"A liberal contribution was made that fast day for the Elder's widow, as an acknowledgment of his great services to the church whilst living."

In another place we find the following in the Plymouth Church Records:

"1691. Elder Thomas Cushman dyed December 11: having within two months finished the 84th year of his life."

And at a later period, we find on those records the following: "August 7, 1715. A contribution was moved and made, both by the church and congregation to defray the expense of Grave Stones sett upon the grave of that worthy and useful servant of God Elder Thomas Cushman; the whole congregation were very forward in it."

He died on Friday the 11th day of Dec., 1691, and we may, therefore, reasonably conclude that his funeral was attended on the following Sunday.

He was buried on the southerly brow of "Burying Hill,” in a very beautiful locality, commanding a full view of Plymouth harbor, of the town, of the green hills in the distance, and of the "Meeting House" in which for more than seventy years he had prayed and worshiped.

The grave stone, erected by the Plymouth Church, twenty-four years after his death, is a plain slab of mica slate, about 3 feet in height, and was probably imported from England. It is now in a good state of preservation, and although it has stood nearly one hundred and forty years, the inscription is yet distinct and legible. Such a tribute as that to his memory, by the Church of which he was a member, speaks volumes in his praise. The inscription is as follows:

HERE LYETH BURIED Ye BODY

OF THAT PRECIOUS SERVANT OF
GOD) Mr. THOMAS CUSHMAN WHO
AFTER HE HAD SERVED HIS
GENERATION ACCORDING TO
THE WILL OF GOD AND
PARTICULARLY THE CHURCH OF
PLYMOUTH FOR MANY YEARS IN
THE OFFICE OF A RULING ELDER
FELL ASLEEP IN JESUS DECM r
Ye 10 1691 AND IN Ye

84 YEAR OF HIS AGE.

The foregoing is nearly a fac-simile, except that the letters are about three-fourths of an inch in size.

At his grave stands a board with this inscription, of recent origin, undoubtedly, designed to direct the stranger to the grave of one of the most noted of the old Pilgrims:

The Grave of

Eld. Thomas Cushman
Died Dec. 10, 1691.

334.

It will be noticed that the day of his death by the Church Records, is Dec. 11th, but by his grave stone it is Dec. 10th; which is correct is unknown.

About a year before his death, Elder Cushman made his Will. As a part of his history, we give it entire.

From the quantity of real estate devised to his children, and the amount of the inventory of his personal property, a copy of which is subjoined, we must infer that the Elder was prosperous in temporal things, as well as in spiritual. His personal estate amounted to £50, of which £4 was in books. Considering the value of money at that time, - much greater than now, - he must have been quite wealthy.

ELDER CUSHMAN'S WILL.

Copy of Probate Records for the County of Plymouth—Book 1, Commencing with page 129.

"To all People to whom these presents shall come, etc. Know ye that I Thomas Cushman, Sen'r, of the town of Plimouth in New England, being through God's mercy and goodness unto me at this present in some measure of good health of body and of sound understanding and strength of memory, yet considering my frailty and uncertainty of my abiding in this vale of tears, do make this to be my last Will and Testament. And by these presents I do make this to be my last will and testament to remain firm and invincible forever as followeth: Imprimis — I give and bequeath my soul to God that gave it, and my body to ye dust and to be decently buried in hopes of ye grace of God through Jesus Christ to enter into a joyful resurrection. And for my outward estate I dispose of as followeth, viz: I will and bequeath unto my dear and loving wife Mary Cushman all my house and housing, together with all my uplands and meadow lands I am now possessed of in the township of New Plimouth, to be for her

use and support during ye time of her natural life, excepting such parcels as I do in this my will give to my children.

Item, I give unto my son Thomas Cushman two twenty acre lots lying upon ye southerly side of Mr. Joseph Bradford's land, as also ye enlargements of ye head of these lots; and also twenty acres of upland, more or less, lying upon ye easterly side of Jones River by the bridge, with a skirt of meadow lying by said river; and also one third of my meadow at Winnatuxet, and also a parcel of salt marsh meadow from our spring unto a cross westerly of a salt hole and so down to ye river, which said parcel of meadow is to be his after our decease. All ye above said parcels of upland and meadow I do by these presents give and bequeath unto my son Thomas Cushman, to him and his heirs forever.

Item, I give unto my son Isaac Cushman one twenty acre lot, with ye addition of ye head lying on the northerly side of Samuel Flanders land in ye Township of Plimouth, and also the one half of my land lying at Nemasket Pond in ye Township of Middleborough as also ye one half of my right in the sixteen. shilling purchase, so called, in Township above sa'd, and also one third part of my meadow at Winnatuxet in Plimouth, all which parcels of upland and meadow last above expressed, I do by these presents give and bequeath unto my son Isaac Cushman, and to him and his heirs for ever, together with all the privileges thereunto belonging.

Item, I do give unto my son Elkanah Cushman one twenty acre lot with the addition of the head lying on the northerly side of ye land I now improve, but in case my son Thomas's new dwelling house be upon part of this lot, my will is my son Thomas enjoy ye land his house now standeth on without molestation. As also I give to my son Elkanah Cushman the one half of my land lying at Nemasket Pond, as also ye one half of the sixteen shilling purchase above expressed, as also one third of my meadow at Winnatuxet. All the above said parcels of lands and meadows last above expressed, with all the privileges thereunto belonging I do by these presents give unto my son Elkanah Cushman, and to his heirs forever.

Item, I do give unto my son Eleazer Cushman the rest of my lands both upland and meadow lands not above deposed of in Plimouth and Duxborough, as also my new dwelling house and out housing, which house and lands I do by these presents give and bequeath unto my son Eleazer Cushman, to him and his heirs forever to enjoy after I and my wife are deceased.

And my will is that my four sons Thomas, Isaac, Elkanah and

Now in Plympton.

Eleazer shall each of them allow twenty to their sisters, that is to say Sarah Hauks and Lidiah Harlow. As also my will is that if any of my sons se cause to make sale of their land I have given them in Plimouth, that they do let their brothers that do reside in Plimouth have the said lands as they shall be valued by five different men as also my will is, and I do by these presents give and bequeath unto my three grand children in Line the children of my daughter Mary Hutchinson deceased, to each of them twenty shillings to be paid unto them out of my estate soon. after my decease.

And I do constitute and appoint my dear and loving wife Mary Cushman to be the sole executrix of this my last Will and Testament, my debts, legacies and funeral charges being first paid my will is that whatever other estate is found of mine in goods, chattels or debts either in Plimouth or elsewhere shall be for ye support of my wife during her natural life; and my will is that what remains of my estate at my wife's decease the one half I do give to my son Eleazur Cushman and the other half unto my two daughters, to Sarah Hauks and Lidiah Harlow to be equally divided between them. And my will is, and I do by these presents appoint my two sons Thomas Cushman and Isaac Cushman and Thomas Faunce to be ye supervisors of this my last will and testament, much confiding in their love and faithfulness to be helpful to my s'd executrix in the acting and disposing of particulars according to the tenore thereof, thus hoping that this my last will and testament will be performed and kept, revoking all other wills, written or verball. I have in witness thereof set to my hand and seal on the 22d of October, 1690.

Signed, sealed and declared to be his last will and testament in presence of us witnesses.

JAMES WARNER,

THOMAS FAUunce.

THOMAS CUSHMAN,
And a [LS.]

James Warner and Thomas Faunce, the witnesses here named, made oath before the County Court of Plymouth, March ye 16th 169, that they were present and saw the above named Mr. Thomas Cushman sign and seal, and heard him declare the above written to be his last Will and Testament, and that to ye best of their judgment he was of sound mind and memory when he so did. Attest, SAMUEL SPRAGUE, Clerk.

An addition to ye last Will of Thomas Cushman, Sen'r, which is as followeth:

Whereas in my last Will, which was in sixteen hundred and

ninety that I then left out a certain piece of land undisposed of which was one hundred acres of land lying in the Township of Plimouth upon a brook commonly called Colchester Brook,1 on both sides of ye said brook, which I reserved to sell for my support, or my wife's after my decease. My Will is therefore that my son Thomas Cushman and my son Isaac Cushman shall have the above hundred acres of land to be divided equally between them to them and their heirs and assigns forever, provided that they equally shall pay or cause to be paid ten pounds in current silver money to me above said Thomas Cushman, Sen'r, or my wife after my decease, or after decease to be paid equally to my two daughters, Sarah Hauks and Lidia Harlow. Also I the above said Thomas Cushman do will and bequeath to my four sons, Thomas Cushman and Isaac Cushman and Elkanah Cushman and Eleazer Cushman, all my books, equally to be divided among them, only two small books to my daughter, Lidia Harlow, and my best bible to my loving wife Mary Cushman, likewise also I do give and bequeath unto my son Elkanah Cushman one acre of meadow which was granted unto me, lying at Doties meadows. This addition is to the last will of me Elder Thomas Cushman of Plimouth being now in perfect understanding, April 1, 1691. THOMAS CUSHMAN, SEN. [LS.] Signed, sealed and declared in presence of us witnesses. JONATHAN SHAW, Sen.,

PERSIS SHAW, Her P mark.

Jonathan Shaw one of ye witnesses here named made oath before ye County Court of Plimouth March 16th 169 that he was present and saw Elder Thomas Cushman above named sign, seal and heard him declare the above written codicil to be his will, an addition to his former will, and that he ye said Shaw subscribed to it as a witness, and that he saw Persis, his wife subscribe with him as a witness also. Attest,

SAM'L SPRAGUE, Clerk.

March 16th, 169. Mrs. Mary Cushman relict widow of Elder Thomas Cushman, late of Plimouth deceased coming personally before ye County Court then held at Plimouth, did freely acknowledge she had received fifty-two shillings and six pence of Isaac Cushman her son in part of ye five pounds which ye said. Isaac is to pay for his part of ye hundred acres of land at Colchester above said.

Attest,

SAM'L SPRAGUE, Clerk.

1 Colchester Brook in Plympton.