From the Probate Files: Mary Mrs. Worden - Yarmouth, New England, 1686

Peter Worden II's wife survived him by about seven years. Unfortunately her will, dated March 26, 1686, is only available in transcript form.

[“Barnstable, MA: Probate Records, 1685-1789.” Records of Barnstable, Massachusetts. CD-ROM. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.)]

Her husband's will having disposed of his land, Mary didn't have that much to leave behind her and she sought to ensure that "there by no differance amongst my children" by having them agree that she could leave her worldly goods as she chose. "All my wearing apparrel" was to be divided equally between her three daughters, all married women, and almost everything else was left to Mary's son-in-law John Barge/Burge/Borg who was also named her executor. Her son Samuel was the recipient of the only exception: "my Indian Squaw Servant" as Peter II had directed in his will.

Sadly we have no idea of the name of that enslaved Native American woman.





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