Benjamin Soule was born 18 November 1719 in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, the 6th child of Jacob and Rebekah (Gifford) Soule[3-4].
He is described in two peer-reviewed works:
* Anne Borden Harding, Mayflower Families Through Five Generations, Volume Three, George Soule, Gen Soc of Mayflower Descendants, 1980, page 71, Benjamin Sowle sketch[1].
* Waldo Chamberlain Sprague, "The Dartmouth Branch of the Soule Family", The American Genealogist, Volume 39, No. 12 (January 1963), pages 39-40, Benjamin Soule sketch[2].
Benjamin Soule married Meribah Waite in about 1742 in Dartmouth[10], the daughter of Thomas and Mary (Tripp) Waite of Dartmouth. They had two children:
* Martha Soule, born 1 October 1743 in Dartmouth, married David Kirby (1740-1832) in 1763 in Tiverton, Rhode Island, died 26 May 1828 in Westport, Massachusetts.
* Patience Soule, born 31 January 1745 in Dartmouth, married Benjamin Devol in 26 SDeptember 1765 in Dartmouth, and died 3 November 1780 in Dartmouth.
In the will of his father, Jacob Soule of Dartmouth, dated 12 August 1747 and proved 3 May 1748, Benjamin Soule was bequeathed the northernmost third of the Sowle homestead farm in Dartmouth, plus the east half of Jacob Soule's meadow[5].
Benjamin Sowle's land was in the part of Dartmouth that was set off as Westport in 1787.
In the 1790 United States Census, the Benjamin Sowle household was enumerated in Westport, Bristol County, Massachusetts[6]. The household included one free white male over age 16 and one free white female.
In the 1800 United States Census, the Benjamin Sowle household was enumerated in Westport, Bristol County, Massachusetts[7]. The household included one free white male over age 45, one free white female aged 16 to 25, and one free white female over age 45.
Benjamin Soule died 31 January 1803 in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, aged 83[1-2,8]. He was buried on the Joseph Sowle farm in Westport[1-2].
Benjamin Sowle died testate, having written a will on 20 February 1792 which was proved in Bristol county, Massachusetts Probate Court on 3 May 1803[9].
The transcription of the will is:
This Twentieth day of the second month called February one Thousand Seven hundred Ninety two I Benjamin Sowle of Westport in the County of Bristol and Commonwealth of Massachusetts yeoman, Being in a weak State of health but through the goodness of God of Sound Disposing mind and memory Do need for preventing further difficulty in my family make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament and as to such Temporal things as God by his kind Providence hath been Pleased to Bless me with in this life I give devise and dispose of of the same in the following manner and form.
Imprimis My mind and will is and I do hereby order that all my Just Debts funeral Charges and Just Expences of all sorts together with the Settling of my Estate Should be first agreed and Justly discharged out of my Personal Estate by my Executor herein after Named.
Item. I hereby give to Meribah Sowle my loveing and well-beloved wife wife the Choice of my feather beds with a full set of furniture throughout to the Same Sutable for both winter and Summer also the Choice of my Cows also my Bible and my Chest of Drawers all a free gift to her own disposal, and further I give to my said wife as above said all the Provisions that I have in Store at my decease that I have Provided for food and raiment. And a further Provision is herein after made for my wife during the time she remains my widow.
Item. I hereby give to my Daughter Martha Kirby and to my granson Peter Davol son of my Daughter Patience deceased and to their heirs and assigns for ever all my Real Estate and to be Divided Equilly between them when my wife Ceases to be my widow and not to Come into Possession of said real Estate till then.
Item. I hereby give to my two grandsons Namely Peter Davol and Ichabod Kirby all my waring apperial of all sorts to be Equilly divided between them. And my Gun I give to my granson Peter Davol.
Item. I hereby give to my grandaughter Meribah Davol my bigest Puter Platter and my red Chest without draws
Item. I hereby give to my Daughter Martha Kirby and to my grandaughter Meribah Davol daughter of my Daughter Patience deceased to be Equilly divided between them all my Personal Estate that is left at the time when my wife ceases to be my widow not herein before otherwise disposed of. This intent of this gift is to include only what is left of my Personal Estate that the use and Improovement of it is given to my wife during the time she remains my widow.
Item. I hereby give to my above said wife the use and Improvement of all my Real Estate, also all my Personal Estate that is not herein before otherwise wise disposed of during the term of time She remains my widow; And all the gifts uses and Improvements herein given to my wife I give her for the love and good will I have for her and in liu of her ^right of^ dower and Power of thirds in my Estate.
Item. I do hereby ordain Constitute and appoint my beloved and trusty Son in law Benjamin Davol of this Town Sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament hereby making null and void all other wills or Testaments by me before this time made Rattifying this and no other to be my last will and Testament n wittness whereof I the said Benjamin Sowle have here Unto set my hand and seal the day and year above written.
Signed Sealed Pronounced and declared by the said Benjamin Sowl to be his last Will and Testament in the Presence of us who have ^hereunto^ Subscribed our names as wittnesses in the Presence of Each other and the Testator.
Phillip Tripp his
Lemuel Sowle Benjamin X Sowle
Gideon Davis mark
Tripp dead Sowle N York State
May 3^d 1803 approved
