ancestral chart father mother index home




vital records sources
go to Gershom How's page






Hannah's signature on a paper in her husbands estate file



her signature on her will



Hannah's will:1

In the name of God amen, I Hannah How of ye Town of Marborough in the County of Middlesex in his majestys Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, widow, altho sick in body yet of good, perfect and sound memory praised be to God, therefor do make this my last Will and Testament in manner & form following.

First I recommend my soul to my most mercy full God, my body to the earth there to be buried in decent manner as my executor hereafter named shall think fit & as touching ye distribution of my worldly goods and estate, I dispose of same as followeth

[Item] I will that all such debts as I do owe be truly paid. Particularly my two youngest daugthers Persis How & Hannah How that I am gardian for & that my executer hereafter named may know I have here mentioned what their part is each of them (viz) Persis & Hannah was of ye moveables, a single share was three hundred & six pounds eighteen shilllings & two pence old tenour but Persis & Hannah must have each of them forty one pounds seventeen shillings & two pence of ye moveables as they were apprized in the first inventory, for each of their brothers & sisters had their share so & I took theirs so into my hands [as guardian] & order my executoer hearafter named to pay them so (viz) forty one pound seventeen shilling & two pence as above set forth & two hunderd & sixty five pounds one shilling equll as old tennor was in October 1748. Each of my two daughters Persis How to have three hundred & six pounds 18s - 2d old tenour & Hannah three hundred & six pounds eighteen shilling & two pence old tenour.

Item I give my son Moses How one small box with lock & key with all that is in it & all my money & all my bonds, notes & bills & my book debts except what I shall dispose of in this my last will & testament he paying all my debts & funeral charges, all ye remainder I give to him & his heirs for ever, I also give to my son Moses my mare & colt & my stock of cattle except what I have disposed of in my last will & testament

Item I give to my son Silas How thirteen pounds six shillings & eight pence lawfull money of New England to be paid within one year after my deceace by my executor here after named

Item I give to my daughter Miriam Bartlet two pounds lawfull money of New England to be paid by my executor here after named within one year afterr my deceace & one quarter part of my wearing apparel & one quarter part of my houshold goods at my deceace

Item I give to my daughter Zerviah Felton two pounds lawfull money of New England to be paid to her by my executor here after named within one year after my deceace

Item I give to my daughter Perses How two pounds lawfull money of New England to be paid to her by my executor here after named when she shall come to ye age of twenty one years or day of marriage also one cow I give to my daughter Perses to be diliver'd to her at ye age of twenty one years or at ye day of her marriage by my executor here after named, also one quarter part of all my wearing apparrel & one quarter part of my houshold goods to be dilivered to her ye wearing apparrel & ye goods at my deceace

Item I give to my daughter Hannah How two pounds lawfull money of New England to be paid to her by my executor here after named & also one cow when she shall come to ye age of twenty one years or day of marriage also one quarter part of all my wearing apparel & one quarter part of all my houshold goods to be dilivered to her ye wearing apparel & ye goods at my deceace.

And I do hereby constitute & appoint my well beloved son Moses How sole executor of this my last will & testament In witness whereof & of all ye premesses in this my last will & testament contained & by which I utterly disanull and make void all former wills at any time here to for by me made, I do here set my hand & seal this first day of November one thousand seven hundred & fifty & in ye twenty fourth year of ye reign of our sovereign Lord George the Second by ye grace of God of Great Britan France & Ireland King Defender of ye Faith, &c.

Hannah How

Signed sealed & declar'd in presence of us

Abraham Williams
Joseph Straten
Stephen How






children of Hannah Bowker and Gershom How:2

i. Miriam, b. 27 November 1722
ii. Moses, b. 6 March 1725/1726
iii. Silas, b. 5 February 1727/1728
iv. Zerviah, b. 9 October 1729
v. Persis, b. 2 March 1736/1737
vi. Hannah, b. 9 November 1737






vital records sources: Her birth is in Vital records of Marlborough, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849 (Worcester, MA: Franklin P. Rice, 1908), 33. Her marriage is in ibid, 225. Her death in ibid, 367, comes from her gravestone in Spring Hill Cemetery, Marlborough.

1. Middlesex Co., MA, probate case 12031.
2. Vital records of Marlborough, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849 (Worcester, MA: Franklin P. Rice, 1908), 99, 104, 105, 107, 108.

all text and photographs © 1998-2022 by Doug Sinclair unless where otherwise noted