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- Will of Richard Gael, dated 2/25/1678-79 and proved 4/12/1679: I Richard Gael of Watertowne in the county of Middlesex in New England, yeoman: being under the afflicting hand of the infinitely wise God: as to a bodily distemper, yet through the goodness of God am sound in my memory and understanding do declare this to be my last will and testament as followeth: I give my spirit unto the hands of God that gave it and my body to the earth from whence it was taken: hoping throough the mediation of Jesus Christ to have raised again at the great day.
My will is that, except what of my estate just debts shall call for: my well beloved wife shall enjoy my whole estate both houses and lands and cattle of all sorts and all my household good for her comfort and maintenance during her natural life: my loving wife being dead: I give unto my son Abraham the dwelling house he now lives in with seven acres of upland adjoining to it which I gave him at his marriage: so long as my son Abraham lives and to his wife if she should outlive him so long as she lives a widow: and if their death: or my said sons death and his wife's marriage my will is the said house and seven acres of land shall be as an inheritance to my said sons two eldest sons namely Abraham Gall (sic) and Richard Gall:
I give and bequeath unto my son Abraham one fourth part of my orchard as long as he lives: and his wife as long as she lives or continues a widow: and it is to return to the two eldest sons of Abraham my son as they are above?also my will is the two eldest of my son Abraham aforesaid should enjoy two fourths of my said orchard: and to be improved for their benefit until they come of age: and my will is that my son John Gall (sic) should enjoy one forth part of my orchard so long as he lives and at his death the said forth part is to return to my son Abraham and his heirs; I give unto my daughter Sarah Garfield ten pound to be paid within seven years after my wives decease to be paid in country pay at an indefrant rate: and in case my said daughter shall die before the said seven years be expired then my will is the said ten pound should be paid to my said daughters children equally among them: I give unto my daughter Mary Flag ten pound to be paid her in all respects as is said to my daughter Garfield and her children: also my will is that my two sons Abraham Gall and John Gall should enjoy my whole farme containing two hundred and fifty acres: save only the seven acres before given to my son Abraham: and it is my will that my son John Gall aforesaid should enjoy his half of my farme aforesaid no longer than the time of his natural life and at his decease my will is: my whole farm containing 250 Acres as aforesaid should return to my son Abraham and his heirs forever: Also my will is that if God should give unto my son John Gall aforesaid a male heir that then my son Abraham shall when the said male heir attains to the age of one and twenty years a paid unto him twenty pounds in country paie at an indeferant rate and in case my son John aforesaid should depart this life without a male heir then my will is that the said twenty pound be paid to those children or child my said son John shall leave when he dies: to be paid divided equally among them either at their marriage or when they attain eighteen years of age.
And I doe nominate and appoint my well beloved son Abraham Gall to be sole executor to this my will and as a confirmation to this my last will and testament I have hereunto set my hand this five and twentieth of February sixteen hundred and seventy eight.
In the presence of us. Richard Gall, + his mark. Joseph Taynter, William Bond.
An inventory of Richard's estate was made on 3/22/1678 and his real estate, valued at ?150 was described as, "A dwelling house and barne with about 250 Acres of Land adjoining to it" Six Acres of upland upon the great plaine joining to ye farme, Seven Acres of remote meadow near ye pond at Mr. Samuelles farme, (and) Three Acres of meadow lieing upon stonie brooke" (Gale, E.C.) In his will Richard describes himself as a "yeoman," a designation that corresponds to a middle class farmer in contemporary terms. In English society he would have followed Esquires and Gentlemen and would not "have the right to bear arms or use a crest or coat of arms in any form."
Marriage Note:
To the Worshipfull
Jn Wynthropp Junior Esquire
"Sir: It hath beene three times published at Watertowne meeteinge howse that this bearer Richard Gale & Mary Castle intended to enter into a covenaunt of marriage not having els I rest. Watertowne ye 16th of ye 7th 1640. Your Worshipps to command Thomas Mayhew.
Cyrus Gale, a prominent, philanthropic citizen of Worcester county, Massachusetts, donor of the Gale public library building to the town of Northboro, Massachusetts, where he resides, is a descendant in the seventh generation from Richard Gale, who came to Massachusetts, doubtless from England, within twenty years of the landing of the Pilgrims. Search for the origin of the family in the past has resulted in a variety of opinions. Some think it to have been of Welsh, and others of Scotch Highland antecedents. From this latter source comes one form of the name - "Gael" or "Gaell." Burke's "Landed Gentry of England" speaks of "the family of Gale" as of importance in Yorkshire, in the early days of the sixteenth century. There were many New England settlers of this name, among them being Hugh, of Kittery, Maine; Ambrose, of Marblehead; Bartholomew, of Salem ; and Edmond of Beverly - the last three are supposed to have been sons of Edmond of Cambridge, who died in 1642.
Richard Gale, the founder of the Gale family in this country, purchased nine acres of land at Watertown, in 1640. His will, dated February 25, 1678, and proved in April, 1679. considerately provided that his well-beloved wife should enjoy his "Whole estate, both houses and lands and cattle of all sorts and all his household goods, for her comfort and maintenance during her natural life," after which he proceeds to designate the manner in which the property shall be divided after her death, among his four children and their heirs. Richard Gale and his wife had children, as follows: Abraham, John, Sarah, wife of Garfield ; Mary, married Flagg. - Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Worcester County, Massachusetts
WILL OF RICHARD GAEL, dated 2/25/1678-79 and proved 4/12/1679: I Richard Gael of Watertowne in the county of Middlesex in New England, yeoman: being under the afflicting hand of the infinitely wise God: as to a bodily distemper, yet through the goodness of God am sound in my memory and understanding do declare this to be my last will and testament as followeth:
I give my spirit unto the hands of God that gave it and my body to the earth from whence it was taken: hoping throough the mediation of Jesus Christ to have raised again at the great day.
My will is that, except what of my estate just debts shall call for: my well beloved wife shall enjoy my whole estate both houses and lands and cattle of all sorts and all my household good for her comfort and maintenance during her natural life: my loving wife being dead: I give unto my son Abraham the dwelling house he now lives in with seven acres of upland adjoining to it which I gave him at his marriage: so long as my son Abraham lives and to his wife if she should outlive him so long as she lives a widow: and if their death: or my said sons death and his wife's marriage my will is the said house and seven acres of land shall be as an inheritance to my said sons two eldest sons namely Abraham Gall (sic) and Richard Gall:
I give and bequeath unto my son Abraham one fourth part of my orchard as long as he lives: and his wife as long as she lives or continues a widow: and it is to return to the two eldest sons of Abraham my son as they are above?also my will is the two eldest of my son Abraham aforesaid should enjoy two fourths of my said orchard: and to be improved for their benefit until they come of age: and my will is that my son John Gall (sic) should enjoy one forth part of my orchard so long as he lives and at his death the said forth part is to return to my son Abraham and his heirs; I give unto my daughter Sarah Garfield ten pound to be paid within seven years after my wives decease to be paid in country pay at an indefrant rate: and in case my said daughter shall die before the said seven years be expired then my will is the said ten pound should be paid to my said daughters children equally among them: I give unto my daughter Mary Flag ten pound to be paid her in all respects as is said to my daughter Garfield and her children: also my will is that my two sons Abraham Gall and John Gall should enjoy my whole farme containing two hundred and fifty acres: save only the seven acres before given to my son Abraham: and it is my will that my son John Gall aforesaid should enjoy his half of my farme aforesaid no longer than the time of his natural life and at his decease my will is: my whole farm containing 250 Acres as aforesaid should return to my son Abraham and his heirs forever: Also my will is that if God should give unto my son John Gall aforesaid a male heir that then my son Abraham shall when the said male heir attains to the age of one and twenty years a paid unto him twenty pounds in country paie at an indeferant rate and in case my son John aforesaid should depart this life without a male heir then my will is that the said twenty pound be paid to those children or child my said son John shall leave when he dies: to be paid divided equally among them either at their marriage or when they attain eighteen years of age.
And I doe nominate and appoint my well beloved son Abraham Gall to be sole executor to this my will and as a confirmation to this my last will and testament I have hereunto set my hand this five and twentieth of February sixteen hundred and seventy eight.
In the presence of us
Richard Gall, + his mark.
Joseph Taynter, William Bond
An inventory of Richard's estate was made on 3/22/1678 and his real estate, valued at ?150 was described as, "A dwelling house and barne with about 250 Acres of Land adjoining to it" Six Acres of upland upon the great plaine joining to ye farme, Seven Acres of remote meadow near ye pond at Mr. Samuelles farme, (and) Three Acres of meadow lieing upon stonie brooke" (Gale, E.C.) In his will Richard describes himself as a "yeoman," a designation that corresponds to a middle class farmer in contemporary terms. In English society he would have followed Esquires and Gentlemen and would not "have the right to bear arms or use a crest or coat of arms in any form."
Marriage Note:
To the Worshipfull
Jn Wynthropp Junior Esquire
"Sir: It hath beene three times published at Watertowne meeteinge howse that this bearer Richard Gale & Mary Castle intended to enter into a covenaunt of marriage not having els I rest
Watertowne ye 16th of ye 7th 1640
your Worshipps to command
Thomas Mayhew
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