Will of Ralph Ellenwood of Beverly, husbandman, 1741

Read in the research file (Ellingwood_Master_Research.md, October 2026), from the first page attached to Ralph Jr.’s FamilySearch profile. The second page, with the date and witnesses, is not in hand; the date 8 April 1741 is from Florence O’Connor’s genealogy (1979) and the Find a Grave contributor notes.

“I Ralph Elinwood of Beverly in the County of Essex in New England husbandman Being Weak & Infirm in Bodey.” His personal estate, common rights and a garden plot next to his son Ebenezer’s land to be sold for debts, any overplus divided among his children, “my Son Ralph Elinwood’s Children to have one Share.” To “my daughter Abigael Elinwood the Improvement of one half of my Real Estate during her Naturall Life She Being Not Able to provide for her Self.” “My Two Grandsons Israel Elinwood & Ralph Elinwood have the free Use & Improvement of the Barn & Well their father Builded on my Lands.” One fifth of the real estate each to “the Children of my Son Ralph Elinwood Decd”, to sons Ebenezer and Thomas, and to daughters “Return Wardwell” and “Martha Smith.”

What it settles. Ralph II was alive in 1741, so the Ralph lost at sea in 1728/9 was his son, and Israel and his brother Ralph were Ralph II’s grandsons, children of his dead son Ralph. Leonard Ellinwood (1963) made Israel a son of Ralph II; the will disproves it.