Monday, June 2, 2014

Amanuensis Monday - Post 221: Will of Nicholas Snow (1600-1676) of Eastham, Massachusetts

Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent TransylvanianDutch blog) started a Monday blog theme years ago called "Amanuensis Monday."  John offers this definition for "amanuensis:" 

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

The subject today is a will transcription for Nicholas Snow (1600-1676) of Eastham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts  dated 14 November 1676.






The transcription of this will transcription is:

[page 435]

Vol III  Part II 71   

A writing ordered to be Recorded declaring the manor of Nicholas Snow his disposing of his Estate as followeth: viz. Nicholas Snow of Eastham Late deceased.

I, Nicholas Snow of Eastham being weake and Infirme of body but of perfect Memory and understanding not knowing the day of my departure but yet Dayly expecting my last Change I think meet to leave this behind mee as my last Will and Testament.

Impr.  I comend my soule into the Annex of Gods Mercye through Christ Jesus in whom I hope to sleep and my body to a decent buriall, and as concerning my temporall estate 

that God of his goodnes hath Given mee It is my last Will and Testament that after this manor it should be disposed off.

Impr.  To my son Marke Snow I give and bequeath all that twenty acres of upland lying at Namshekitt wher his house now stands and two acres of Meadow and all that broken marsh there of mine att Namshekitt.

Item two thirds of my Great Lott att Satuchett lying next the Indians Ground and that syde of my lott Next the Indians land I Give to him and his heirs lawfully begotten of his body forever and what hee can purchase more of upland and meddow of the Indians there att Satuchett.  I give to him all this above said lands or meddow or Marsh purchased or unpurchased I give to him and to his heires lawfully begotten of his body for ever.

Item. To my son Joseph Snow I give that other third parte of my Great lott att Satuchett and two acres and an halfe of meddow lying att Namscekett neare the head and an Neck of 

upland lying between it lying on the west syde of William Twinings all this above said land and meddow I Give to my son Joseph Snow and to his heires lawfully begotten of his body for ever.

Item. To my son Stephen Snow I Give twenty acres on the south syde of my Great lott at Pochett

[page 436]

and two acres of My little lott att Satuchett lying between Daniell Cole and Edward Banges by the side of a Little pond, and acre and an halfe of Meddow att the boat meddow 

lying between Thomas Williams and Samuell Freeman and that parte of my Meddow att the Great meddow That lyeth between Josiah Cooke and the Eel creeke; all this above said 

land and meddow I give to my son Steven and the heires lawfully begotten of his body for ever.

Item.  To my son John Snow I Give all that my land att Paomett Purchased or unpurchased whether upland or meddow, and all my Right and title or privilege there, all the above 

said upland or Meddow Right and Privilege att Paomett I give to my son John Snow and to the heires lawfully begotten of his body forever.

Item to my son Jabez Snow I Give all this my Land lying between my house and my son Thomas Paine's and seaven acres att the basse pond lying between Daniel Cole and William Browne, and an halfe acre of Marsh att the end of it and six acres of upland att the herring pond, and an acree and halfe of meddow att Silver Springs lying on the North 

syde of William Walkers and the Clift of upland adjacent to the above said Meddow and all the sedge about it to Ephraim Done and that parte of my house hee lives in as longe as my wife or I doe live.

Item I give him two acres of Meddow att the Great Meddow lying between the Eel Creeke and Joseph Hardings.

Vol. III 73
Item  To my son Jabez I give that my four acrees of Meddow att Billingsgate due to mee yett unlayed out.  All the above said upland and meddow I Give to my son Jabez Snow and the heires of his body lawfully begotten for ever.

Item  This my meddow about my house I Give

[page 437]

to my son Jabez.

Item  I give to my Loveing wife Constant Snow all my stocks of Cattle sheep horses swine whatsoever to be att her dispossall for the comfort and support of her life with all the moveable Goods I am posessed of and after her decease, stocke and Movables to be equally devided amongst all my Children.

Item.  To my wife I give the use and disposall of that parte of my house shee now dwells in during her life time and after her decease to be my son Jabez Snowes.

Item  I give to my loveing wife that ten acres of upland att Pochett, and 20 on Billingsgate Island for her disposall for the Comfort of her life, but if shee need it not and leave it undisposed, I give it then to my son Stephen Snow.

That twenty acres of upland att Billingsgate if my wife leave it undisposed then to be my son Jabez Snowes. 

I doe Give to the Church of Eastham for the furniture of the Table of the Lord, with pewter or other Nessesaries I say I doe Give ten shillings out of my estate after my wifes decease.

That this is my last Will and Testament I have sett to my hand and seale, this fourteenth day of november one thousand six hundred seaventy and six.

                                     Nicholas Snow   and a seal.

Witness
Signed and Sealled in the presence of us
            Samuell Treate
            Thomas Paine sen^r

It is my desire that Deacon Samuell Freeman and John Mayo would oversee the true and faithfull performance of this my Last Will and Testament and be healpfull in any Case of 

Need Concerning the same.

[page 438]

Att the Court of his Majtie. held att Plymouth the fift of March 1676 Mr. Samuell Treate made oath to this Writing that hee did see Nicholas Snow Signe and Seall ????? and declare it to be his Mind for the disposall of his estate.

Thomas Paine made oath att the Court forenamed that hee did see Nicholas Snow sign and seale This Paper or writing above Coppied and been entered above said.

The source citation for this will is:

"Plymouth Colony Records, Wills, 1633-1686, Vols. 1-4," transcriptions, Family History Library (Salt Lake City, Utah), on FHL US/CAN Microfilm 0,567,794, Volume 1, pages 435-438, Nicholas Snow will, 1676.

Note that this probate record was filed in the Plymouth Colony records because Barnstable County was not formed until 1686, and Eastham was part of Plymouth County in 1676.

My ancestors include several of the other persons named in this will - Thomas Paine, Samuel Treat, John Mayo, Daniel Cole and Edward Bangs.

My descent from Nicholas Snow is through his son Jabez Snow (1642-1690), and his daughter Mary Snow (1630-1704), who married Thomas Paine (1627-1706).  

The URL for this post is:

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver


1 comment:

Ancestor Archaeology said...

Thank you for this. I am descended from his daughter Ruth.