In her will, dated 17 December 1686 and proved 10 January 1687/8, "Elizabeth Howland of Swanzey ... being seventy nine years of age" bequeathed to "my eldest son John Howland the sum of ?5 ... and my book called Mr. Tindale's Works and also one pair of sheets & one pair of pillowbeers and one pair of bedblankets"; to "my son Joseph Howland my stilliards and also one pair of sheets and one pair of pillowbeers"; to "my son Jabez Howland my featherbed & bolster that is in his custody & also one rug & two blankets that belongeth to the said bed & also my great iron pot & pothooks"; to "my son Isaack Howland my book called Willson on the Romanes & one pair of sheets & one pair of pillowbeers & also my great brass kettle already in his possession"; to "my son-in-law Mr. James Browne my great Bible"; to "my daughter Lidia Browne my best featherbed & boulster two pillows & three blankets & a green rug & my small cupboard one pair of andirons & my lesser brass kettle & my small Bible & my book of Mr. Robbinson's Works called Observations Divine & Moral & also my finest pair of sheets & my holland pillowbeers"; to "my daughter Elisabeth Dickenson one pair of sheets & one pair of pillowbeers & one chest"; to "my daughter Hannah Bosworth one pair of sheets & one pair of pillowbeers"; to "my granddaughter Elizabeth Bursley one pair of sheets and one pair of pillowbeers"; to "my grandson Nathanael Howland ‎(the son of Joseph Howland)‎ ... my lot of land with the meadow thereto adjoining ... in the township of Duxbury near Jones River Bridge"; to "my grandson James Browne one iron bar and one iron trammell now in his possession"; to "my grandson Jabez Browne one chest"; to "my granddaughter Dorothy Browne my best chest & my warming pan"; to "my granddaughter Desire Cushman four sheep"; "my wearing clothes linen and woollen" and the residue to "my three daughters Elisabeth Dickenson, Lidia Browne and Hannah Bosworth to be equally divided amongst them"; "my loving son-in-law James Browne and my loving son Jabez Howland" executors ‎[MD 3:54-57, citing BrPR 1:13-14]‎.
BIRTH: Say 1592, son of Henry and Margaret ‎(_____)‎ Howland of Fenstanton.
DEATH: Plymouth 23 February 1672/3 "above eighty years" ‎[PCR 8:34]‎.
MARRIAGE: Plymouth by about 1624 Elizabeth Tilley, baptized Henlow, Bedfordshire, 30 August 1607, daughter of JOHN TILLEY. She died at Swansea 22 December 1687, aged eighty
CHILDREN:
i DESIRE, b. say 1624; m. by 1644 John Gorham ‎(eldest child b. Plymouth 2 April 1644 [MD 5:72]‎).

ii JOHN, b. Plymouth 24 April 1627; m. Plymouth 26 October 1651 Mary Lee ‎[PCR 8:13]‎.

iii HOPE, b. Plymouth 30 August 1629; m. by about 1646 John Chipman.

iv ELIZABETH, b. say 1631; m. ‎(1)‎ Plymouth 13 September 1649 Ephraim Hicks ‎[PCR 8:8]‎; m. ‎(2)‎ Plymouth 10 July 1651 John Dickerson ‎[PCR 8:13]‎.

v LYDIA, b. say 1633; m. by about 1655 James Brown.

vi HANNAH, b. say 1637; m. Swansea 6 July 1661 Jonathan Bosworth ‎[SwVR 23]‎.

vii JOSEPH, b. say 1640; m. Plymouth 7 December 1664 Elizabeth Southworth ‎[PCR 8:25]‎, daughter of THOMAS SOUTHWORTH.

viii JABEZ, b. about 1644 ‎(deposed on 19 July 1680 aged 36 years [SJC #1915]‎); m. by 1669 Bethiah Thatcher, daughter of Anthony Thatcher ‎(eldest child b. Plymouth 15 November 1669 [PVR 668; NYGBR 42:154-57]‎).

ix RUTH, b. say 1646; m. Plymouth 17 November 1664 Thomas Cushman ‎[PCR 8:25]‎, son of Thomas Cushman.

x ISAAC, b. Plymouth 15 November 1649; m. by 1677 Elizabeth Vaughn, daughter of George Vaughn ‎[TAG 23:24-26]‎.

Elizabeth Tilley Howland Will

‎[MD 3:54+]‎ Elizabeth ‎(Tilley)‎ Howland, widow of John Howland and daughter of John Tilley, died at Swansea on Wednesday, 21/31 December, 1687, at the house of her daughter Lydia, the wife of James Brown. Her will is recorded in the Bristol County, Mass., Probate Records, Volume 1, pages 13 and 14. No inventory is on record and the original will has disappeared from the files.

In ye Name of God Amen I Elizabeth Howland of Swanzey in ye County of Bristoll in ye Collony of Plymouth in New Engld being Seventy nine yeares of Age but of good & perfect memory thanks be to Allmighty God & calling to Remembrance ye uncertain Estate of this transitory Life & that all flesh must Yeild unto Death when it shall please God to call Doe make constitute & ordaine & Declare This my last Will & Testament, in manner & forme following Revoking and Anulling by these prsents all & every Testamt & Testamts Will & Wills heretofore by me made & declared either by Word or Writing And this to be taken only for my last Will & Testament & none other. "And first being penitent & sorry from ye bottom of my heart for all my sinns past most humbly desiring forgivenesse for ye same I give & Comitt my soule unto Allmighty God my Saviour & Redeemer in whome & by ye meritts of Jesus Christ I trust & believe assuredly to be saved & to have full remission & forgivenesse of all my sins & that my Soule wt my Body at the generall Day of Resurrection shall rise againe wt Joy & through ye meritts of Christs Death & passion possesse & inheritt ye Kingdome of heaven prepared for his Elect & Chosen & my Body to be buryed in such place where it shall please my Executrs hereafter named to appoint

And now for ye settling my temporall Estate & such goodes Chattells & Debts as it hath pleased God far above my Deserts to bestow upon me I Do Dispose order & give ye same in manner & forme following ‎(That is to say)‎

First that after my funerall Expences & Debts paid wc I owe either of right or in Conscience to any manner of person or persons whatsoever in Convenient tyme after my Decease by my Execrs hereafter named I Give & bequeath unto my Eldest Son John Howland ye sum of five pounds to be paid out of my Estate & my booke called Mr Tindale's Workes & also one pair of sheetes & one prof pillowbeeres & one pr of Bedblanketts,

Item I give unto my son Joseph Howland my Stillyards & also one pr of sheetes & one pt of pillobeeres Item I give unto my son Jabez Howland my ffetherbed & boulster yt is in his Custody & also one Rugg & two Blanketts yt belongeth to ye said Bed & also my great Iron pott & potthookes

Item I give unto my son Isaack Howland my Booke called Willson on ye Romanes & one pr of sheetes & one paire of pillowbeeres & also my great Brasse Kettle already in his possession

Item I give unto my Son in Law Mr James Browne my great Bible Item I give & bequeath unto my Daughter Lidia Browne my best ffeatherbed & Boulster two pillowes & three Blanketts & a green Rugg & my small Cupboard one pr of AndyIrons & my lesser brasse Kettle & my small Bible & my booke of mr Robbinsons Workes called Observations Divine & Morrall & allso my finest pr of Sheetes & my holland pillowbeeres,

Item I give unto my Daughter Elisabeth Dickenson one pr of Sheetes & one pr of pillowbeeres & one Chest Item give unto my Daughter Hannah Bosworth one pr of sheets & one pr of pillowbeeres,

Item I give unto my Grand Daughter Elizabeth Bursley one paire of sheets and one paire of Pillowbeeres Item I give & bequeath unto my Grandson Nathanael Howland ‎(the son of
Joseph Howland)‎ and to the heires of his owne Body lawfully begotten for ever all that my Lott of Land with ye Meadow thereunto adjoyning & belonging lying in the Township of Duxbury neare Jones River bridge,

Item I give unto my Grandson James Browne One Iron barr and on Iron Trammell now in his possession, Item I give unto my Grandson Jabez Browne one Chest

Item I give unto my Grand Daughter Dorothy Browne My best Chest & my Warming pan

Item I give unto my Grand Daughter Desire Cushman four Sheep, Item I give & bequeath my wearing clothes linnen and Woollen and all the rest of my Estate in mony Debts linnen or of what kind or nature or sort soever it may be unto my three Daughters Elisabeth Dickenson, Lidia Browne and Hannah Bosworth to be equally Devided amongst them,

Item I make constitute and ordaine my loving Son in Law James Browne and my loving son Jabez Howland Executors of this my last Will and Testament,

Item it is my Will & Charge to all my Children that they walke in ye Feare of ye Lord, and in Love and peace towards each other and endeavour the true performance of this my last Will & Testament In Witnesse whereof I the said Elisabeth Howland have hereunto sett my hand & seale this seventeenth Day of December Anno Dm one thousand six hundred Eighty & six.
The mark of Elisabeth E H Howland ‎(sigittu)‎
Signed Sealed & Delivd
in ye prsence of Us Wittnesses
Hugh Cole
Samuel Vyall
John Browne

Know all men that on ye tenth Day of Janry Anno Dm 1687/8 Before me Nathanl Byfield Esqr Judge of his Majties Inferiour Court of Plea's for ye County of Bristoll, present Jno Walley Esqr one of ye Members of his Majties Councill in New England & Capt Benjam Church Justice of Peace The abovewritten Will of Elizabeth Howland was proved approved & allowed And ye Administracon of all & singuler ye goodes Rights and Creditts of ye said Deced was Committed unto James Browne & Jabez Howland Execrs in ye same Will named well & truly to Administer ye same according to the Will of ye Deced In Testimony whereof I have hereunto Sett ye Seale of ye Office for Probate of Wills & granting Lettrs of Admincon ye yeare & Day by me abovewritten

‎(Sigittu officij)‎ Nathanael Byfield
Thus Entred & ingrossed this 26: of Janry Anno Dm 1687/8 pr Steph Burton