Monday, April 15, 2013

Amanuensis Monday - Probate Records of Henry Tucker (1619-1694) of Dartmouth, 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 probate file of Henry Tucker (1619-1694) of Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts.  He married Martha --?-- in 1651, and they had children:  


*  Abraham Tucker (1653-1725)
*  John Tucker (1656-1751)
*  Martha Tucker (1659-????)
*  Hannah Tucker (1662-1702), married Nathaniel Slocum
*  James Tucker (1665-1689)
*  Mary Tucker (1668-????), married Samuel Perry
*  Sarah Tucker (1674-????), married Joseph Hoxie

Henry Tucker of Dartmouth died testate on 21 April 1694 in Dartmouth.  There are several entries in the Bristol County, Massachusetts Probate Court Records (1687-1916, Volume 1, Pages 53-54, 85-87 and 123-124, accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,461,882, and transcribed or summarized by Randy Seaver), including:

The last will and testament of Henry Tucker of Dartmouth was dated 1 March 1693/4 and was proved in Bristol Probate Court on 4 July 1694 (Volume 1, Page 85).  The will reads:

"The Last Will and Testament of Henry Tucker of the town of Dartmoth in the County of Bristoll in New England being of Sound mind & perfect memory First I Desire my Soule may returne to god who gave it me & Rest with him for ever.  And that all my Just Debts & funerall charges be faithfuly & Truely Discharged and payed.  As to the Settling o& Dispose of my Temporall Estate I give & order as followeth:

"Item I give unto my loveing wiff Martha Tucker twelve pounds a yeare and to be payed yearly Dureing her Life together with one feather Bed and what cloathing doth belong thereunto by my executor hereafter named or his Assignes to be Duely payed as aforesaid.

"Item  I give to my Daughter Sarah Tucker three score pound in as much as she hath had no portion yet.

"Item  I Give to my Son Abraham Tucker thirty pounds in money or Cattle to be payed in six months time after my Decease.

"Item  I give to my Grand Child Henry Tucker son of Abraham Tucker aforesaid the one half of all my lands both upland & meadows Divided & Undivided when he comes to the age of one & Twenty years thro. I have Given to the aforesaid Henry Tucker and his heirs & assignes for ever and if my above said wife Lives after he comerth to the age of Twenty one years then he shall not posess the aforesaid Land here given as aforesaid Untill her Decease.  Item I give to my aforesd Henry Tucker Twenty pounds when he cometh of age then to be payed to the aforesd because I have given him no part of my Houseing nor orchard.

"Item  I give to my son Abraham Tucker his four Daughters which his first wife Mary Tucker bore unto him: fortty pounds to be payed to them when they come to Sixteen years of age.

"Ittem  I give to Mary Tucker Ten pounds.  Ittem I give to Patience Tucker Ten pounds. Ittem  I give to Martha Tucker Ten pounds.  Ittem: I give to Abigaile Tucker Ten pounds.  The above named Mary Patience Martha and Abigaile are the four daughters that my son Abrahams first wife bore to him but if any one or more of the said Daughters Dye before they come to age, then their Legacies shall be equally divided by the survivors.

"Ittem  I give to my Son in Law  Nathaniel Slocum Twenty pounds to be payed in money or goods.  Ittem  to Samuel Perry my son in law Twenty pounds I give and it to be payed in money in six months after my Decease.

"Itytem I give to the Church in Christ and people of god in Some Called Quakers on Road Island five pounds.  All the Rest and Residue of my personall estate Houseing Goods Lands of what Nature & quallities so ever yt now is or hereafter shall be I give unto my well beloved son John Tucker & his heirs and assignes for ever.  And Doe hereby make name appoint ordain & Constitute him my said Son John Tucker my sole Executor of this my Last Will & Testament In wittness hereto I have sett my hand and seale the First Day of the first month 1693.

"Signed & sealed in ..................................................... Henry Tucker  (seal)
the presence of
John Aspin
Thomas Briggs
Eliazer Smith"

On 3 July 1694, the witnesses, all of Dartmouth, made oath that they were present when Henry Tucker signed, sealed and declared that the written instrument was his last will and testament and that he was of a disposing mind to the best of their knowledge when he died.

An inventory of the estate of Henry Tucker, late of Dartmouth, was taken by Jonathan Russell and Thomas Briggs.  The estate totaled 362 pounds, 9 shillings, 2 pence.  The personal estate consisted of wearing apparel, household furniture, kitchen stuff, two Bibles, livestock, money in hand, debts due, etc.  John Tucker exhibited the inventory to the Court and it was accepted on 5 July 1694 (Volume 1, Page 87).

The account of John Tucker, Executor of the last will and testament of Henry Tucker late of Dartmouth was submitted on 2 July 1695 to the Probate Court, and was approved on 3 July 1695.  The legacies paid by John Tucker were to Sarah Tucker (60 pounds), Sarah Hoxssee (20 pounds), Nathaniel Slocum (20 pounds), Samuel Perry (20 pounds), Abraham Tucker (30 pounds) and John Easton of Newport in behalf of a society called Quakers for the use of the society (5 pounds);  the total disbursed was 135 pounds (Volume 1, Page 123).

On 4 March 1694, Sarah Hoxssee of Sandwich deposed that she had received her legacy from her brother John Tucker, with Sarah and her husband Joseph Hoxssee signing (Volume 1, Page 123).  Nathaniel Slocum, of Shoresberry in Monmouth County in East New Jersey, deposed on 12 March 1695 that he had received his portion (Volume 1, Page 123).  Samuel Perry of Sandwich deposed on 4 March 1694/5 that he had received his legacy (Volume 1, Page 124).  Abraham Tucker of Dartmouth deposed on 1 July 1695 that he had received his legacy (Volume 1, Page 124).  Walter Clarke, John Easton, Jacob Mott, Daniel Gould and John Gould, in behalf of all the people called Quakers, certified on 27 August 1695 that they had received the legacy in the will of Henry Tucker (Volume 1, Page 124).  All of these depositions were recorded by the Probate Court on 3 July 1695, except for the Quaker certification which was entered on 17 July 1697.

Mary Tucker, daughter of Abraham Tucker, deposed on 13 November 1700 that she received her ten pounds in lawful money from the estate of her grandfather, Henry Tucker.  Abraham Tucker and Hannah Tucker were witnesses (Volume 1, Page 53).  Patience Tucker, daughter of Abraham Tucker, did the same on 4 May 1705, with Amos White, Joseph Woodall and Meribah Slocum as witnesses (Volume 1, Page 53).  Henry Tucker of Dartmouth, son of Abraham Tucker, deposed on 4 April 1702 that he had received his portion (Volume 1, Page 54).  Martha Tucker of Dartmouth, daughter of Abraham Tucker, deposed on 30 April 1708 that she has received her portion (Volume 1, Page 54).  Abigail Tucker of Dartmouth, daughter of Abraham Tucker, deposed on 7 September 1708 (Volume 1, Page 54).  All were entered into the Court records on 11 November 1708.

Henry Tucker names two sons and three daughters (or their husbands) in his will.  He also bequeaths money or land to five of son Abraham's children by Abraham's first wife, Mary (Slocum) Tucker.

My descent from Henry and Martha (--?--) Tucker is through son Abraham Tucker and his second wife, Hannah Mott, through their daughter Content Tucker (1695-1738) who married Benjamin Wing.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/04/amanuensis-monday-probate-records-of_15.html

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

2 comments:

NEnglerth said...

If these are your ancestors your are researching, then we are related. Last night I found your post about Adam Mott and today I find Henry Tucker. How about the Allens and Slocums?

Anonymous said...

Then we are related!!