept 
for her by mine Executor hereafter menconed. Also my will is that my said 
wyfe shall have and enjoy the prfitts of one house and the lands thereunto 
belonging wherein one Richard Lambert now Dwelleth being in the prish of 
Tenterden in Kent in old England During the terme of her naturall life, after 
the Decease of the said Richard Lambert Item my mynd and will is that my 
two yeongest children I idea & Steeven shalbe mayntayned both for meate 
drink apparell & lodging by myne Executor hereafter mentioned yet so as my 
aforesaid wyfe shall have the education and Disposeing of them All the 
residue of my goods my will and mynd is shalbe Disposed of in manner 
and forme as followeth. 

And first I will and bequeath unto my sonn Joseph A Double portion (vizt) 
asmuch more as my other sonnes, that is asmuch as both my other sonnes 
Thomas and Steeven equally to be devided out of my lands and goods Itm 
my will is that my yeongest daughter Lidea Lydea shall have half asmuch 
as one of my yeonger sonnes Thomas and Steeven Item I will unto my 
Daughter Judet one Cow Item 

I will and bequeath unto Mary my Daughter the wyfe of Thomas Lapham 
tenn shillings of lawfull money of England also to Sara my Daughter 
the wyfe of Georg Sutton tenn shillings of lawfull money of England, 
to be payd to either of them wthin one yeare next after my Decease by mine 
Executor Item I will & appoynt that my two servants Edward Ginkins and 
Edward Tarte shall serve up the remaynder of their tyme of service wch by 
covenant is Due unto me wth my sonn Joseph Itm my mynd and will is that 
my sonn Joseph shall prvide for his two brothers Thomas and Steeven for 
either of them half so much stock as his owne, and for his yeongest sister 
Lidea one quarter asmuch as his owne, and that this their stock shalbe kept 
upon the lands given unto them as is before specyfyed untill such tyme as 
the said lands shalbe sould or hyred out. Item I will and appoynt my welbe. 
loved sonn Joseph to be sole and whole Executor unto this my last will and 
testament In witnes whereof I thabove named Nathaniell Tilden have hereunto 
set my hand and seale Dated the Day and yeare first above written, 
Sealed and Delivred as the last Will & Nathaniell Tilden 
testament of me Nathaniell Tilden (his seale) 
in the prsence of 
Symon Sutton his mark 
Thomas Hatch. 

My mynd and will is that my welbeloved sonne Joseph Tilden shall have full
power and authorytie to sell my house wth all the buildings thereunto 
belonging and also all my lands scituate and being in Scittuate & Tenterden 
all wch lands I give him power to sell or to dispose of at his pleasure, whom 
I make my whole and sole Executor of this my last will and testament In 
witnes whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seale Dated the five and 
twentieth Day of May 1641 Sealed and Delivred as the last will & 
Nathaniell Tilden testament of me Nathaniell Tilden (his seale) in the 
prsence of Symon Sutton his marke 
Thomas Hatch. 


[fol. 38] An Inventorie of the goods and chattells of Nathaniell Tilden late 
of Scittuate in New England in America gen Deceased made & prized the 
xxxith Day of July 1641 by us whose names are hereunder written 
li s d 
Inprimis in the Hall one table one forme & chaires 00 . 12 . 00 
It one booke of martirs one great bible Calvins in 
stucons wilson on the romans 3 of mr Downams 3 
of Dotr Prestons Dod upon the Comaundnts Sibbs 05 . 00 . 00 
upon the covenant 3 of Doctr Stortons mr Dikes 
works & thirty other bookes 
It 1 muskett 1 sword & birding peece 01 . 00 . 00 
It in the Inner roome 1 bed furnished 23 . 00 . 00 
It 3 pair of sheets two pair of pillowcoats 1 duzn & half } 
of napkins two table cloaths two towells } 03 . 00 . 00 
It 1 peece of fusteon 00 . 14 . 00 
It xii peecs of pewter 00 . 12 . 00 
It iii silver spoones 00 . 15 . 00 
It two cloakes 02 . 00 . 00 
It 1 truncke 00 . 06 . 08 
Plymouth Colony Wills and Inventories. 223 
It in the hall chamber 1 bed furnished 03 . 00 . 00 
It three chests 00 .14 . 00 
It in the Inner chamber one flock bed furnished 01 . 10 . 00 
It three chests 00 . 06 . 00 
It 1 smale paire of brand Irons 00 . 02 . 06 
It i old case of bottells 00 . 03 . 00 
It 2 old flock beds two boulsters three Bankets & a pillow 02 . 00 . 00 
It in the servants chambers two beds furnished 02 . 00 . 00 
It ix paire of sheets 02 . 10 . 00 
It vi paire of pillow coats 00 . 15 . 00 
It vii table cloathes 00 . 16 . 00 
It iii duzzen & three napkins 01 . 00 . 00 
It v Towells 00 . 10 . 00 
It iiii old table cloths & other old linnen 00 . 02 . 00 
It x silver spoones 0* . 00 . 00 
It six prcells of fusteon 03 . 18 . 00 
It the rest of his weareing apparell 05 . 10 . 00 
It a pillion & a pillion cloth 00 . 09 . 00 
It six cusheons 03 . 10 . 00 
It the rest of the pewter 05 . 00 . 00 
It the bras 00 . 14 . 00 
It the irons belonging to the chimney 00 . 14 . 00 
It iii iron potts 00 . 10 . 00 
It ii frying pars & a driping pan 00 . 10 . 00 
It scales and weights 00 . 12 . 00 
It i grindle stone 00 . 14 . 00 
It i one Jacke 00 . 14 . 00 
It brewing vessells & milk vessells & beere vessells } 
kneading troughs & other tubbs 05 . 00 . 00 
It certaine spruce boards 01 . 10 . 02 
It other smale things necessary about the house 00 . 10 . 00 
It all the Iron things and workeing tools belonging to husbandry 03 . 10 . 00 
It the Cart & all things belonging to yt & a set of harrow } 03 . 06 . 08 
tynes 
It two oxen two bulls two steeres i yeareling one Cow 50 00 00 
and a calfe 
It ii hoggs and foure piggs 07 . 00 . 00 
It foules about the house 00 . 13 . 00 
It tenn stocks & swarmes of bees 10 . 00 . 00 
It fishing netts 01 . 00 . 00 
It pouder & shott 01 . 06 . 04 
It Indean corn in the house about 37 busahells half of } 07 . 00 .00 
3 bushells of sumer wheate i bushell and a half of} 
peas & about one bushell & half of mault } 
It xiiii acrees of Corne on the ground 30 . 00 . 00 
It in Debts hopefull & Desprate 27 . 00 . 00 
Prized as abovesd by us 
Willm Vassall Thomas Chambers Willm Hatch 
* This is either 02 or 03. 
Tilden, Nathaniel