Item. And whereas I ^have^
did for many & weighty reasons more than thirteen years ago, undertake, & have ^at my own Riſque
&
Expence^ by the aſsistance
& favour of god, founded a charity school
for the education of youths of the several tribes of Indians in this land, and alſo of a competent number of English youths to accompany them, with a
single view to the spreading the gospel into the ignorant parts of this Land, eſpecially among the Indians. And by the smiles of heaven upon every step that hath
hitherto been taken in the Affair, the design is now become respectable in Europe as well as America, inso‐ ‐much that large donations have
been made, whereby a number of
Miſsionaries
& schoolmasters have been, and are supported in the
Wilderneſs, as well as a considerable number now in this
school. filling for the like service when they have finished their
learning here And a
^very^ considerable fund is
^additional Sums have been^ collected in great Britain, chiefly by the endeavours of the Rev.d
Doct.r Whitaker, whom I have ^Authorised
commiſsioned and^ sent, in com‐ ‐pany with the Rev.d
Sampson Occom, in my name, to solicit the charities of gods people
^only^ for the use & support of s.d Design; And God having amidst the numberleſs
& signal favours, by which he has own'd this design, put it into the hearts of thoſe
most noble worthy & generous friends & benefactors the Right hon.ble
W..m Earl of Dartmouth
M.r Baron Smythe
John Thornton
Samuel Roffey
Charles Hardey
&
Daniel West
Esqr
M.r
Samuel Savage
M.r
Josiah Robarts
&
Mr
Robart Keen all of, or near the City
of London to become Guarantees to the publick for the
safety
^Security^
& due application of sd
fund
^Monies^ collected in great
Britain for promoting the great design afores.d, & that this so important Affair
should
^might not^ fail or be obstructed thro' my decease, and it being also neceſsary for the safety wellbeing &
succeſs of ye undertaking that there be also a trust
appointed on this side the water who may & shall receive all gifts & grants subscriptions or donations any way made in these Colonies for the
use & support of s.d school or miſsionaries and to dispose of and improve ye same according to ye will of
ye
doners; and also to examine & judge of the qualifications of Miſſsys
&
school-masters; the numbers from time to time expedient & their
fitneſs for the places they shall be respectively designed for and also of their
fidelity & skill in performing the truths respectively reposed in them & accordingly to authorize & appoint them to yr respective offices or displace
& remove them as they shall find occasion
I do therefore, after much deliberation & committing the affair to god & waiting upon him for light & direction therein — nominate
& appoint my much hon.d
& worthy friends afores.d viz the Right hon.ble
W.m Earl of Dartmouth, &c to be trustees of all ye Donations yt have been made or shall be made ^of any kind or in^ any
manner of way wtever
thro'
yr hands for ye use & benefit of ye
genl design afores.d
& to them ye
s.d trustees I give & bequeath
sd fund allready made or any gifts grants or donations to be made as afores.d to ym
& to yr
succeſsors to be by them disposed of & improved in ye best manner only for ye Uses aforesd
[illegible][guess: yt]
& to do wtever
yy shall judge necessary to be done on yt side ye water for ye safety welbeing prosperity, succeſs
&
increaſe
^[left]of ye great design in view^ under such regulations as shall be hereafter
mentioned—^X^
& in case of ye death or resignation
^[left]of any^ of ye
s.d
[illegible][guess: T] 9
Gentleman such vacancy be declared & others chosen by ye majority of ye remaining Trustees, to fill up such Vacancy or Vacancies
I do also [illegible][guess: apppoint]nominate & appoint my son Ralph Wheelock
^One mentioned on my ^aforeſd^ will^ to be my succeſsor in ye immediate care oversight guidance & direction of this whole Affair, so long & under such limitations & restrictions as shall be here ‐after mentioned in this will
— I do also nominate & appoint my faithful & trusty friends Col:
W.m Pitkin Esq.r of Hartford, the Rev.d
Benjamin Pomroy of Hebron the Rev.d
James Lockwood of Wethersfield, the Rev.d
W.m
^Timo Pitkin^ of Farmington, the Rev.d
Nath.l Whitaker DD of Norwich,
the Revd
W.m Patten of Hartford
& my son Ralph Wheelock all of the
Colony of Connecticut
& the Rev.d
Saml Kirtland
Miſs.y to be Trustees of all the Donations that
have been made or shall be made ^in these colonies
American colonies^ for the Use support & benefit of ye
general design in view
^the School
&
Miſsionaries as aforeſd^
& to them ye
s.d Trustees last mentioned I give & bequeath the Lot of Land or tenement in this ^s.d^
Society ^in Lebanon^
aforeſ.d given oreginally by M.r
Joshua Moore of
Mansfield
& since confirmed to me by a deed from his widdow for the Use & support of sd school ^togather^
w.th
ye subscriptions made by divers well disposed persons for ye support & benefit of ye school, & any & all other or real or personal estate that has been or shall be given
or any way convey'd or made over to this school
^and Miſsionaries^ or to me for the Use & benefit of ye same To them & to their Successors to have
& to hold or alienate & dispose of as yy shall judge best only for
ye uses afores.d — And that they or any five of them ye whole being duely notified (by letters or otherways of ye Time & place of meeting) shall have full power to chuse another Trustee if they shall think fit & then to to confirm ye appointment I have made of (my son
Ralph for) my successor or to chuse another of their number in his stead —
& that the same so chosen to be my succeſsor be approved by the R.t
honble noble & worthy Gentlemen of ye
Trust in England otherwise that a new nomination
be made by the
Teither set of Trustees 'till one be found in which all may unite & that the one appointed by ye
Trust on this
si
[gap: tear][guess: de the] water shall
officiate till that matter be settled & it is my will that
my succeſsor
^[inline]s^ be
^Succeſsively^ appointed by will with the Advice
of
^&^ or approbation
both of the Trustees here & in
England
^forever or^
untill a legal incorporation
shall be obtained
^and that he be
approved by both Setts of Truſtees or else yt another be by them Chosen as aforeſaid^ And in case
of a vacancy by the death of
[below]My Succe ‐ſor or Succeſsors shall die with out such will that one be choſen by both ſetts of Truſtees as aforeſ.d, &
y.t he Who ſhall be appointed by the Truſtees on this the water officiate till that matter be ſettled as aforeſ.d
&
[illegible]in Caſe of a vacancy by ye death or
resignation of any of the Trustees that such vacancy or
vacancies
b
ye supplied by others chosen by the major part of the
surviving
Trustees —& it shall be y
e duty of theſe Trustees to examine & authorize
Miſsionaries
&
school masters
& appoint them to their respective
services and judg of their Skill & Fidelity in performing the Same and accord‐
ingly continue
or diſplace and remove them as they Shall jidge fit. and do any
thing for the help and aſsiſtance of my S.
d
Succeſsor in the vigorous Proſecution of
the S
d great Deſign,
^[inline]and to appoint fix upon and determine & fix upon laws rules and orders for ye^
^[below]Edification Decency, & Good Economy of the Whole affair as they Shall from time to time find neceſs.y^
Also that my Succeſsor keep a faithful and fair acco.t of all ^Expences
andfor, &^
Diſburſments of money, in, this whole affair and tranſmitt the Same twice a year, with an accot of all Succeſses and remarkable Occurrances to the Truſt in England — and that
they
^he^ Shall do the Same, with reſpect to my New Plan which he or they
truſt
^here^ Shall think fit to come in[illegible]to, in the Proſecution of this Deſign, when and as Soon as there is opportunity for it, and if it may be before
he enters upon the Execution of it, in order for their approbation of
[illegible]
ye
^Truſt in England^
at Home and the Accots being thus kept and tranſmitted, the Truſt in England
ſhall not have right to proteſt any Bills or Draughts made upon their Treaſurer
[illegible]to pay any Expenses made before my Succeſsor Shall have received the Notice of their Diſapprobation of the Meaſures he is purſuing. The Same I expect for my Self So long as I do to the beſt of my Ability proceed according to the foregoing proposals. and I hope in
God who has hitherto So mar =vellouſly
appeard to maintain and promote this Cauſe
hitherto which is his own that he will yet take care of it and perform the higheſt
wiſhes and Hopes of his Saints concerning it, and particularly that he will open
the Hearts of Such as he has Endowed with Ability to provide a ^laſting^ Fund for the Support ^not only of the School but^ of the Preſident, ^Inſtructors^ and Trustees other
^[left]officers neceſsary for^
of the Same. Wherefore know Ye that I do by these preſents Give Grant Convey and make over to my much Hond
& Worthy Friends ^before named^ viz the R.t
Honle
William Earl of Dartmouth
M.r Baron Smythe
&c and to their Succeſsors
Choſen as before mentioned, forever [illegible]
ye
Gifts money already collected which is now in their Hands, and all the
Gifts Grants or Donations of any kind that shall hereafter be made thro' their Hands only for the uses &
purpoſes
aforeſd and in the manner aforeſ.d and I do by these preſents bind and oblige myſelf that the Plan aforeſaid Shall remain and be the form and manner of
this School, only reſerving to my Self the Liberty to change my Succeſ.r or to nominate another in Stead of him who is now named in my Will and
also to add two more
Truſtees
^more^ than are now named or remove either of these and put
another or others in Stead thereof if I Shall think it Expedient.
Blank page.Blank page.
To all pp to wm these Preſents Shall come Greeting Know Ye
y.t Whereas I Eleazar Wheelock of Lebanon in the
County of Windham and coloney of Connecticut in N. England ([illegible]) have by my laſt will and Teſtament, Dated this 14th Day of April 1768. regulated, moddled, ordered and diſposed of my Indian Charity School in the
manner and form ^and words^ following viz. "Item. and Where as
I did &c
[illegible]did[illegible] for many &c.