1James Taylor Holmes, The American Family of Rev. Obadiah Holmes, pp. 60-62 (1915).
"These are to signifie that I Obadiah Holmes of Newport Rhode Island being at present through the goodness and mercy of my god of sound memory and being dayly intimation putt in mind of the frailty and uncertainty of present life doo therefore for settling my estate in this world which it hath pleased the lord to bestow upom mee make an ordain this my last will and testament to manner following committing my spirit unto the lord yt gave it me and my body to ye earth from whence it was taken in hope and expectation that it shall from thence be Raised at the resurrection of the Just.
Item. I will that all my just debts which I owe unto any person be payd by my executors hereafter named in convenient time after my decease.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Brown five pounds in mony or equivalent to mony.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Martha Odlin tenn pounds in ye like pay.
Item. I give unto my daughter Liddiah Bowne tenn pounds. Item. I give and bequeath unto my two grandchildren ye children of my daughter Hopestill Taylor, five pounds each and if either of them decease the survivor to have tenn pounds.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my son John Holmes tenn pounds. Item. I give and bequeath unto my son Obadiah Holmes tenn pounds. Item. I give and bequeath unto my grandchildren the children of my sonn Samuel Holmes tenn pounds to be payed unto them in equal portions all those portions by me bequeathed my will is shall be payed by my executors in mony or equivalent mony.
Item. I give and bequeath unto all my grandchildren now living tenn pounds and tenn shillings in ye like pay to be laid out by each of them.
Item. I give unto my grandchild Martha Brown tenn pounds in the like pay all which afforesaid legacies are to bee payed by my executors gereafter named in manner here expressed that is to say the first payment to be payed within one year after ye decease of my wife Katranne Holmes twenty pounds ye year till all ye legacies be payd and each to be paid according to the degree of age. My will is and I do hereby appoint my son Jonathan Holmes my executor with bond, unto whom I have sold all my land housing and stock for these formed of my said legacy and my will is that my executor shall pay unto his mother Katranne Holmes if she survives and lives the summ of twenty pounds in mony or mony pay for her to dispose of as she shall see cause lastly I do appoint my loving friends Mr James Barker sen. Mr Josrph Clarke and Mr Phillip Smith all of Newport to be my overseers to see this my will truly is formed in writing.
Whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seal this ninth day of April, 1681
OBADIAH HULLME (Seal)
Signed, sealed and deliverd in the presence of:
EDWARD THURSTON
WESTON CLARK.".