The transcription of this probate court record is (transcribed line by line):
[page 118]
[in margin]
Lawrence Copeland
2550
Probate of
The Probate of the Will of Lawrence
Copeland late of Brantrey
deced. And Administration granted
thereon unto his son Thomas
Copeland Sole Executor in the Same Will
named.
William Stoughton Esq^r duely appointed
& Commissioned to
be Judge of the Probate of Wills and
for granting Letters of Administration
on the Estates of persons deced having
Goods, Chattels, Rights or Credits in
the County of Suffolk within his Ma^tys
Province of the Massachusetts Bay
in New England. To all unto whom these
presents Shall come Greeting.
Know yee That on the Twenty fifth day
of January in the yeare of our
Lord one thousand Six hundred ninety
nine Before me at Boston in the
County afores^d The Will of Lawrence
Copeland late of Brantrey within
the S^d County deced to these presents
annexed, was proved, approved &
allowed. Who having while he lived and
at the time of his death Goods
Chattels, Rights or Credits in the
County afores^d. And the Probate of
the S^d Will and power of comitting
Administration of all and singular
the Goods, Chattels, Rights and Credits
of the s^d deced, and also the hearing
examining and allowing the Accompts of
the same by virtue thereof
of right appertaining unto me. The
Administration of all & Singular the
Goods, Chattels, Rights and Credits the
s^d deced and his Will in any manner
concerning lying or being in the County
afores^d & elsewhere, is hereby
committed unto Thomas Copeland eldest
Son of the s^d deceased, and sole
Executor in his s^d Will named. Well
and faithfully to administer the same.
And to make a true and perfect
Inventory of all and Singular the Goods,
Chattels, Rights and Credits of the s^d
deceased. And to exhibit the same
into the Registry of the Court of
Probate for the County afores^d at or
before the Twenty fifth day of July
next ensueing. Also to render a plain &
true Accompt of his s^d Administration
upon Oath. In Testimony
whereof I have hereunto set my hand and
the Seal of the s^d Court of Probate.
Dated at Boston afores^d the day and
yeare first above written.
J. Addington Reg.
W^m Stoughton
[in margin]
Copeland's Will
2550
The l;ast Will and Testament of
Lawrence Copeland of Brantrey who being
of good memory, understanding &
of a disposing mind hereby revoking and
making null and void all former
Will or Wills either by word or
writing, and this only to be and remain as my
Last Will and Testament. And First I
commit my Soul to Almighty
God through the merits of my Lord and
Saviour Jusus Christ my deare
Redeemer, and after my decease, my body
to decent burial. And as
for that worldly Estate that God of his
Bounty hath bestowed upon me, I do
will, bequeath and dispose of as
followeth Viz^t. Imprimus My will is
That all my just Debts and Funeral
Expenses be honestly paid by my
Evexutor hereafter named with all
convenient Speed. 1. I give and
bequeath unto my Son Thomas Copeland my
house, Orchard & Barne
and Yards thereunto belonging, and what
Land there is in Tillage or
otherwise within the Field, that is
undisposed of. Together with one Small
point of Salt meadow on the North East
of s^d Land, As also three acres of
Salt meadow joyning upon the great
river Southerly & upon Meadow
of John Whitman Westerly, Northerly by
Upland of Thomas Holbrooke
[page 119]
Easterly by William Copeland, as also
one halfe of a little piece of
Upland about two acres lying between
the Field and Jonathan Haywatds
bounded Westerly by Land which I
formerly gave to my Son Ephraim deceast
and low water marke Easterly. S^d
halfe to lye and be next and joyning to
his own Land Southerly. All which with
the above named I give & bequeath
to him, his heires, Exec^rs
Administo^rs and Assignes forever with all the
appurtenances and priviledges belonging
to the Same. 2. I give & Bequeath
unto my Son William Copeland as an
addition to what I have already given
him by Deed, All my Salt Meadow
undisposed of be it more or less, lying and
being between Meadow of Joseph Greens
Easterly and that which I have
now given to my Son Thomas Westerly, as
also halfe the above s^d little
piece of upland between the Field and
Jonathan Haywards, All which is to
remain to him, his heires, Executors,
Administo^rs and Assignes forever. As
also one good Cow within one yeare
after my decease. My Will is also
That my Son William have all the
appurtenances and priviledges belonging to
S^d meadow. 3. I give and bequeath
unto my Son John Copeland Fifteen
pounds, to be paid by my Executor
hereafter named, to him or his as
followeth. 1rst Five pounds within
three years after my decease, and
Five pounds more within six years after
my decease, and five pounds more
within ten years after my decease. 4.
I give and bequeath to my Daught^r
Lydia White Six pounds to be paid to
her or hers by my Executor hereafter
named within the terme of Six yeares
after my decease. 5. I give and
bequeath to my Daughter Hannah Ten
pounds to be paid to her or hers by
my Executor afternamed, Five pounds
within one yeare after my decease
and Five pounds more within two yeares
after my decease, as also one two
year old heifer at the Same time, more
one bed and two good blankets, one
chest, one platter of Pewter, one
warming pan, twenty pound of good Flax.
6. I give and bequeath unto my
Daughter Abigaile Ten pounds, to be
paid to her or hers by my Executor
hereafter named, Five pounds within three
yeares after my decease, and five
pounds more within five years after my
decease. As also one bed and two good
blankets, one pewter platter, one Linnen
wheel and twenty pounds of good Flax
well dressed. 7. My Will is That the
Twenty acres of Land I formerly gave to
my Son Ephraim Copeland deceased,
Shall rest and remain to his Brothers
abovenamed as they have agreed, to
them, their heires, Exec^rs Admin^rs
and Assignes forever. They paying the
Fifteen pounds to their Sisters they
agreed on. 8. My Will is That my eldest
Son Thomas Copeland aboves^d be my
Executor of this Will. 9. My Will
is that my trusty and wellbeloved
Friends Viz^t Joseph Arnold & Joseph Allen
be the Overseers of this my Will. In
Witness whereod I have hereunto set
my hand and Seal this Twentieth day of
June In the year ofo ur Lord Sixteen
hundred ninety eight, In the tenth
yeare of our Ma^tys Reign King
William the Third of England, Scotland,
France and Ireland, Defender of the
Faith &c. Lawrence Copeland his
hand X & Seal. Signed Sealed & Delivered
in presence of Joseph Arnold, Jonathan
Hayward, Joseph Allen.
Exam^d. J. Addington Reg.
[In margin]
Copelands Inv.
2550
Brantrey 17^th January 1699
Then the Inventory taken of the Estate
of Lawrence Copeland late of Brantrey dec^d
Imp^rs. Wearing apparrel 2 beds and
bedding - - - - - - - - - - £ 5.--.--
It. One Chest Chaires and all wood in
Lumber - - - - - - - - - –.10.--
Pewter Brass and all Iron Ware -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2. 8.--
Salt Meadow - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 45.--.--
House barn yards orchard &
Land thereunto adjoyning – 110.--.--
-----------------
Apprized by
Joseph Allen £ 162.18.--
Jonathan Hayward
[page 120]
Suffolk Ss. By the Jon^ble William
Stoughton Esq. Judge of Probate &c
Thomas Copeland Executor of the last
Will and Testament of his Father
Lawrence Copeland late of Brantrey
deced exhibited the above written, and
made Oath That it contains a just and
true Inventory of the Estate of the
S^d deceased, So far as hath come to
his knowledge. And that if more hereafter
appears he will cause it to bne added.
Boston January 25^th 1699 Jurat Corme W^m Stoughton
Exam^d. J. Addington Reg.
The source citation for this probate record is:
Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991, indexed database with digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), Suffolk County > Probate Records, Vol. 13-14, 1688-1701, Volume 14, pages 118-`120 (images 454-455 of 652), Lawrence Copeland probate records, 1699.
Lawrence Copeland and his wife, Lydia Townsend (1630-1688), had 9 children, of which 7 lived to adulthood. The will names the seven as heirs - Thomas, William, John, Lydia, Ephraim (deceased), Hannah and Abigail. Of the daughters, only Lydia (1661-1727) was married at the time of the writing of the will - she to Joseph White (1662-1757) in about 1681; they resided in Mendon in Massachusetts.
Lawrence and Lydia (Townsend) Copeland are my 9th great-grandparents. I am descended through their daughter, Lydia (Copeland) White.
NOTE: 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."
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1 comment:
Hello 10th cousin - Lawrence Copeland is my 9th great grandfather, too. In fact, my mother was a Copeland, though the name daughtered out with my mother's generation. I descend from Lawrence's son John and wife Ruth Newcomb.
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