Will of Myles Standish
Captain Myles Standish, Longfellow’s hero, died at Duxbury, Massachusetts, on Friday, October 3, 1656; his will was made March 7, 1656.
“1 my will is that out of my whole estate my funerall charges be taken out & my bod[y] to bee buried in Decent manor and if I Die att Duxburrow my body to bee layed as neare as Conveniently may bee to my two Daughters Lora Standish my daughter and Mary Standish my Daughterinlaw
“2 my will is that out of the remaining prte of my whole estate that all my Jus[t] and lawfull Debts which I now owe or att the Day of my Death may owe bee paied
“3 out of what remaines according to the order of this Govrment: my will is that my Dear and loveing wife Barbara Standish shall have the third prte
“4 I have given to my son Josias Standish upon his marriage one young horse five sheep and two heiffers which I must upon that contract of marriage make forty pounds yett not knowing whether the estate will bear it att prsent; my will is that the resedue remaine in the whole stocke that every one of my four sons viz Allexander Standish Myles Standish Josias Standish and Charles Standish may have forty pounds appeec; if not that they may have proportionable to ye remaining prte bee it more or lesse
“5 my will is that my eldest son Allexander shall have a Doubble share in land
“6 my will is that soe long as they live single that the whole bee in prtenership betwix[t] them
“7 I Doe ordaine and make my Dearly beloved wife Barbara Standish Allexander Standish Myles Standish and Josias Standish Joynt Exequitors of this my last will and Testament
“8 I Doe by this will make and appoint my loveing frinds Mr Timothy Hatherly and Capt: James Cudworth Supervissors of this my last will and that they wilbee pleased to Doe the office of Christian love to bee healpfull to my poor wife and Children by theire Christian Counsell and advisse....