John Sweete1,2

M, b. circa 1621, d. before 16 July 1677
FatherJohn Sweete b. b 1600, d. 1637
MotherMary (?) d. b 31 Jul 1681
     John was born circa 1621 in Modbury, Devonshire, England, at the Trayne Manor. John married Elizabeth Jeffery circa 1650 in Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island.3 John owned a gris mill. Because of problems with the indians, the family removerf to Newport.4 John made his will on 28 June 1677 at Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island. CR:]
To All Christian People to whome the presents shall come Greeting Know yea that I John Sweet sometime Inhabitant in ye towne of warwicke in te Collony of road island & providence plantations lately a dweller One ye lands in or near Aquidneseu in ye said Collony in ye Narragansett Country Now Alive in Newport on road island Aforesaid, being very weak in body but of good & perfitt sense And memory at ye sighning & sealing hearof Doe make my Last will & Testament as followeth That is to say, according to ye scriptures I Am well satisfied that when my natural life is departed out of my body that then my body must returne to ye earth from whence it Came & ye spirit to God that gave it a being hoping & believing that ye great creator of heaven & earth will not destroy any of his handy worke which he in this wisdom hath formed & made for his owne praise unto whome I Comitt my soule as into ye hand of a merciful creator & Redeemer, as touching my body my desire is that it may be descently buried in some convenient place at my wives discretion.
In the first place After my decease my debts being first paid I distribute my worldly goods Lands & all other my estate which I am now possessed of or of right ought to be quietly possessed of In matter & forme as followeth: viz:
Imprimis: I doe will And ordeine that upon the ground where I had a Corne & fulling mill standing in or near Aquidnessett aforesaid [before ye Crewill indeans did destroy ye said mill, together with my house] ther be withal Expedition yt Cmay be Another mill builded for the benefitt of my wife & family dyvers of my children being smale And cannot well be brought up otherwayes nor ye country Accomodated well without such an accommodation & in ye building ye said mill I desire that my sonn daniell Sweett, with ye helpe of my eldest sonn John Sweet & such other helpe as they cann procure will se ye same Accompilshed the said mill is so erected. Also all other debts dew and oweing from nee at this present I doe ordeine that they be by ye Care & industry of my Loving wife Elizabeth Sweet And my sonn Daniell Sweet paid out of ye profits of the said mill & lut of my other estate that I shall Afforeded yearly to my Antient mother Mary hollyman for tearrme of her life toward her mayntenance
Item: I Give & bequeath to my said wife Elizabeth Sweet all my househould goods whatsoever together with all cattell, neat kind & horses & horse kind, working tooles implements of any sort of kind, usefull for my said son daniell Sweet in & towards the supportinghis mother after my decease in ye use & management of ye said mill or otherwayes & it is my trew intent And meaning & I doe hearby will & bequeath to my said wife all yt little planting field, orchard & other land on which my house & mill stood or stands for ye future I doe will & bequeath halfe ye mill heare intended to be builded together with halfe ye profits that may arise therby to my said wife for ye uses above said And After her decease then to goe to my sonn daniell Sweet & his heires for ever And ye other halfe ye said mill I give & bequeath to my sonn daniell Sweet & his heires for ever, for his use & ye uses abovesaid And Item furthermore I give and bequeath to my sonn daniell Sweet halfe my ducke pond together with halfe my interest in the purchase made by Captiane John Greene in the Lands Lying near my said ducke pond which is between warwicke & pautuxett to hime & his heires for Ever for and twards ye uses above mentioned wherin my sonn daniell is to my said sife his mother Joyned As helpful about paying of debts & bringing up my smale children Item I give And bequeath unto my sonn James Sweet ye other halfe of my ducke pond together with the other halfe of intrest that I have in ye Lands purchased by Captaine John Greene as aforesaid the same to have & to hould to my said sonn James his heires And Assignes for Ever.
Item I give & bequeath to my eldest sonn John Sweet All my right thytle & intrest that I have to Any of ye Lnds in the purchase of mashanatetate In Case ye tyhtle be a judged to be ours he paying ye Charge yt falleth to mee to pay, According to former Agreement made betwixt me & ye trew propreitors in ye said Lands provided also that my said sonn John Sweet doe Alow one hundred Ackers of ye said Lands which I doe hearby reserve for the use of my little sonns his brethren namely henery richard bejamin & William & Jeremyah Sweets. Each of them their heires & Assignes for Ever to have an Equalll portion of ye said hundred ackers of land with such benefits as may Acrew to such a quantitie of Land when ye sai Land of mashantetate comes to be divided, upon selling it as a towne, or otherwayes Likewise I give to my sonn Richard a handy gunn which I doe hearby order mysaid sonndaniell to provide hime Lastly I doe hearby nominat and ordaine my said sonn John Sweet & my sonn daniell Sweet to be my Executors & overseers to ye intent that they may be helpful to their mother my wife in all things shee is concerned in by this my last will and testament witness my hand & seale ye 28th day of June in ye year 1677.5,6




John departed this life before 16 July 1677 in Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island. His will was probated on 16 July 1677.

Family

Elizabeth Jeffery b. 1629, d. a 1684

Citations

  1. [S1653] Lois Stewart, James Sweet of Rhode Island: A Mystery - www.americanancestors.org.
  2. [S1654] Harold F. Porter Jr., James Sweet of WArwick, Rholde Island - americanancestors.org.
  3. [S166] John Osborne Austin, Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island Families, pages 194-195 - John Sweete, son of John & Mary m. Elizabeth who m. 2nd Samuel Wilson.
  4. [S166] John Osborne Austin, Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island Families, pages 194-195.
  5. [S166] John Osborne Austin, Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island Families, pages 194-195 - John's will made at Newport 1677.



  6. [S1654] Harold F. Porter Jr., James Sweet of WArwick, Rholde Island, Warwick Town Record Book 1663-1679, pages 239-43, at Rhode Island Historical Society, Providence, R. I.
    - americanancestors.org.