The action of deeding over to a son of the father’s property during the father’s or parents’ lifetime with a provision for continuous use during their natural lives was a common custom from the early Plymouth Colony days. It is illustrated here between John and Phineas Burgess. Although the son chosen might be one of many sons, it was often the one who continued living in the homestead, farming the property, and providing care for the elders. John Burgess lived nineteen years after this arrangement to a long life of eighty-five years. The advantages for such an agreement to a father as he ages is apparent. It provided security and some comfort against the time when these factors were most necessary. It might work to the economic advantage of the son as well. It was their solution to a problem that people living today have to solve by radically different methods, be they better or worse. The same procedure was carried on from father Phineas to son Peleg and to a certain extent by Peleg in the arrangement with his children. At the Plymouth Registry of Probate I have examined the will of John Burgess, #3370. It throws some light on parts of the life of that time. The administrator was his son, Phineas. He died in 1850 at the age of 85. Before the nineteenth century began he was already thirty-five years old. Those appointed by the Court to appraise the estate were George Manter, Truman Sampson, and Freeman Manter. A synopsis of the estate is as follows: One lot of woodland called watercourse lot containing about twenty-five acres at 12 doll per acre. 300.00 One lot of woodland by the name of half moon pond, lot containing about 30 acres at 5 doll 40 cts. per acre. 162.00 (Other real estate and buildings had been previously sold to his son Phineas). Personal Estate Fifty-eight cords and four feet of wood 121.62 Farming tools 5.00 Boat boards .50 Furniture 2.50 Wearing apparel 20.50 Bed and bedstead and gun 7.50 ------ 157.62 A cord of wood for fuel is a stack 4 x 4 x 8 feet or 128 cubic feet. A cord here is valued at about $2.50 cut. This would include the worth of the standing timber and removal from the woods. By our standards the pay would be meagre. From the administrator’s account it can be seen that the sawing labor is priced at about 95 cents per cord. The wood itself has a value of $1.55 per cord. The house contained three or more wood-burning stoves, plus a fireplace and heating fuel was needed for five or six months per year. Let us not be unaware of the great amount of manual labor, exerted by someone at least, for heat. It is in marked contrast with today’s thermostatic systems.