Monday, February 11, 2013

Amanuensis Monday - Probate Records of Matthew Wing (1674-1724) of Dartmouth, Mass.

Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent TransylvanianDutch blog) started his own Monday blog theme several years 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 records for Matthew Wing (1674-1724) of Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts.  Matthew married Elizabeth (Mott) Ricketson (1659-1724) in 1694 as her second husband, and they had three children:  Joseph Wing (1697-1778); Benjamin Wing (1698-1774); and Abigail Wing (1701-1792).



Matthew Wing died testate, having written a will on 8 January 1723, which was proved in the Bristol County Probate Court on 22 July 1724, recorded on 8 August 1724.  The will reads  (transcribed from the clerk's copy book of Bristol County [Massachusetts] Probate Court, Volume 4, Pages 332-334, on FHL Microfilm 0,461,882):

"January the Eaight Day In the year of our Lord one thousand Seven Hundred & Twenty three.  I Mathew wing of Dartmouth In the County of Bristoll In New England - Being weake of 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 Appointed for all men once to Dye, do make and ordaine this my Last will and Testament, That is to say Principally and first of all I Give and Recommend my Soule into the hands of God that Gave it and my Body I Recomend to the Earth To be Buried In Decent & Christian manner att the Discrestion of my Executors, and as Touching Such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath Pleased God To Bless me in this Life.  I Give Demise & Dispose of the Same in the following manner and form -- and my will is that all my Debts and Legacies be paid out of my Estate.

"Imp.  I Give Elizebeth my Dearly Beloved wife the Improvement of all my home stead, and the Best Roome in my house Dureing the Time of her Life, and that my Two Sons Shall Find her fire wood Brought to her Dore Dureing the Time of her Life - also I do Give to my wife Two Cowes to be att her Dispose and also the Improvement of all my house hould Goods Dureing her Life.


"Item.  I Give my son Joseph his heires & assignes all my Land that was Recompence Kirby, Excepting one acre Together with all my Adition Lands that Lieth att the East End of it all, So Two Acres of Land Lying to the Southwest of the Houses I now Live in and is Bounded as Followeth Begining att a Stake Standing a Little to the west of an orchard and in the Line of his Land, thence South Thirty Degrees and halfe East Ten Rods to a Stake thence East Thirty Degrees and a half, North thirty Two Rods to a Stake thence North Thirty Degrees west Ten Rods, to a Stake, thence on a Straite Line to the first Bound also the meadow That Lieth att the foot of his Land by the River Together with the Housing Standing on Said Land also the Bush pointe flatt also the meadow that was Timothey Rickitsons, Lying on the Sedge flates also half an acre Lying on the Berring Rocks flat also one acre and half of Cedar Swamp Lying over the Rode, by Comminans Pond, and also the Privilidge of Parte of the Spring that is in my homesteed also the one halfe of my Cedar Swamp ajoyning to that Land I Bought of Landers.


"Item.  I Give to my Son Benjamin his heirs and assignes all that parte of my homesteed that was Timothey Ricketson Deceased and the housing Standing upon Said Land, Together with all my addition Land ajoyning to the East End of it also one acre of Land To the Northward of my orchard Beginning in the South Line of that Land that I bought of Kerbee, and on the East side of my orchard aforsaid by a Stone wall thence North forty three Degrees west Seven Rods & Six feet to a Stake thence west Twenty Six degrees South Twenty Rods to white oke Tree marked, thence South Twenty three Degrees East to the Line first mentioned also all the meadow Lying att the foot of his Land, by the River, also to have a way through Josephs Land to that way att the head of his Land, also all the meadow Lying in a flat a Little of the Norward of Ship Rock flat, also all my meadow Lying in Soule flats also all my meadows Lying in the North End of the Grate Island, and also all my Right in meadow Lying att pechiechwet and also the one half of my Cedar Swamp ajoyning to that Land that I Bought of Leanders also one acre and half and Ten Rods of the Cedar Swamp Lying above Shearmans Bridge adjoyning Robert Kerbes Cedar Swamp.


"Item.  I Give to my Two Sons Joseph & Benjamin whome I constitute make and ordaine my Executors of this my Last will and Testament all that Land I Bought of Landers Together with the Addition Lands ajoyning to it to be Equally Devided Between them according to quantity & Quality.


"Item.  I do Give to my Daughter Abigall all my household Goods after my wifes Decease and also Two Hundred Pounds to be Paid unto her by my two sons Equally Between them, one hundred Pounds to be paid her In one year after my Decease, the s-d Two Hundred Pounds is to be understood Currant money of New England and do hereby utterly Disallow, Revoake and Disanull alland Every other former Testaments wills Legacies & Bequests & Executors by me in any ways before Named, willed & Bequeathed Ratifying & Confirming this and no other to be my Last will & Testament.  In Wittness whereof I have hereunto Set my hand & Seal the Day and year above written, the words and Legacies, if interlined in the Tenth Line, before Signing Sealing hereof.  Signed Sealed Published Pronounced by the said Mathew Wing as his Last will & Testament.


"In the Presence of us the Subscribers

Elisha Wing .............................................. Mathew Wing his marke (seal)
Thomas Cornel
George Brownel his mark"

On 22 July 1724, Elisha Wing and George Brownel, two of the witnesses of the last will and testament of Mathew Wing, late of Dartmouth deceased, made oath that "they were present and did see and hear Mathew Wing since Deceased sign seal publish and declare the same to be his last will and testament, and that they saw Thomas Cornell sign as a witness with them and that they all signed in the presence of the Testator, who was of a sound disposing mind to the best of their knowledge."  The will was recorded on 8 August 1724 in the Bristol County Probate book.

A true inventory of the personal estate of Mathew Wing, "yeoman, late of Dartmouth Deceased in the County of Bristoll in New England," was taken on 20 July 1724 by Jonathan Davill, Jonathan Talman and Nathaniel Soule, all of Dartmouth, yeomen (from the clerk's copy book of Bristol County (Massachusetts) Probate Court, Volume 4, Pages 334-336, on FHL Microfilm 0,461,882).  The personal inventory was apprised at 528 pounds, 4 shillings.  The highest value items were:

*  His cash and wearing apparel (18=12=05)
*  his Saddle and Riding mare (11=10=00)
*  Five feather beds with furniture well compleated (110=00=00)
*  Another Bed with Good Bedding (10=00=00)
*  Money Seales & Gratter & 13 Silver Spoons (14=09=08)
*  11 yearling cattel (13=10=00)
*  Three Horse kind and 54 Sheep (41=00=00)
*  About 12 Loads of old hay (18=00=00)
*  Debts due to Mathew Wing at his death (37=10=06)

The inventory was presented to the Court on 21 August 1724 by Joseph Wing and Benjamin Wing.

My ancestry is through Matthew Wing's son, Benjamin Wing who resided all of his life in Dartmouth, Massachusetts.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/02/amanuensis-monday-probate-records-of_11.html

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

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