A brief sketch of the Nathaniel Wade family was presented in Marston Watson's book on the ancestry and descendants of Thomas Dudley[1]. Doris Schultz's book provided more biographical information which has been included herein[2].
Nathaniel Wade was born 27 January 1708/9 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the 4th child of 7 of Jonathan and Mary (Dolberry?) Wade[1-4]. The birth was entered into the Charlestown town records.
On 26 June 1731, Nathaniel Wade married Ruth Hawkins in Scituate, Rhode Island[1-2,5]. She was the daughter of William and Elizabeth (Arnold) Hawkins of Providence, Rhode Island, and the sister of Deborah Hawkins who married Nathan Wade, the brother of Nathaniel Wade.
Nathaniel and Ruth (Hawkins) Wade had six children between 1731 and 1746, all born in and recorded in the Scituate town records[1-2].
In 1738, Nathaniel Wade was made a freeman in Scituate[2].
Nathaniel Wade died 29 June 1754 in Scituate, Rhode Island, according to the Inventory in his estate file[6]. There are no available burial records for Nathaniel Wade.
Nathaniel Wade died testate, having written a will on 30 May 1754 that was proved on 13 July 1754[6]. The will reads:
"The Last Will and Testament of Nathaniel Wade of Scituate aforesaid was presented to the Council and Read in the Following Words (Viz):
"In the Name of God Amen. the Thirtieth Day of May in the Twenty Seventh year of his Majesties Reign George the Second King of Great Britain &c Annoq. Domi 1754: I Nathaniel Wade of Scituate in the County of Providence in the Colony of Rhode Island &c being very sick and Weak of Body but of Perfect Mind and Memory Thanks be given to God: And Calling to Mind the Mortality of My body and Knowing that it is appointed for Man once to Die do make and Ordain this My last Will and Testament in Manner and Form Following That is to Say principally and first of all My Soul I Recomend into the Hands of God that gave it and my body to the Earth to be Buryed Decently at the Discretion of my Executors herein after Named and as Touching of Such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath Pleased God to Bless me in this present Life I ??? Demise and Dispose of the same in the following Manner and Form, Viz:
"Imprimis My will is and I do hereby order that all my Lands and Real Estate be Sold as Soon as Conveniently as can be after My Decease by my Executors herein after Named and My one Hereby fully Impowered to Sell the Land and a Deed or Deeds of Conveyance Shall be good and ???? to all Intents and purposes that is by them Regularly Made.
"Item I Give and bequeath to My Loveing Wife Ruth Wade the use and Intrest of Three Hundred pounds old Tenor of the Money that Shall be Raised or paid upon the Sale of the Land for and During the full Term of her Naturall Life in this World.
"Item I give and bequeath all the Remaining part of the Money that Shall Rise upon the Sale of My Land after the sd Three Hundred Pounds is Taken out that I have given the use of to my Wife: To my Three Sons Simon Dudly and John to be Equally Divided between them as Soon as it is Collected or paid and also the said Three Hundred Pounds after my said Wifes decease to be Divided Between them in Like Manner.
"Item My Will is that all my just Debts Shall be paid out of my Moveable Estate and the Remaining parts thereof I give and bequeath to My aforesaid Wife and My Two Daughters Mary and Ruth to be Equally Divided Between themselves.
"And I do hereby Nominate Constitute appoint and ordain Ruth my aforesaid Wife and My said Son Simon to be the Sole Executors of this My Last Will and Testament and I do hereby Utterly Revoke Disallow and Annull all and Every other and Former wills Testaments Legacies bequests and Executors by Me heretofore Made Willed or bequeathed Ratifying allowing and Holding Firm and Effectuall this and No others to be My Last will and Testament: In Witness whereof I have Hereunto Set my hand and seal the Day Month and Year first above Written.
"Signed Sealed Published Pronounced and Nathaniel Wade (seal)
Declared by the sd Nathaniel Wade as his Last
Will and Testament in presence of us the Subscribers
Gideon Harris Aaron Aldrich Abiel Aldrich (her mark)"
"We Gideon Harris Aaron Aldrich and Abiel Aldrich all personally appearing Declared on their Several Engagements that they Saw the above Subscriber Nathaniel Wade Sign Seal and Declare what is hereabove Written to be his Last Will and Testament and that he was then of a Sound and Perfect Mind and Memory and that they and Each of them Did at the same time in the presence of sd Testator and of Each other Subscribe their Names thereunto as Witnesses.
Test. Gideon Harris Court Clerk."
"And the said Ruth Wade and Simon Wade prayd that the said Last will and Testament of the said Nathaniel Wade Might be proved and that Letters of Administration on the personall Estate of the sd Nathaniel Wade Might be granted to them. Whereupon it is Voted that the above will be approved and allowed to be a good and Lawfull Will and be Recorded and that Letters of Administration of the personall Estate of the sd Nathaniel Wade be granted to the sd Ruth Wade and Simon Wade which was done as Followeth (Vizt.)
"These are in his Majesty's Name George the Second King over Great Britain &c to Authorize order and Impower you the said Ruth Wade and Simon Wade to Take into your possession Care and Custody all and Singular the Goods Chattels Rights and Credits of the said Nathaniel Wade Deceased and the Same to Administer according to Law and the Will of your Testator and in all things to act and do as the Law Requireth and Impowereth Executors Relating the ???sises and True and Perfect account to ?????? to this Council are to them ?????? have you ??? ?????????? Said Estate with other you D??ings thereon And for you so doing ??? Shall be your Sufficient Authority: Given at a Town Council held in Scituate and Signed and Sealed by order of said Court. Gideon Harris their clerk.
"And the Ruth Wade and Simon Wade Exhibited an Inventory of the personall Estate of the said Nathaniel Wade Deceased to this council in the Following Words (Viz.)
"A True Inventory of all and Singular the goods Chattels Rights and Credits of Nathaniel Wade of Scituate in the County of Providence &c Yeoman Who Departed this Life on the 29th Day of June Last past Apprised this Thirteenth Day of July Annoq. Dom: 1754 by us the Subscribers.
"Imprimis to his Wearing Apparrell ......................................... 25:00:00
Item to one Horse ..................................................................... 40:00:00
Item to Two cows ..................................................................... 72:00:00
Item to one Calf ........................................................................ 6:10:00
Item to Six Swine .................................................................... 31:00:00
Item to one Saddle and Bridle .................................................... 6:00:00
Item to one Loom and Some Tackling ...................................... 9:00:00
Item to Ten Pounds of Sheeps Wool ........................................... 5:00:00
Item to Some Flax Seed and Some Callovants ......................... 1:08:00
Item to one Box with Some Salts and Some
Other Small Things in it ............................................................. 1:10:00
Item to some old Casks and a peck Measure
and a Chest to keep Grain in ...................................................... 6:03:00
Item to one pair of Plow Irons and Irons for Heifer Horses .......2:10:00
Item to one pair of Bottle Rings and two Grain Wedges ........... 1:18:00
Item to one Broad Ax 90/ one Harrow Ax 5/ ............................ 4:15:00
Item to Four Mill Pecks and an Iron Wedge ............................. 3:18:00
Item to Carpenter Tools and Some ShoeMakers Tools
and old Irons ............................................................................ 6:12:00
Item to Some Turning Tools 20/ and one Scyth
and Tackling 69/ ...................................................................... 4:09:00
Item to one Iron Bar ................................................................ 4:16:00
Item to one Cow Hide and one Calf Skin ................................ 4:04:00
Item to Two Bells 40/ one H???ell 20/ ..................................... 3:00:00
Item to Seventeen Bushells of Indian Corn ............................ 21:05:00
Item to one pair of Cards 33/ and
Two Spinning Wheels 75/ ........................................................ 5:08:00
Item to one Feather Bed and Furniture .................................. 20:10:00
Item to one Ditto and Furniture ............................................. 20:10:00
Item to one Flock Bed and Furniture ..................................... 12:12:00
Item to one Chest 30/ and one Warming pan 50/ ................... 4:00:00
Item to Pewter ???ssells .......................................................... 6:16:00
Item to Two Fire Shovels 40/ and one Trowell 40/ ................ 4:00:00
Item to one Iron Pot and Two Iron Kettles .............................. 4:12:00
Item to one Box Iron 20/ one CandleStick 5/
and Frying Pan 12/ .................................................................. 5:17:00
Item to one Earthen Jugg and some Mollasses
and a Glass Bottle ................................................................... 1:05:00
Item to Some Milk Juggs and other Wooden Wair ................ 2:00:00
Three Chairs 13/ one Table 20/ .............................................. 3:15:00
Item to Three Knives and Forks 17/ one Razor 7/
some Nails 10/ ........................................................................ 1:14:00
Item to Some Sall??s and some Candles 40/
and Some Books 26/ .............................................................. 3:06:00
Item to Three pounds of flax 21/ one ounce of Indego 13/ .... 1:14:00
Item to about 40 lb salt pork L8 and Meat Rass?ll 23/ ......... 9:05:00
Item to paper Bills of Credit .................................................. 1:05:00
Item to Bank Accounts ...................................................... 104:08:05
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total 321:07:05
John Howland Gideon Harris"
And Ruth Wade and Simon Wade Both Declared on their Engagements that they has put the Personall Estate of the said Nathaniel Wade into the above Inventory that was come to their Knowledge and that if any Thing More thereof does thereafter appears or Come to their Knowledge they will add the Same to sd Inventory. And John Howland and Gideon Harris Both personally appearing Declared on their Engagement that the above Inventory is a True Apprisall of all that was Set Fourth to them to be of the Estate of the sd Nathaniel Wade Decesd. Whereupon it is voted that the above Inventory be accepted and allowed to be a Good and Lawfull Inventory and be Recorded.... Test. Gideon Harris Court Clerk."
Note that the real estate is not apprised in the Inventory above. If it was sold, the proceeds from the sale went to the three sons Simon, Dudley and John Wade after the 300 pounds for their mother was provided.
After Nathaniel Wade died in 1754, Ruth (Hawkins) Wade married, secondly, on 9 February 1758 in Scituate, to Zebedee Hopkins, the older brother of her sister-in-law's husband, Elisha Hopkins; Ruth (Hawkins) (Wade) Hopkins 7 December 1789.
