Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-09-19

Lieut. Eigley's descendants living who ever
saw him, the last of that class having died
during the past year. There we're born TO
him by his wife Ruth eleven children
seven sons and five daughters. The peri
cd Of births extends through twenty years.
beginning with 11GS. All but three or
four were born before the family moved TO
Marlborough Most Of these children lived
to a good old age and have left descend
ants who are widely scattered. His wife
Ruth died June 8, 1903, after a companions
ship in pioneer life of full twenty years
Two years later he married Bathsheba Lin
coln a widow familiarly called "Bashie
Lincoln" with whom he spent the remain
ing years of his life At his decease he
left a sister Mary, known to several gener-
ations as "Aunt Molly" who attained to an
age Of over 100 years. A brother, Solomon,
also outlived him. Solomon was a member
Of the Shaker community at Lebanon, n. Y,
and used TO visit his brother. He lived TO
be % years old. 1t is boasted Of him that
during the year before be died he plowed,
planted cultivated and harvested a half
acre Of corn
Lieut. Daniel Higley died on the 9th
Of March, 1912, at the probable age Of "a
years. He left long and detailed will in
which all his heirs are carefully remember
ed. To each is appOrtioned his due ac-
cording to some recognized scale Of justice
present in the mind of the testator, even
to fractions Of a dollar. This will if all
else were blotted out, would show his con
siderate and methodical cast of mind, that
he was guided by principle, and that he in
tended to see that all the members of his
family should have their just rights His
body is supposed to have been buried in
the old dsused graveyard on the main road
leading from Marlborough village TO vii
mington, but the precise spot is unmarked
and unknown.
This sketch may properly be closed by
giving one or two extracts from his will
thus permitting him as it were to speak for
himself in his own words, and at the same
affording glimpse Of life as it then was.
His will, as before stated, mentions all his
heirs by name, giving to each some por-
tiOu of his property, or explaining any all.
sence of a gift. The legaces are, with
one exception, which provides for an al
Tentative in money, to he paid in or from
some specific portion of his property, as in
heifer or from neat stock, or household
| furniture. There is no provision for a sale
Of the property. The extracts selected to
be given are the clauses relating to his wife
and sister With his second wife, who had
brought with her a minor child, he spent
the last seven years of his life. After the
formal beginning the will goes on:
| II give to my beloved wife Bathsheha Higey.
after my decease, and 50 long as she shall remain
| my widow, the absolute use Of so much Of one Of
! the largest rooms iu my dwelling house as shall
| b. necessary for her comfort but II is to be
| derstOOd that she the said Bathsheba, is not to
| have the privilege Of taking family into said
| room and also one good COW and four sheep, said
| COW and sheep 10 be- her own forever, and said
cow and sheep 70 be well kept by my sons, Judah
! Hlgley and Phuy Higley, ON my farm which shall
! hereafter bequrath To them, the SAID Judah and
! Phny, during her said widOwhOud, and during
her residence ON said farm, and likewise the said
Judah and Pliuy are to Keep the increase of said
! COW and sheep until the fall after they come.
when She. the said Bathsheha. is 10 take and dis
| pose OF them for her own benefit. and also th.
! said Judah and Pliuy arr 10 provide for her, the
| said Bathsheba, during her WidowhOod and resi-
deuCe on said farm as aforesaid, with provisions
| sufficient for her comfortable support in sickness
/ aud hcaltli excepting the articles OF butter and
] cheese, which ! think she can make supply
from said COW, but If not, then TO De supplied by
the said Judah and Plny 10y those articles Ike
| wise; and also with sufficient supply of fire
wood cut tit for the fire at the door to keep one
fire and likewise with twenty pounds of good
! faN yearly during her WIdowhoOd and residence
as Aforesaid; and likewise 1t sny will that II she
the said Bathshrba, shall choose to move from
| there, she shall have a right to carry of what
| clothing She shall then have, aud likewise her
! household goods which she fetched with her
| when married her, and If anything shall be-
| damaged or broken, to have them made good;
and also one half Of the linen and other cloth she
has or shall make while she lives with me except
| ing what shall be- worn out at the time Of my de-
| ceasel
At the time of his decease he left a whole
houseful of descendants. 1t is therefore
not surprising that as a matter of fact the
widow found family affairs too complicated,
and after few years withdrew, no doubt
taking along with her all her belongings.
In 1910, two years before his DEATH Dan
| iel Higley received from his sister Mary
deed of fifteen acres of land in Simsbury,
| Connecticut, the consideration named there
in being "one hundred dollars current mon
ey received to my full satisfaction Of my
brother 1t may be that it was from this
money he was thinking his sister Mary
might have enough left to bury her, when
in his will he made the very kind provision
in her behalf, the quotation Of which may
serve to set forth in a closing word the
intelligent, thoughtful and humane spirit Of
the man. He says: And further my will
is that my sister, Mary Hgley, shall be
| supported out of the estate that | have
herein bequeathed to my sons, Judah and
Pliny, and that they, the said Judah and
| Pliny, shall support the said Mary with
I good and sufficient meat, drink, washing,
lodging, nursing and physc, and every
way maintain her decently during her nat
ural life, and likewise pay her funeral
charges if she has not estate of her own TO
do it,