John Eaton of Dedham drafted his will on September 2, 1658. He bequeathed his estate primarily to his wife, Abigail, granting her property, household goods, a cow, and an annuity of six pounds yearly. His children, John, Mary, and Abigail, were allocated equal shares of the remainder of his estate. He named Abigail as the sole executrix. The inventory taken posthumously valued his estate at £329.10, including various lands, livestock, and household items, with a significant portion located on Dedham Island. The estate was later inherited by his son, John Eaton Jr.
I John Eaton of Dedham in the Countie of Suffolke though sicke and weake in body, yet by the mercy of God whole + sound in my memory and understanding, + of a disposing minde, doe make and Ordaine this my Last will as followeth vizt:
First I comitt my soule into the hands of the Lord my Redeemer, + my body after my death to the earth to be decently buryed by the care of my executrix.
Item I give unto Abigall my well beloved wife the free use of that my Parlor in my now dwelling house + the leanto thereunto adjoyning and all the household stuffe at present in them to her to use + enjoy during all the whole tearme that she shall remaine a widdow, and sufficient firewood for her use to be provided and Layd in the yard at her assignmt from time to time all the whole tearme aforesaid.
Item I give unto my said wife the annuitie of sixe pounds p ann to be payd at the end of each halfe yeare after my decease in such things as she needeth out of my estate hereafter to be disposed of during the whole tearme of her naturall life, or the third pt of my lands during the same tearme, her selfe to choose which of these two she best liketh.
Item I give unto my said wife so much of my other household stuffe as cometh to the value of five pounds being such as her selfe shall make choyce of, and also one Cowe her selfe to choose and these I give to her and her heyres forever.
Item I give to John Damman of Reading and his heyres forever the sume of five pounds.
Item I give to John Plimton of Meadfeild and his heyres the like sume of five pounds.
Item I give unto Edward Hodsman my kinsman the sume of fortie shillings and my minde is that all these Legacies last above written shall be payd in Currant Country payment in Dedham at price Currant by my executrix within one whole yeare after my decease.
Item my minde + my will is that all the remainder of my whole Estate shall be devided into two equall pts, and that pt of her portion which my Daughter Mary have received to be accounted thereunto the one half whereof I give to John Eaton my Sonne and to his heyres forever, and the other half I give to Mary and Abigall my two daughters and to their heyres forever.
And my minde is that all that pt of her portion wch my daughter have already received shall be accounted to her pt that so my two daughters may have equall and my mind and my will is that my sonne and my two daughtrs according to theire portions pay to my wife theire mother that sixe pounds p ann as it above written.
And I do nominate and ordaine Abigall my well beloved wife aforesaid to be my sole executrix for the full and due pformance of this my Last will as is above written.
In witness whereof I the said John Eaton have hereunto set my hand and seale the 2d day of the 9mo 1658.
His mark:
John X Eaton + a seale
Subscribed and sealed in the presence of us:
John Allin
Eliazer Usher
Attested upon Oath by ye said John Allin before me Eliazer Usher Comiss. the 9 10mo 1658.
Capt. Eliazer Usher deposed before the Court that he saw John Eaton signe this paper and heard him published to be his Last will.
1658 Inventory of John Eaton Estate
Inventory of John Eaton Taken 30th, of ye 9mo. 1658 by Eleazer Lushing, Henry Chickering and John Hayard/Haward.
| Item | Worth in £ |
|---|---|
| 31 yards New Cloth | 3. 2. 0 |
| Bridle & Sadle I pillion I pannell | 1. 0. 0 |
| 7 load Hay from foule meadow | 3. 10. 0. |
| The dwelling house & the 2 barns | 45. |
| I pcell of upland where the house stands with the orchard as it encompassed with meadow | 28. 0. 0 |
| land in the Ilande playne broken & unbroken. | 28. 0. 0 |
| the further pcell in the great plaine | 7. 10. 0 |
| the other | 12. 0. 0 |
| 1 Pcell by Thomas Paynew | 5. 0. 0 |
| The meadow at home by the house lot | 50. 0. 10 |
| The Meadow enclosed in the Iland playne fence | 9. 0. 0 |
| 2 pcells of swamp lying in the iland & one in the South playne | 6. 0. 0. |
| Woodland distributed and near Meadfield and all Common rights of all sorts | 5. 0. 0. |
| Furniture, rugg, blanket, Wearing apparell, Farming Tools Oxen & Calves 2 mares, I colt, sheep, lamb, swine, carts, ploughs, yokes. | 180. 08. 0 |
| £ 329. 10. 0 |
Presented bv Abigail Eaton, the relict of John Eaton 16, 10, 58. This inventory shows that he owned a lot in Fowl meadows, but that his principal estate was on Dedham Island, and we shall see that it included the land on which the Powder House Rock was located. The estate was inherited by John Eaton 2nd, who was but 22 years old when his father died.
It is supposed that John Damant mentioned in the will was a brother of Jane, i.e. a stepson of John Eaton. John Plimpton was the husband of his stepdaughter, Jane Damon, or Damant, or Dummin, as it is variously spelled. As to “Edward Hodsman my kinsman,” if we knew more about him we might possibly learn who Abigail Eaton was before she married her first husband Henry Damon.
