r152 Contract of marriage between Thomas Nelson of Rowley andJoane Dumer dated 15:12:1641 "Know all men by these prsents,that whereas there is a Contractof marriage betwixt Thomas Nelson of Rowley in New EnglandGent:& Joane Dumer Spintr ye daughter of Thomas Dumer of Badgethin old England Gent: and whereas alsoe Richard Dumer of Newburyin New England Gent hath engaged & bound himselfe for ye paymentof two hundred pounds for or towards ye marriage portion of thesaid Joane, as by his bond bearing even date wth these prsentsappeareth, Now the said Thomas Nelson (In Consideracon of hismarriage wth the said Joane) doth hereby bind himselfe his heirsExecurs: Administrators & assignes & every of them unto ye saidRichard Dumer his executors adminrs & assignes & to every ofthem, in ye summe of fower hundred pounds, to be paid unto themor some one of them, in case therebe a failing to pforme theCondicins Following:Vizt. That if after the Compleating of the marriage Contractabove mentioned, the said Joane doe survive the said ThomasNelson then (imediately upon the death of the said Thomas) thesumme or vallue of two hundred pounds & Likewise soe much moreas the said Thomas Dumer shall ad unto the said porcon of twohundred pounds (t0gether alsoe wth what else the said ThomasNelson shall thinke fitt) shall be allowed payed or deliveredunto ye said Joane for her owne use behoofe & beneffit Andfurther that as Ye Eldest sonn of the said Thomas Nelson shallhave a double porcon out of his estate , soe the remainder ofhis estate shalbe equally devided amongst ye rest of thechildren, as well those as shall be ye Joynt issue of them ye sdThomas & Joane (if any such be) as ye other: wch condicons beingperformed according to ye true intent & meaning of theseprsents, Then the bond in these Prsents conteined shalbe utterlyvoid or els it shall stand remaine & be in full force & vertue;Dated ye fifteenth day of ye Twelfth month 1641" Sealed & delivered in ye prsents of Richard Saltenstall Tho Nelson Ez: Rogers Wm: Wakefeild Md: that before ye ensealing & delivery of ye prsent Writing, itwas agreed that the whole porcon that shalbe Reced by the abovenamed Thomas Nelson shall (upon ye Requirey & according to yeadvise of ye Friends of his prsent Contracted wife) be disposed& assured for the maintenance of his sd wife during her life (incase she survivethe said Thomas) & afterward to be equallydivided amongst there Children, but while they both Live it isto be for there Joynt maintenance. Alsoe it is agreed that ye sdporcon shalbe Received & disposed of from time to time by theadvise of ye friends indifferently of the said Thomas & his saidwife;ec. Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County,Mass., Volume 11, 1658-1662.