Mitchell, Experience

Experience married Jane Cooke, dau. of Pilgrim Francis Cooke and HesterMahieu. Jane''s death has never exactly been determined, and for manyyears all children were considered to be those by Jane and Experience.Ensuing research has confounded the earlier lineage, and currently onlyElizabeth and Thomas and possibly Mary (MF5G, Ralph V. Wood, 1996, PictonPress, 12:29+) are thought to be Jane''s. Experience married, possiblyabout 1640, Mary ______, whose surname has never been determined.

The will of Experience Mitchell was first printed in Mayflower DescendantVolume 1902, April, and was transcribed from a copy of the original.Bowman in 1934 discovered the original and added to his earlier comments.The date of the will had been recorded as 5, December 1689, which Bowmanquestioned as being seven months after the recording of his inventory,nor could inventory be taken until the death of the testator, and thusthe making of the will as being in December, 1689 was likely in error.His comments follow:"Judge Nahum Mitchell, in his History ofBridgewater, published in 1840, stated that Experience Mitchell''s willwas "dated 1684"; it is probable, therefore, that he had seen theoriginal document; but my attempts to locate it met with no success untilI was informed by Mr. Merritt G. Perkins, former Treasurer General of theGeneral Society of Mayflower Descendants, that the will had been found byMiss Clara W. Crane of Bridgewater, among her father''s papers, and hadbeen deposited with the Old Bridgewater Historical Society, at WestBridgewater, Mass.

Through the courtesy of Miss Crane and of Miss Helen E Bartlett, thesecretary of the Historical Society, the will . . .clearly shows that thedate was 5 December, "1684", not "1689" as recorded by the clerk of thecourt at Plymouth.Experience Mitchell, therefore, died after 5December, 1684, the date of his will, and before 14 May, 1689, the dateof the inventory of his estate. The will was probated on 4 September,1689, and the clerk made the usual endorsement to that effect on theoriginal document, and correctly recorded this date.The will is abouttwelve and one-fourth by eight and one-fourth inches. For nearly twohundred and fifty years it has been kept folded to a size three by eightand one-fourth inches, and while so folded a small part of fivethicknesses of paper on one corner was gnawed away, apparently by mice.

The seal, which is in unusually good condition, shows a heart piercedvertically by an arrow, with the letter E at the left and M at the right,and four crosses, one each above and below these letters, the wholesurrounded by a circle."Plymouth County Probate Records, I: 44,45.Experience Mitchell''s Will Dated 1684 99

Experience Mitchell''s WillThese are to publish and declare to all whomit may concerne that I Exsperience Mitchell now living in the Towne ofBridgwater in the Collony of new Plimoth being through the Mercy of Godof sound Judgment and memory do Ordeine and make my last will andTestament in manner following: viz: into the hands of God I Comend mysperit beleiveingly Resigneing up my soule into the everlasting armes ofGods mercy father Son and holy spirit: my Body to bee decently Interredat the discretion of my executor and other Christian friends: and for myoutward estate I do will that after all my Just debts and funerallexspences be paid: my lands and other moveables be disposed of asfolloweth

Imprimis I give to my Son Edward michell after my deseace all my landsboth upland and medow lying in the Towne of Duxborough at the place whereI formerly dwelt as appeareth by deed: and if it shall please God so toorder that my wife mary michell shall survive me: I Require my Son Edwardto take Care of her for her Comfortable subsistence during her life:provided that she will live with him at Bridgwater: but if she ratherincline to live at Duxborough: I then Order that halfe the rent of thatland at Duxborough shall be to my wife during her life and after mydesease my Son Edward shall have the sole dispose of it as to the lettingof it out for the house; I acknowledge it to be his: allso the bed andbolster two pillowes on paire of sheets and two Blankets which are at myson Edwards and we made use of; I give them to him after our desease

as for my Son John I have formerly given him his proportion of land andmy will is that he rest satissfied therewith, which was foure score acersof upland and foure acers of medow lying at namatakeset within theTowneship of Duxborough: this is the full of what I intend him as to landonly there are severall moveables in his hand at present which are mine:of which one Cow a short Gun and a small Iron kettle

I Give unto my Granson Exsperience: and the remainder I give unto my sonJohn as [for my] land lying in the Towne of Middlebery;

I give it to my Daughters Mary Shaw Sarah Hayward and Hannah Hayward andto my granson Experience Mitchell the son of my son John, to be equallydevided betwene them
farther I Give to my daughter Mary Shaw twenty shillings to HannahHayward [forty shillings in Currant] pay: and if my stocke stand I giveto my granson Thomas Mitchell one Cowe and to my grandaughter marymichell one Cow I leave the dispose of my grandaughter mary michell withmy Son Edward and Joseph Bartlet:as for the rest of my moveables andchattels I Bequeath them to my son Edward michell whom I appoint andOrdaine sole executor of this my last will and Testament revoking allother wills and Testaments Whatsoever Witnes my hand and seale this fiftof December 1684 Signed and Sealed Experien michellin the presence of(Seal)Thomas HaywardJohn Haward

Leiut Thomas Hayward and Ensigne John Haward the within named witnessesappeared before the magistrates of the County of Plimouth at PlimouthSeptember the 4th 1689 and made Oath that they were present & sawExperience Mitchell deceased above named Signe Seal & Declare thisInstrument as his last will and Testament & that to the best of theirunderstandings he was of Disposing mind & memory when he so did.AttestSaml Sprague Clerk[On the back of the will]"The within written will isEntered and [Recorded in the] County Booke of Wills and Inventoryes: page44 pr Saml Sprague Clerk" "Experience Mitchell his Will: 1684"

Experience Mitchell''s Inventory[Plym. Co. Prob. I: 45] A; Inventory ofthe estate of Experience Mitchel of Bridgwater, taken by Ensigne JohnHaward and Thomas Hayward the 14 of May 1689£ s d

Imprimis In Books 00 14 00
In Iron vessels 01 16 00
It; vessels of wood and earth 00 04 00
It, in pewter 01 00 00
It, one Rundlett 2 Glass Bottles 00 03 00
It, 2 Chests one Box with Severall tooles 02 00 00
It, in Bedding boulsters pillows and Covering 06 08 00
It, in sheetes and other linnen 02 10 00
It in 2 cows and one mare 04 10 00
It, in my Brother Johns hand one Cow one short gun & a small Iron kettleit 02 12 00
£ 21 17*
.* This total is in a different hand.Edward Mitchel made oath beforethe magistrates of the County of Plimouth September the 4th 1689 that theabove written is a true Inventory: of the Estate vizt Goods and Chattelsof the above named Experience Mitchell deceased as far as he Knows and ifmore shall be discovered that he will Bring it to this Inventory:AttestSaml, Sprague Clerk;