WIFE

Sarah

d. 22 Sep 1689 Milford, New Haven, CT

CHILDREN

1. Thomas Clark b. Abt 1638

2. Sarah Clark b. Abt 1643 Milford, New Haven, CT

3. Samuel Clark b. Abt 1645 Milford, New Haven, CT

4. George Clark b. 05 Mar 1648-49 Milford, New Haven, CT

Will of Deacon George Clark
I george Clerk one of ye Deacons of ye Church of Christ at Milford in the county of New Haven & Colony of Connecticut Planter being (through ye Mercy of God) in perfect Mind and Memory at this present do make & hereby Declare this to be my Last Will and Testament in manner & form following.
Imprimis. Considering that ye life of Man upon earth is but as a shadow, & not knowing how soon God may put an End to my pilgrimage, here below, my age & Decays of Nature minding me Dayly of my approaching Change by Death, there being no Discharge in that War, & then not a fit season to have ye Mind Exercised about Worldly Matters Do Therefore Desire to set my House in order by a Considerate Dispose of that Estate God hath made me steward of, And In ye first place & before all things I do commend & Commit my soul Into ye Hands of Jesus Christ my Dear Lord and Redeemer who hath purchased it by his precious Blood, and My Body to Decent Burial according to ye Discretion of my Executrix & overseers in hopes of a Joyfull Resurrection at ye last Day & so to be for ever with ye Lord Amen.
Item I Give & Bequeath unto my Dear & loving Wife Sarah Clark my Dwelling House & Homstead, with all ye out houses, Buildings, Edifices & Appurtenances thereunto belonging, as allso ye one half part or Moiety of all my Arable Land & pature & Meadow in my present possession and improvement for her own propper Use Benefit & Behoof During her Natural Life.
Item I give & Bequeath unto my son George Clark ye Reversion of ye sd Moiety of my sd House and Homestead, Arable Land, Meadow & premisses (ye Moiety or half part of my sd pasture only excepted) after ye Decease of my sd Wife, as allso ye other Moiety & half part of my sd House, Homestead, outhouses, Buildings, Edifices & appurtenances Lands, pasture, Meadow & Premisses to Have and to Hold to him & to ye Heirs of his Body lawfully Begotten or to be Begotten for Ever, according to my true Intent & Meaning hereunder expressed.
Item I give & Bequeath to my son Samuel Clark ye Westward half part of my sd pasture (excepted as above) to him and his Heirs for ever on ye Limitations following, and my true Intent & Meaning is that if either of my sd sons Samuel or George Clark Die without Issue, then in Default of such Issue male or female of ye Bodies of either of them, then I give ye Revertion of my sd Houses, lands, Meadow, pasture appurtenances & Premisses as avoe to them or either of them givn & Bequeathed severrally, after their or eith of their Decease, & after ye Decease of either of their Children severally, or lawfull Heirs Male or female dying in Minority or without lawfull Issue of their Bodies, Then & in such Case I Bequeath all & every part & parcel of my sd Houses, lands, meadow, pasture & premisses with ye appurtenances to ye other of my Surviving Child or Children to be equally Divided among them, & to his, her or their Heirs lawfully Begotten for ever; And for Default of such Issue then ye sd Houses, lands & Premisses to return, be & remain to other my true, lawfull & next Heirs & of kin for ever.
It. - My Will & true meaning is that my son George Clark shall have ye Eastward half part & Moiety of my sd Pasture abovementioned after my Decease.
Item Whereas I have already given portions in land & other Estate unto my sons Thomas Clark and Samuel Clark, and allso a Portion unto my Daughter Sarah Laws, Yet out of my fatherly Affection to my sd Children I give and Bequeath to each of them severally ye sum of Ten pounds a piece to be Due & payable to them & each of them as before immediatly after ye Decease of my sd Dear Wife or sooner if she shou'd Marry again then ye sd sums of ten pounds apiece to be paid to them severally.
Item - I give and Bequeath unto my son George Clark ye like sum of ten pounds to be paid to him in Manner and form as above expressed to my other Children.
Item - My Mind & true Meaning is that in Lieu or Consideration of ye sd ten pounds above givn and Bequeathed unto my son Samuel Clark, he shall have ye Bedstead, Bed & furniture of it in ye Chamber over ye Kitchin as above after his Mothers Decease.
Item - I give & Bequeath unto My Grand Child George Clark ye son of my son Thomas Clark, all my two parcels of Unfenced Land ye lies in ye Common & not yet taken in, ye one parcel commonly called or known by ye Name of Mowhawks Swamp, & ye other parcel lying right Agt. my other Land to ye Ferry Ward.
Item - I give & Bequeath to my son Thomas Clark for ye Use of his sd son George Clark ye sum of Twenty pounds in Money to buy Books for him if he proves capable of learning & his father bring him up at ye College, or to help to maintain him there, otherwise for ye Use of any other of his sons ye may prove more fit for learning, which Money I Desire may be improved as above, if ti may otherwise ye sd Twenty pounds to be Disposed by my son thomas for his sd sons best advantage.
Item - As a Token of my Love I give & Bequeath to ye rest of my Grandchildren Viz to Samuel, Thomas, John , Joseph & 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 to be paid them severally after my Wife's Decease or Marriage Again.
Item - I give to my son Thomas Clark ye long table in ye Hall after my Wife's Decease.
Item - I give two of my Negroes a Man & a Woman to my son George Clark which he shall Chuse, To my son Thomas Clark one Negroe and another Negro to my Daughter Sarah, That is I give them as above (if living) after my Wife's Decease.
Item - I give ye Time I have in my apprentice Samuel Phillips to my son Samuel Clark likewise after my Wife's Decease.
Item: My Mind and Will is that my Copper furnace, ye Table in ye Chamber over ye Kitchin and ye forme & seats belonging to it, and ye Bedstead, Bed & furniture of it in ye Parlour shall be & remain as standards belonging to ye House, as also ye Cupbord in ye Hall so to be and remain standards in ye House as above.
Item - I Do Nominate Constitute and appoint my Dear & loving Wife Sarah Clark my sole & only Executrix of this my last Will & Testament, & do request & Desire my loving & Honoured Friends Elder Buckingham & Deacon Richard Plat to be my Overseer of this my Will, and to be assisting to my sd Dear Wife. In Witness Whereof & that this is my last Will & Testament (Renouncing all former & other will be me heretofore at any Time made) I have hereunto set my hand & Seal the 15th Day of April 1678.

There were some codicils added in August 1688.