Josiah Dodge will, 21 December 1785

Know all men whome it may Concern: that I Josiah Dodge of Granville being in health both as to body & mind Do Judge it nesesary to make my Will Respecting that Estate that God in his Providence hath given me &c. Do in the first thing Commit my soual & Bodey to his kind providence in hope of a gloreas Reserrection after Death; Through the Redemtion of Jesus Christ- and in the next Do will to my true & beloved wife Susannah the use & Improvement of my Dwelling House & that part of my Land that Lies on the south side of the highway betweenMrs. Clarks & Phineys Lands (Except those spots whearon the mill & Bejemins house stands) for her to Improve During her natural Life as also the use of two good Cows well kept winter & summer as also the use of all my household furniture; my will is also that she be supplied with firewood fit fore the fier at all tiems & that she be supplied yearly During Life with four bushels of good wheat meale & two of rye meal; And as I Have in time past given to my sonsJosiah & Asahel Both Real & personal Estate as also to my Daughter Susannah which I Judge their proportion; Theirfore I will to my younger son Benjemin the whole of my Estate Boath Real & personal he paying all my Just Debts as also paying to Each of my DaughtersRhoda Sarah & Phebe fifteean pounds Each in one yeare after my Decease, as also affording me & my wife Decent bureal he being the person I appoint to Execute this as my Last Will & Testement; this twenty first Day of December & in the yeare of Oure Lord one thousand seven hundred & eighty five and in presence of theas Witnesses- But in addition to the foregoing I will my sd son Ben at his mothers Decease to give to my Daughter Susannah my wifes Necklace of gold beads & to his other sisters Rhoda Sarah & Phebe the three best gowns of their mother according to their senority- that is to say to each one- I further Will to my son Josiah my Ivory Seale.

Josiah Dodge

William Clark
Thomas Edson
William Clark Jun’r