WILL: Fairfield County, Connecticut Probate Records Volume 5 (1702-1750), pages 252-252a,
In the Name of God Amen I John Wells Senr of Stratford in the County of Fairfield in the Colony of Connecticutt in New England being sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory be unto God therefore calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing it is appointed for men once to dye do make and ordain this my last will and testament that is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it hoping through the merits death and passion of my Saviour Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon of all my sins and to inherit everlasting life and my body I commit to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executors here after named...
Imprimis: I freely give and bequeath to my dear and Loving wife Mary the one half of my present dwelling house and barn and the improvements of one third part of my lands during her naturall life and I do likewise give to her one third part of my moveable Estate to use and dispose of as she shall think fit
Item: I freely give to my Loving son Thomas Wells the whole of all the lands and meadows and building therein lying in one pasture excepting two acres of meadow I also give him said Thomas all the lands and meadows I purchased of Samuel Miles and the whole of four score acres of woodland lying near Mr Stiles Mill bit it more or less
Item: I freely give to my son John Wells four acres of land in the old field which I purchased of Capt Edwards
Item: I freely give to my son Robert Wells half of my dwelling house barn and home lot and the other half at the deceased of my now wife and one horse beside that which he now hath and two oxen two cows and utensils for all of them and cart the remainder of my lands and meadows not given as above I freely give to my sons John Wells Joseph Wells and Robert Wells to be equally divided amongst them and my will is that my son Joseph Wells as part of his portion shall have the lands and meadows in the intact with the building thereon
Item: I give to my daughters Mary, Sarah, Comfort, Elizabeth, and Hannah £ five to each of them in money out of the moveables the remainder of my moveable Estate be it more or less not disposed of my will is that it be equally divided amongst my children and I do Constitute and ordain my two sons John Wells and Robert Wells my only and sole Executors to this my last will and testament...
in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in Stratford this twenty first day of March in the year of our Lord God one thousand seven hundred and thirteen
Signed, Sealed and declared in ye presence of us
Joseph Curtiss John [ J W ] Wells
John Tompson
Joseph Curtiss Esquire and John Tompson ye witnesses to the above testament appeared in the Prerogative Court held in Fairfield Aprill 23d: 1713 and gave atah that they saw the said John Wells the above Testator sign and seal the above Testament and declare it to be his last will and testament and that he was according to their judgement in his right mind and understanding at the same time.
Oyster Bay Social Notes, Oyster Bay, L. I., Aug. 23— [1929]
Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. Townsend and Greenough Townsend will sail on the Minnewaska tomorrow for Scotland. They will go to Ardblair Castle, near Perth, to join Mrs. Greenough Townsend and her son and parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Maxtone Graham. Mr. and Mrs. Greenough Townsend will return in September and Mr and Mrs. E. M. Townsend will return later.
---from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.3