Middlesex County, Massachusetts, probate case 16189, Thomas Oakes of Cambridge: will of 12 September 1658. The will of Thomas Oakes of Cambridge in New England: to his wife Elizabeth Oakes his whole estate during her widowhood for her livelihood and the education of his children; a double portion for a son if the child his wife is now with prove a son; wife sole executrix; his brother Edw. Oakes, Deacon John Bridge and (added before signing) John Cooper overseers; signed Thomas Oakes, witnessed by John Bridge, Edward Oakes, [?Joseph Mitton?] and Tho: Danforth.

Word-for-word transcription (spellings kept; uncertain letters in brackets).

Cambridge in N. E. Sept. 12th 1658:

I Thomas Oakes being at p[re]sent [?though weake in body?] yet of Sound mind & memory, do make & ordaine this [LIKELY]

my last Will and Testam[en]t, as followeth, (i.e) my poore [LIKELY]

imortall Soul I do humbly desire, in some measure of

faith & hope to leave & resigne unto the everlasting

mercyes of God the father in his Eternall Sonne Christ

Jesus, & his most Blessed & Holy Spirit, being fully

p[er]swaded, of his faithfullnes w[hi]ch hath promised, & by experience

having found that he never said to the seed of Jacob that

they should seeke him in vayne. my poore body I desire

it may be decently buried at the discretion of my

Executrix and as for my outward estate, my Will is yt

it be disposed of in maner following [my just debts &

funerall Expences being first discharged] (i.e) unto my

deare & Lov: Wife Elizabeth Oakes I do leave

my whole estate dureing her widow hood, for her own

livelyhood & the Education of my Children. & after

her decease my Will is that my Children shall have

& shall remaine equally divided amongst them. [LIKELY]

Excepting only in case the Child my Wife is now w[i]th

all be a sonne, then my Will is that he should have

a double portion, otherwise to be equally divided amongst

them, and in case any of them do dy before they

come of age, then the surviv[or]s shall have y[e] portion of

the deceased equally divided amongst them. And in case

my Wife do marry againe, my Will is that then

she shall have only one third part of the profitts of my lands

& houses dureing her life, & one third part of my

moveable estate to be and remaine to her owne proper

use & to her assignes. and my Children with y[e]r portions

I do remitt unto y[e] care & dispose of my Overseers

according as they shall Judge may best conduce

for their p[re]sent & future good. finally I do

nominate my loving wife sole Executrix of this

my last Will. & my loving Bro: Edw: Oakes &

and Deacon Jn[o]. Bridge, ^[and Jn. Cooper] I do nominate [struck: & impow]

to be my overseers. // and Jn[o]. Cooper, added before y[e] signing.

Read, Signed, and declared

to be his last Will.

In p[re]sence of us:

[signature] Thomas Oakes

[signatures] Jn[o] Bridge / Edward Oakes / [?Joseph Mitton?] / Tho: Danforth

[Source: research-b-oakes-1658-1681-2026-10-02/TRANSCRIPTION.md sec. 1, frame 798.].