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~~All that is essential for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing~~
  
The Mayflower brought Edward Tilley with his wife Ann who had lived in Henlow, Bedfordshire, England. Henlow Parish
records show a John Tilley, baptized December 19, 1571, married September 20, 1596 to Joan (Hurst) Rogers.
Elizabeth was baptized there August 30, 1607, (In her will written December 17, 1686, Elizabeth Howland says she is seventy-nine
years of age which places her birth date about 1607).
While she was the youngest of five children she was the only child to accompany them. She was also the only member of her
family to survive the first winter. It is believed that Elizabeth then lived in the Carver household. John Carver died in
the spring of 1621 and his wife Katherine died that summer.
There is no record of the date of marriage between John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley. We know that the Division of Cattle
in 1627 they were married with two children, Desire and John. If Desire was born in 1624 or 1625 it seems John and Elizabeth
were married in March 1623 when Elizabeth was almost 16.
After John’s death, Elizabeth lived in Plymouth with her son Jabez. When the house was sold in 1680, she lived with
her daughter Lydia (married to James Brown), in Swansea (now a section of East Providence, Rhode Island). She died there on
December 21, 1687.
Mayflower passengers John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley were married in 1623/4. John
was about thirty-one and Elizabeth was about sixteen. They spent their entire lives in Plymouth, and between them participated
in every aspect of the Pilgrim experience from its beginning in Leiden up to the merger of the Bay and Plymouth colonies.
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
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