Monday, February 21, 2011

Amanuensis Monday - Probate Records of Richard Pray (1683-1755) of Scituate RI

Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent TransylvanianDutch blog) started a Monday blog theme many months ago called Amanuensis Monday. What does "amanuensis" mean? John offers this definition:

"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."

The subject today is the probate file of Richard Pray (1683-1755) of Scituate, Rhode Island.  He married Rachel --?-- before 1725 (she died before 1755), and they had three daughters: Rachel Pray (ca 1725-????), who married a Hinds; Mary Pray (ca 1728-????), who married Ezekiel Hopkins; and Sarah Pray (1734-1819), who married Nathaniel Horton.

Richard Pray, yeoman, died testate.  He wrote a will, dated 15 March 1755, which was proved 10 November 1755.  The Court orders, will, and inventory (transcribed from Scituate (RI) Probate Court, Probate and and Council Records Volumes 1-3 (1731-1799), Volume 1, Page 250-252, on FHL Microfilm 0,941,155) read as follows:

"The Last Will and Testament of Richard Pray Late of Scituate aforesaid Yeoman was presented to the Council and was Read in the Following Words (Viz.) ---

"In the Name of God Amen:  The Fifteenth day of March 1755:  I Richard Pray of Scituate in the County of Providence Yeoman being Very Sick and Weak in Body of Perfect Mind and Memory.  Thanks be given unto God.  Therefore Calling unto Mind the Mortality of My Body and Knowing that it is appointed for Men once to die do Make and ordain this My Last Will and Testament that is to say I give and Present (?) My Soul into the Hands of God that gave it and My Body to the Earth to be Buried in Decent Christian Burial at the Discretion of My Executors hereafter Named and Touching Such Worldly Estate where with it hath pleased God to bless me in this present Life I Give Demise and Dispose of the same in the Following Maner and Form --

"Imprimis  I give and bequeath to my Daughter Sarah Pray all my House Hold goods and all my Moveable Estate of whole sorts ????? the same may be --

"Item  I give and bequeath to My Daughter Rachel Hinds the sum of Five Shillings in Money Equal to old Tenor to be paid by My Executor --

"Item  I do hereby order and Impower My son in law Ezekiel Hopkins Junr to Sell and Dispose of all My Land as Conveniently May be after my Decease.  and the Deed or Deeds by him given shall be Good and Effectuall to the hereafter and hereby thereof whom I do Likewise Constitute Make and ordain My Sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament ---

"Item  My will Further is that after all My Just Debts and Funerall Charges are all paid out of the Effects of the Sale of My Land and the Remainder to Be Deposited as Followeth ---

"Item the one Half of said Remainder I give and bequeath to My sd Daughter Sarah Pray to be paid to her by my said Executor ---

"Item I give and bequeath to my Daughter Mary Hopkins the wife of My said Executor part of the Remainder of the Effects of the Sale of My Land ---

"Item I give and bequeath to My Daughter Rachels Children the one quarter Part of the Remainder of the Effects of the Sales of My Land to be Equally Devided amongst them and to be paid by My said Executor as They Shall Severally attain to the age of Twenty one years or at the days of Marriage with the Intrest Thereon arising ---

"And I do heby Utterly Disallow Revoke and Disannull all and Every other ????? Testaments wills Legacies and bequests and Executors by me in any ways before Named Willed and Bequeathed Ratifying and Confirming this and no others to be my Last will and Testament:  In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set My hand and Seal the day and year above Written ---

"Signed Sealed Published Pronounced and Declared
By the said Richard Pray as his Last Will and .............................. Richard Pray  (seal)
Testament In the Presence of us the Subscribers -
Charles Harris George Westcot Wm Wilkinson.


"Charles Harris George Westcot and William Wilkinson all Personally appearing in Council Declared upon their Severall Engagements That they Saw the above Subscriber Richard Pray Sign Seal and Declare The above Written Instrument 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 Subscribe their Names thereunto as Witneses in the Presence of the said Testator and of Each Other ---

"Whereupon it is Voted that the above Will be Accepted and allowed To be a Good and Lawfull Will and be Recorded -----
Test. Gideon Harris Council Clerk.


"And Ezekiel Hopkins Junr Personally appearing in Council Accepted said Will and prayd That he might have Letters of Administration on the Personall Estate of the said Richard Pray agreeable to said Will Which is Granted in the Following Words ---

"These are in his majestyes Name George the Second King over Great Britain &c to Authorize order and Impower you the said Ezekiel Hopkins Junr to Take into your Possession Care and Custody all and Singular the Goods Chattles Rights and Creadits of the said Richard Pray Decesd and the same To Administer acording To Law and the Will of your Testator and in all Things To Act and Do as the Law Directeth and Impowerth as Executor Relating the Premises and True and Perfect acounts to Render to this Council or their Successors When you are Thereunto Lawfully Called how you have administered said Estate And For your so doing Shall be good Sufficient Authority --

"Given att a Town Council held in Scituate in the County of Providence &c on the Tenth Day of November in the 29th Year of his Majesties Reign George The Second King over Great Britain &c Annoqu Dom. 1755 ---

"Signed By order of said Town Council and Sealed With their Seal
Test. Gideon Harris Their Clerk."


"And the said Ezekiel Hopkins Junr Exhibited an Inventory of the Personall Estate of the said Richard Pray in the Following Words (Viz.) ---

"A True Inventory of all and Singular the Goods and Chattels and Credits of Richard Pray of Scituate In the County of Providence Who Departed this Life on the Tenth Day of July Annoque dom: 1755.---

"Apraised November the 8th AD 1755 By us Barnard Haile Reuben Hopkins
Imprimis His wareing apperil ...................................................  24:10:00
Item To one Bed and Furniture ................................................  18:00:00
Item To one warming ............................................................  06:00:00
Item to one Tramel Ax and fire Tongs 30/
and Fire Shovel 15/ all ........................................................... 04:05:00
Item to Two Iron Kettles one at 30/ the other @ 10/ all ................. 02:00:00
Item to one old Frying Pan 15/ two axes 45/ all ............................ 03:00:00
Item to one Pair of Bottle Rings and one Pair of Pinchons ............... 00:17:00
Item to Two Iron Pips ........................................................... 00:16:00
Item to old hoa?? a Gimblett and other old Iron  .......................... 00:12:00
Item to one Table 5Lb and one old Chest at 50/ In all ................... 07:10:00
Item to Two Old Chairs 12/ and Three Knot Dishes @ 15/ all ........... 01:07:00
Item to Two Trays 30/ and one Wooden Bowl at 20/ all ................ 02:10:00
Item to one Looking Glass 20/ and one old Sive at 6/ all ................ 01:06:00
Item to one Puter Quart Pott ................................................ 01:00:00
Item to one Quart Basen 16/ Two old Plats at 21/ all ................... 01:17:00
Item to one Large Puter Platter .............................................. 02:15:00
Item to old Puter ................................................................ 01:02:00
Item to one old Bellmettle Skillit 24/ and Two Spoons 6/ all ............. 01:10:00
Item to one Pitchfork 8/ Three old Barels and one half Barel ........... 02:05:00
Item to one Pair of Spotilles ................................................... 00:05:00

Item to money Due by Book ...................................................  02:15:00
Item to one Pick measure ...................................................... 00:10:00
...................................................................................---------------
........................................................................... Total Lb  91:09:18
Barnard Haile
Reuben Hopkins


"Ezekiel Hopkins Junr Personally appearing in Council Declared upon Engagement That he had Put all the Personall Estate of the said Richard Pray Deceased into the within Inventory That has come to his Knowledge and That if any thing more thereof Doth hereafter appear or come to his hands he add the same to said Inventory ---

"And Personally appearing in Council Declared upon their Several Engagements That the within Inventory is a Just and True apprisal of all That Was Set Forth to them to be of the Personall Estate of the said Richard Pray Decesd---

"Whereupon it is Voted That the Within Inventory be Excepted and allowed to be A Good and Lawfull Inventory and Be Recorded --
Test  Gid. Harris Council Clerk"


My ancestry is through the daughter, Sarah Pray, who married Nathaniel Horton in about 1755. 

There is a record for Rachel (--?--) Pray, which I listed in The Elusive Rachel --?-- (ca 1705-ca1755, wife of Richard Pray).  From that record, it is apparent that Rachel Pray likely was living apart from Richard Pray starting in 1741 when she took her children from Smithfield to Scituate.  One possibility is that Rachel's parents or siblings may have lived in Scituate at that time.  I don't know when Rachel died, or when Richard Pray moved to Scituate.

The probate record above is one of the only records I have of the existence of Richard Pray.  The other one I have is the will of his father, John Pray (1653-1733) of Smithfield, Rhode Island.  I should pursue land records in Smithfield and Scituate to add more evidence to my Pray family history.

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