Lawrence Straw

  General Notes:

According to the N.E. Historical Genealogical Register, Vol XIV, Oct 1900 the following children of Lawrence and Abia Straw were baptized on August 14, 1743: Moses, John, Lawrence, Ezra, Abia, Hannah, and Miriam.(Ellen Straw Thompson in her Genealogy of 1897 gives the names of his children as: Samuel (b.South Hampton), John, Meriam, Mehitable, Moses, Hannah and Ezra all baptized Aug 14, 1743 and Daniel baptized March 20 1744. since its states they were "children of Lawrence and Abiah I believe it does not refer to the parents and that there were two more children: Abigail J [Abiah] and Lawrence [born between John and Ezra]
In his Will of January 29, 1756 in South Hampton (Proved May 26, 1762) he mentions his wife and two sons, Moses and Ezra and a daughter, Hannah Straw. There is no mention of Aaron b. 1730[ but he died in infancy], Meriam b. 1737 [she died 1743], Samuel b. 1726 [he died 1750],Mehitable baptized [she died 1843] or Daniel baptized 1744 [who was still living as of 1779]. He names Ezra as his Executor and his Will reads as follows:
LAWRENCE STRAW 1756 SOUTH HAMPTON
In the name of God Amen. I Lawrence Straw of South Hampton in the province of New-Hampshire in New England Husbandman being Weak in Body * * *
Item - secondly I give to my well beloved Wife Abia Straw the use and improvement of one half of my Real Estate the East End of my house and all the Cellar the one half of all my Stock and one half of my household goods and Household Stuff These I give her the use of and Improvement of So long as She remains my Widow.
Item Thirdly I give to my Son Moses Straw Twenty Five Shillings lawful money or Five Pounds old Tenor as Money now passes to be paid to him by my Executor within Six Months after my Decease-
Item Fourthly I give to my Son Ezra Straw the other half of my Real Estate and the other half of my Stock, and if my Wife Abia Straw refuses my Will and chooseth to stand by the law, then I give to my son
Ezra Straw two Thirds of my Real Estate and two thirds of all my stock with all my husbandry utensils, and after the Decease of my wife I give him the whole of all my real Estate and the whole of my stock. I give him all my Husbandry utensils and Implements to take Possession of immediately after my Decease.
Item Fifthly I give to my Daughter Hannah Straw Three hundred Pounds old Tenor as money now passes, the one half to be paid to her within Six months after my Decease, and to be paid with the one Half of my Household Goods and Household stuff if they are Valued at one hundred and Fifty pounds old Tenor , and if they are not valued so high as to amount to it then the rest to be paid to her in money, and if they amount to more than one Hundred and Fifty Pounds old Tenor yet my will is that the one Half of all my Household goods and house hold Stuff be delivered to her within Six months after my Decease. And my will also is that the other hundred and Fifty pounds be paid her within Six months after the Decease of my Wife Abia Straw, as the first one Hundred and Fifty pounds was paid That is to say to be paid out of the other half of my House hold goods, and house hold stuff if they are Valued So high as to amount to
One Hundred and Fifty pounds old Tenor But if not, then the remainder to be paid in Money. But yet if they amount to more than one Hundred and Fifty Pounds yet my will is that they be Delivered to her by my Executor, or if Either the first half, or the Second half of my Household Goods and Household Stuff do not amount to one Hundred and Fifty Pounds Old Tenor Each, that then my Executor pays her the remainder in Money at the Expiration of Each Time. My will further is that if my Wife refuseth to accept of my Will and if She accepts what the Law allows her then my Daughter is to have two Thirds of my household goods and two thirds of my household stuff delivered her by my Executor within Six months after my Decease. But if they do not amount to Two hundred pounds Old Tenor, then the rest to be paid to her by him in money, and the Other Third part of my household goods and House hold stuff to be delivered to her within six months after the Decease of my Wife, and if they do not amount to One Hundred pounds Old Tenor, then the rest to be paid to her in Money, But yet if they amount to more yet my will is that they are all of them delivered to her by my Executor
Finally I do Ordain and constitute my son Ezra Straw to be Sole Executor **** In Witness whereof I have Set my Hand and Seal this Twenty Ninth Day of january Anno Domini One Thousand Seven hundred and fifty Six and in the Twenty Ninth year of the Reign of George the Second king over great Britian and his lawrence Straw
his witnesses Prince Flanders, Morrill Flanders, Israel Straw (Proved May 26, 1762)
(Inventory July 27, 1762; amount 5788 Pounds; signed by Abner Morrill and James Graves.
The Israel Straw mentioned above as a witness may have been the son of Samuel and Elizabeth Dimond Straw of South Hampton b. 1735 who would have been 27 at the time of the Will.
Other sources for material on this family include: Amesbury VR; Church records of South Hampton: American Gen Bio Index

Lawrence married Abigail Jewell, daughter of John Jewell and Hannah Prowse, on 5 Jun 1725 in Amesbury, Essex County, Massachusetts. (Abigail Jewell was born on 7 Nov 1702 in Amesbury, Essex County, Massachusetts and died in 1756 in South Hampton, Rockingham County, New Hampshire.)