John Fuller of Newton, MA
Land Distribution taken from his Will
The following chart shows the land distributed to each son as per John Sr.’s Will, so we know that each son received about 20o acres. This includes land that was part of the original Fuller Farm as well as land (farms) purchased at various times. We are aware of some of those purchases:
- 1676: from John Macoone – 22 acres farm + 5 acres near the Falls.[2]
- 1694/5, March 7 – no details available – 37.5 acres no details.[2]
- No date, from Jeremiah Mass, given to son Joseph, no acreage listed.[1]
- “By subsequent purchase, he [John Sr.] increased his tract to upwards of one thousand acres.”[4]
- “ninthly I give and bequeath to my five sons abovesaid my mansion house, barns, outhouses, orchard and land containing two hundred and fifty acres be the same more of less to them and their heirs forever, to be equally divide between them….”[1]
- Also, John stipulated in his Will that, “…further my will is that my abovesaid sons shall not allinate [alienate – to transfer ownership] the above given and granted lands unto any stranger until first the next relation of the above said Fullers have the offer of it…”[1]
Sources:
- Wording in John’s Will
- Land Records and historical documents in the county of Middlesex
- 1699 agreement between the 5 sons and the first division of the Fuller Farm
- Francis Jackson, History of the Early Settlement of Newton, County of Middlesex, Massachusetts: From 1639 to 1800 – with a Genealogical of its Inhabitants prior to 1800, “of Boston, a Native of Newton,” Boston: Printed by Stacy and Richardson, 1854, page 278.
- Jackson, page 279.
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Children showing Will item No. |
Wording from John Sr.’s Will |
| 2.– John Fuller Jr.b. 1645 – d. 21 January 1720 +Abigail Balston b. 20 August 1662; d. 24 September 1709 *2nd Wife of John Fuller Jr. +Margaret Hicks b. 3 July 1668; d. aft. 1727 |
“….. house and land you now live along the Charles R. adding as much out of the farm I now live on as shall make the same two hundred acres as I have butted and bounded the said addition.”
225 acres[3] |
| 7.- Daughter – Elizabeth Fuller b. Aft. 1645; d. 28 November 1685 +Job Hyde b. 1643; d. 19 November 1685 |
No Land – she died before John Sr. and he raised three of her children. |
| 3.- Jonathan Fuller b. 1648; d. 1722 +Mindwell Trowbridge b. 20 June 1662; d. 22 February 1758 Willed To Capt Joseph’s son Jonathan |
“….. the housing and land he now enjoys adding thereto out of the farmland I now live on as much as makes up the aforesaid land one hundred and fifty acres as I have bounded the same to him.”
212 acres[3] |
| 4.- Joseph Fuller b. 10 February 1652; d. 5 January 1740 +Lydia Jackson b. 1656; d. 12 January 1726 |
“….the lands he now enjoys and also a piece of upland and meadowland over the brook at the upper end of the grate meadow, adjoining unto the land of Jno Park to make him equal with the rest of my sons to him and his heirs forever.”
“……I give to my son Joseph Fuller the land I purchased of Jeremiah Mass…” [see will item #8 below] “His father-in-law, Edward Jackson, gave him twenty-three acres of land, out of the westerly end of the Mayhew family farm, which he bought of Gov. Bradstreet, upon which Joseph erected his mansion house, upon the same spot where his grand son, Judge Fuller, lived.”[5] About 200 acres[1] |
| 5.- Joshua Fullerb. 2 April 1654; d. 27 June 1752 +Elizabeth Ward b. 18 June 1660; d. 17 August 1691 *2nd Wife of Joshua Fuller +Hannah Griggs b: 23 October 1659; d. 28 November 1739 *3rd Wife of Joshua Fuller +Mary Buckminster b. 8 April 1660; d. 13 February 1754 |
“…….the housing and lands he now liveth on….”
About 200 acres[1] |
| 6.- Jeremiah Fuller b. 4 March 1658; d. 23 December 1743 +Mary Bass b. 1660; d. 17 August 1689 *2nd Wife of Jeremiah Fuller +Elizabeth Blake b. 3 October 1658; d. 3 July 1700 *3rd Wife of Jeremiah Fuller +Thankful Bird b. 6 Feb 1667; d. 27 April 1729 *4th Wife of Jeremiah Fuller +Rachel —– b. Abt. 1680; d. 4 January 1742 |
“…… the land I formerly gave him whereon he now liveth, adding thereto out of the farm above said as much as makes up what he already enjoys, one hundred and fifty acres as the farm is now butted and bonded to him…..”
202 acres[3] |
| 8. Daughter – Bethia Fuller b: 23 November 1661; d. 1698 +Nathaniel Bond b. 9 January 1660; d. 1 April 1700 |
No Land “I give and bequeath to my daughter Bethiah Bond twenty pounds in addition to what she hath already received of me towards her portion, to be paid her by my son Joseph Fuller, as followeth four pounds per year, until the whole sum be paid in consideration whereof I give to my son Joseph Fuller the land I purchased of Jeremiah Mass, be the same more or less.” |
| wife Elizabeth… |
No Land “I give and bequeath to my loving and dear wife Elizabeth a comfortable maintenance out of my movable estate and if that shall not be enoufe, then to have the liberty of any of my other estate, any thing hereafter to the contrary not withstanding, and a living in my now dwelling house and al this during her natural life, to be allowed her by my executors herein after named, out of my estate.” |
| 9. “ninthly I give and bequeath to my five sons abovesaid house barns out-houses orchard and land conveying two hundred and fifty acres be the same more of less to them and their heirs forever, to be equally divide between them at my death.” | Home farm of 250 Acres was divided among 5 sons
250/5 = 50 acres each son
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Total about 1000 acres[4] |