Monday, October 24, 2011

Amanuensis Monday - Will of Ephraim Hildreth (1654-1731) of Westford, Mass.

...
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 will of Ephraim Hildreth (1654-1731) of Westford, Massachusetts.  He married (1) Dorothy Barnes (1664-1686) in 1685 in Stow, and they had one son, Ephraim (1686-1686).  He married (2) Anna Moore (1666-1760) in 1686 in Stow, and they had 11 children - Ephraim Hildreth (1687-????), Joseph Hildreth (1689-1764), Richard Hildreth (1691-????), James Hildreth (1692-1696), Ebenezer Hildreth (1696-????); James Hildreth (1698-1761), Jonathan Hildreth (1701-1752), Anna Hildreth (1705-1784), Thomas Hildreth (1707-1707), Jacob Hildreth (1709-????), and David Hildreth (1711-????).

Ephraim Hildreth died testate, having written a will on 5 March 1730/1. His probate records are in Middlesex County [Mass.] Probate Records, Packet #11,316 (accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,397,093). The will reads:

In the Name of god, Amen. The Fifth Day of March, in the year of our Lord 1730/31. I Ephraim Hildreth of Westford, in County of Middl-x in New England, Youman, being very Sick & weak in Body, but of perfect mind & memory, thanks be given unto God; therefore calling to mind the Mortality of my Body and knowing that it is expected for men once to dye, Do make and ordain this my last Will & Testament that is to ???? & principally and first of all, I give and recommend my Soul into the Hands of God that gave it, trusting through the Merits, Death and Passion of my Saviour Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my Sins and to inherit Everlasting Life, and my Body I commit to the Earth to be decently Buried at the discretion of my Executors hereafter named nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the Same again by the mighty Power of God. And as touching such Worldly Estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this life, I give demise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form: That is to say,

"First I will that those Debts and deuties as I do owe in Right or conscience to any maner of parson or parsons What so ever Shall be well and truly contented and paid or ordained to be paid in convenient time after my decease by my Executor here after named.

"Item I give and bequeath to Anne my dearly beloved Wife all my houshold moveables and stuff and one cow during her natural life and after her decease to Return and Remain to my daughter Anna Butterfield as by a deed I signed to her.

"Item I give and bequeath to my Wife all my money and Bonds which is due or owing or will becom due: and also all my Estate that I have not deeded away all Ready and two cows and four swine to her and her dispose for ever and all so one heffer two years olde to be at her dispose for ever and allso one calf to her and her dispose for ever.

"Item My Will is that my oxen and all my husbandtre tools and instruments and my Waring appariel be Equibly devided amongst all my sons but only Joseph Heldreath my Eldest son to have a duble share of ye same.

"Item I give to my well beloved son Joseph Heldreath all the lands that I gave to him by a deed of gift and allso a duble share of my oxen and husbandtre tools and a duble share of my waring apparriel for his full portion of my Estate.

"Item I give to my well beloved son Ebenezer Heldreath all the lands that I gave to him by a deed of gift and all so a seventh part of my oxen and husbandtre tools and a seventh part of my waring apparrel for his full portion of my estate.

"Item I give to my well beloved son James Heldreath all the lands that I gave to him by a deed of gift and allso a seventh part of my waring apparriel and a seventh part of my oxen and husbandtre tools for his full portion of my estate.

"Item I give to my well beloved son David Heldreath all the lands that I gave him by a deed of gift and all so a seventh part of my waring appariel and a seventh part of my oxen and husbandtree tools for his full portion of my estate.

"Item I give to my well beloved daughter Anna Butterfield forty and six pounds at marradg and a deed I signed to her of several things more which is her full portion of my Estate.

"Item I give to my well beloved son Jonathan Heldreath and to my well beloved son Jacob Heldreath all the land that that I let them have by a deed of sail and Eatch one of them a seventh part of my warring apparriel and all so Each one of them a seventh part of my oxen and husbandtre tools for there full portions of my estate.

"And the sd Jonathan Heldreath and Jacob Heldreath I do likewise constitute make and ordain my ondly and sol Executors of this my last will and testement and I do utterly disalow revoake and disanull all and Every other former Testements Wills Legacies Bequests and Executors by me in any ways before this time named willed and bequeathed Ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my Last will and testement in Witness where of I have here unto set my hand and seal the day and year above Written.

Signed sealed published and declared by the said Ephraim Hildreth as his last Will and testement in the presence of us the Subscribers

Nathaniel Boynton

Samuel Chamberlin .............................................................. /s/ Ephraim Hildreth

Joseph Underwood."

Jonathan Hildreth and Jacob Hildreth presented the will of Ephraim Hildreth of Westford, deceased, to the Judge of Probate of Middlesex County on 12 April 1731. Nathaniel Boynton and Joseph Underwood took an oath that they witnessed the signing and sealing of the will and that Ephraim Hildreth was of sound and disposing mind. The widow, Anna Hildreth, requested in writing that the will be proved.

Jonathan Hildreth, Jacob Hildreth and Joshua Fletcher, yeomen all of Westford, posted bond of 1,000 pounds on 12 April 1731.The Court approved the will and directed the executors to well and faithfully execute the will and administer the estate of the deceased.

The will is very straightforward - it names his wife and all seven living children, including his daughter Anna, wife of John Butterfield.  My line is through the son James.

No comments: