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At a Town Council held in Smithfield March ye 8th 1735 Mr Thomas Steer appeared before this Council and made oath that he had Sett forth all the Estate that he Knew of that Did belong to his Honoured Father Mr Thomas Steer Decd and that if any of said Estate hereafter should Come to his hands he will add the same to this Jnventory.

Attest p' order

DANIEL JENCKES Council Clerk

The following accompt is the accompt of the moveable Estate that the widow had when the aforesaid Deceased Thomas Steer maryed with her: viz1: what she brought.

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Jtem, Chairs & one Gun and one Pair of Pinchers and one Pair of Stilliards 2 13 00
Jtem, Pewter and Glasses

Jtem, Tubbs & other wooden ware

Jtem, To Linning Yarn

15 17 00

IO OO

I IO OO

£71 18 11

The aforesaid Jnventory was taken by us the Subscribers the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Days of September A.: D. 1735

JOSHUA WINSOR
PETER ALDRICH

At a Town Council held in Smithfield March the 8th 1735 The aboue Subscribers M' Joshua Winsor & Mr Peter Aldrich appeared before said Council and made oath that they had made a Just apprizement of all the Goods

Sett forth by Thomas Steer. Wherefore it is voted That the aboue Jnventory be and hereby is accepted proued and approued to be a Perfect Jnventory and ordered to be Recorded

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JANE STEERE, daughter of John Steere, Sen. (1), probably married William Blanchard. He lived in Providence, R. I.

Children:

I. TIMOTHY. (Referred to as his grandson by John Steere in his deed to the Indian Sam No Force in 1704.)

II. MOSES.

III. THEOPHILUS.

IV. WILLIAM.

8.

WILLIAM STEERE, son of John Steere, Sen. (1), was born November 25, 1671, being the only child in the family whose birth is recorded on the town books. He lived in that part of Providence which was afterwards included in the town of Glocester. His father deeded to him, "good consideration moving" him thereunto, on the 5th of June, 1694, one half of his land, meadows and commons, on the west side of the Seven Mile Line, within the township of Providence, and in 1702 he also gave him forty acres of land and meadow which seems to have been near land of John Hawkins. The same year Richard Arnold deeded to him a tract of thirty acres of land "lying about six miles north west from the salt water harbor (in the original right of Richard Pray, Senior) lying near Wanasquatucket River and near Nonplus Hill, butting on land of Richd Arnold."

The following purchases and sales indicate the possession of various tracts of land at different periods, and show that he imbibed something of the spirit of his age in the matter of speculation in land, and in the restlessness that pervaded a new social state. April 9, 1697, he received a conveyance of land from his brother John Steere, Jr.,* and June 11, 1708, he sold to his brother Thomas a tract on the west side of the Seven Mile Line, being half a share of the first division of meadow not yet laid out.

William Steere sold, March 21, 17, to Zachariah Field of Providence,

* Old Book, pp. 352, 353.

"for a considerable sum, four acres of land within the township of Providence and upon the west side of the Seven Mile Line and situate on the South-west side of Sheonscoodit Brooke and is bounded on both sides of said brooke." * His wife's name in the deed is given as Sarah. November 18, 1712, he sold to Samson Cartwright of Providence, for £10, " forty acres on North West side of the land where said Wm Steere now dwells and one half of seven and a half acres upon that share of aforesaid land lying westwardly not probably past halfe a mile from ye hill called Wayunkheag Hill." The deed is signed by his wife Sarah.

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March 18, 1713, he sold, for £93, to Elisha Knowlton of Providence, enty-nine acres of land on the west side of the seven mile line which tract is the said Wm. Steere's homestead where he now dwelleth." One boundary of this farm was on the brooke called Absalonymiscock Brook, and another was land belonging to Thomas Steere. His wife Sarah joined with him in this sale. April 17, 1714, he bought of Morris Brock, for £6 current money, twenty-five acres within the township of Providence, and on the west side of the Seven Mile Line, lying between the two hills called Snake Hill and Chestnut Hill, evidently the well-known landmarks of that name in Glocester. ‡

January 15, 171, William Steere sold to Joseph Smith, son of Thomas, deceased (the latter of whom married Mr. Steere's mother's sister, Ruth Wickenden), seven acres and a half of land at Winnekheague, east of the west branch of the Wanasquatucket River.§ June 25, 1715, he bought of Elisha Knowlton, for "a valuable sum, twenty acres of land in Providence not yet laid out, to be taken up eastward of the Seven Mile Line, in M' Joseph Williams' part." ||

February 17, 1713, Mr. Steere sold to Capt. Joseph Mowry thirty acres of land in Providence, eighteen acres of which lay on the east side of the Seven Mile Line a little north of Richard Lewis's late homestead, the other twelve acres about half a mile westward of the eighteen acres, and on the west side of the Seven Mile Line, and on the northeast and east side of land belonging to Thomas Steere. In the deeds of the above William Steere is called a husbandman. He, however, united with farming, work at the anvil, as on January II, 1720 ** and March 7, 17%,tt he is called a blacksmith in two sales of twentythree and thirteen acres of land on the west side of the Seven Mile Line.

William Steere deeded to John Thornton, son of Benjamin, yeoman, November 20, 1723, ten acres of land on the west side of the Seven Mile Line, yet to be laid out upon the original right of John Steere and in the one hundred acre division.

*Prov. Records, vol. 2, p. 289.

† Ibid., vol. 2, p. 318.

Ibid.

§ Ibid., vol. 2, pp. 419, 420.

|| MSS., R. I. Hist. Society, vol. 3.

Prov. Records, vol. 4, p. 413.

** Ibid., vol. 8, p. 62.

tt Ibid., vol. 5, p. 317.

March 13, 1728, he sold, for £6, to Thomas Shippe, twenty acres of land to be taken up on the west side of the Seven Mile Line, upon the one hundred and forty acre division, in or upon that which was the original right of his honored father, John Steere, deceased.*

On the 21st of January, 173, he sold, for £11 10s., to Elisha Knowlton, fortytwo acres of land to be taken up or laid out within the townships of Scituate and Glocester, or either of them, in or upon the original right of his honored father, Mr. John Steere, deceased, and in the several divisions, viz. : twenty acres in the additional division, and four acres in the eight acre division, and eight acres in the thirty acre division and ten acres in the one hundred and forty acre division.

William Steere was made a freeman in 1708, and in 1713 was taxed 3s. 4d. He was twice married, the first time previous to the year 1712. His first wife's name was Sarah, as appears from deeds given by them. His son William was by the first marriage. The history of this family can be only partially gleaned from the public records. He deeded to his son William, in 1733, fortyseven and a half acres, for love, etc., and hence this son must have been born previous to 1713. His second wife was named Susannah. He died January 29, 1737, having made his will January 21st. This instrument was proved February 28th of the same year. His wife Susannah was appointed executrix, but, being in a weakly condition, she requested the Council that William Coman might assist her in the administration of the estate, which request was granted. The will omitted any mention of the son William, who had doubtless received his portion, but devised to the son Samuel the homestead farm of eighty-five acres, providing that if he should die before coming of age, then his sisters Ruth and Amy should inherit the estate. To his wife he willed all his household goods and movables. The inventory amounted to £77 8s. 4d.

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Widow Susannah Steere married, second, July 20, 1739, Isaac Fox of Glocester. He died in 1754, his will being dated March 22, 1754, in which instrument he gives to his wife the use of his present dwelling-house and household goods and so much of his estate as is necessary for her comfortable support during her life. He gives his farm in Glocester to his two daughters, Anne Fox and Ruth Fox, none of his children except these two to receive any part of his estate, the others having already received their portions.

*Prov. Records, vol. 9, p. 310.

WILL OF WILLIAM STEERE.*

I William Steere of Glocester in the County of Providence Jn the Colony of Rhode Island and providence Plantations in New England, yeoman being very sick and weak in body, but in perfect mind and memory, thanks be given to god for the same; therefore Calling to mind the Mortallity of my Body, and Knowing that it is appointed for men once to die, Do make and ordain this my last will and testament that is to say: principally and first of all: I giue and Recomend my Soul into the mercifull hands of Almighty god that gaue it and my Body I Comit to the earth to be Decently Buried at the decression of my Executrix hereafter named: and as touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath Pleased god to Bless me in this life I giue demise and dispose of the same in the following maner and form that is to say first I will that all those Debts as I owe in Right or Concience to any maner of person or persons whatso Ever shall be well and truly Contented and paid in convenient time after my decease by my Executrix hereafter named: Secondly I giue and bequeath to my son Samuel Steere and unto his heirs and assigns for Ever my homestead place on which I now dwell Scittuate in Glocester aforesaid Containing by Estimation Eighty-fiue acres to be by him my said son Samuel Steere his heirs and assigns fully Enjoyed for Ever: But if my said son Samuel Steere should Die before he attain to the age of twenty-one years or Die without Jssue: then my Will is that my aboue mentioned lands shall be Equally Divided between my two youngest daughters namely Ruth and Amie: and to be to them, their heirs and assigns for Ever.

J giue and bequeath to Susannah my Loving wife whom I likewise appoynt my Sole Executrix of this my last will and testament all my household goods and moueables to be by her freely Enjoyed and I Do hereby Revoake and disannull all other or former wills and testaments by me made before this time Rattifying and Confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament Jn witness whereof J do hereunto set my hand and seal the twenty-first day of January in the tenth year of his majesties Reign George the Second King of great Brittain, &c anno Domini 1739%.

Signed sealed published and Declared by the said William Steere as his last will and testament in the presence of us the subscribers

SAMUEL STEERE his marke

DAVID SMITH

STEPHEN PAINE Jun'

WILLIAM STEERE. [Seal.]

*Glocester Records, vol. 1, p. 16.

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