Monday, November 14, 2016

Amanuensis Monday - 1676 Will of James Allin (1614-1676) of Medfield, Mass.

This week's document for Amanuensis Monday is the 1676 will for James Allin (1614-1676) of Medfield in Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony:




The transcription of the Allin documents is:


[page 267, stamped on right-hand page of first image]

[in margin]

Allin's Will
Page 177 Earlier Volume

[in main body]

In the yeare of our Lord 1676 the 23^d day of the Seven-
th monthe I James Allin of Medfield in the County
of Suffolke in New England being by the good hand
of God preserved to Old age & being thereby & other
infirmities attending the same in minde of my
change & considering that it is my duty to prepare
for death that I bee not unprepared when it shall
come I have thought fitt to make this my last Will
& Testament in manner & forme as followeth viz^t.

First I Give & Bequeath my Soule into the armes
of Jesus Christ my deare redeemer and as for my
body I Commit it to the Earth after my decease
to be Christianly buried at the discretion of my
Executo^rs and as for my worldly goods which god of
his mercy hath given mee I doe dispose of them in
manner as followeth vizt. I give & bequeath unto my
son Nathanael Allin Six acres of upland lying &
being in Medfield neere Maple Swampe bounded with
the Common Land on all that as also Two acres of

[page 268, stamped on left-hand page of the second image]

Meadow land the one acre lying up stream in Charles
River the other acre lying upon a Small brooke called
the Mill brooke also I give unto the said Nathanael
Allin Six pound to be paid by my Executo^rs in good
& currant country pay within the space of one full
yeare after my Decease. And I Give & Bequeath to
my Son in law Joseph Clarke and his heirs for ever
all that my house lott with all my Buildings there
upon Both Dwelling Houses Barnes & Leantos with
all the Orchards & Gardens belonging thereunto with
all my other land both uplands Meadows and
Swamps now lying & being in Medfield not formerly
disposed of with all the rights & privilleges belonging
thereunto with all my household goods & moveables
Still provided first that the said Joseph Clarke
doe duly & carefully provide for mee during the tearme
of my naturall life both foode & rayment Suitable
to my condition with whatsoever else may be need-
full & convenient for the preservation & Comfort of my
life whilst I live in this world and a Christian
Buriall whenever it shall please God to take mee hence.

2^dly That whenever it shall please the Lord to take
mee out of this world that whatsoever shall then
remaine of what my houses lands & movables above
specified given & granted in this my Last Will & Test-
ament unto the abovesaid Joseph Clarke the Thirteen
pounds a yeare with the produce of my Estate dure-
ing the tearme of my Naturall life Excepted Shall
be divided among my Children as followeth viz^t.
First I Give & Bequeath unto my daughter Sarah
White wife to Domingo White of Lynn Six pound
and to my daughter Mathew Sabin wife to William
Sabin of Rehoboth five pounds over & above their
Equal share with the rest of my Children of my
Estate shall amount to more then Thirty Pounds
when it shall please God to take me away (to be p
them within the space of one full yeare after my
decease in good & Currant Country pay but if it
should please the Lord to lengthen out my life so
as what I have Should not come to Thirty pounds
then they to have each of them but a double share
and further my Will is that what part of my Estate
is left when it shall please god to take me away their

[page 269, stamped on right-hand page of the second image]

shares shall be paid yearly to them not Exceeding forty
Shillings pr yeare to each of them nor less then forty
shillings pr yeare if there be Estate left the which said
share shall be paide sometime in the Second yeare
after my decease and so yearely according to what
Estate is left to be paid in Country pay or in some
of the remote lands and I doe hereby ratifie & Confirme
unto & upon all my sons all such lands as have bene
given them by mee formerly and I doe hereby constitute
appointe & ordaine my Loveing & Welbeloved Son in
law Joseph Clarke Executo^r to this my last will & Test-
ament to the Intent that he shall see the Same
effectually prformed according to my true Intent &
meaning therein & to him I Commit & give full power
and Trust for the Execution thereof. And I doe also
nominate & appointe my Trusty & welbeloved friend
George Barber of Medfield Supervisor of this my last
will & Testament Desireing that he would always by ayding &
assisting to my Executo^r in the Execution thereof and
I doe hereby utterly revoake all other wills & be-
queathals whatsoever by mee formerly made at any
and in Token that this is my last Will & Testament
written and Contained in this Sheete of paper I
have hereunto putt my hand & affixed my Seale This
three & twenty of the Seventh monthe in the yeare
of our Lord one Thousand Six hundred Seaventy Six.

Read Signed & Sealed             James J Allin & a Seale
in the presence of us                      his mark
Samuel Bullin
George Barber

The two words Enterlined Betwene the 6 & 7 lines from
the bottome was Done before Sealing

Samuel Bullin & George Barber made Oath in Court
January 30 1676/7 That they were present when James
Allin did Signe Seale & publish this Instrument
as his last will & Testament and that when he
so did he was of a disposing minde.
as attests                                      Is^a Addington Cler.

Compared Feb^y 17^h 1676/7    Is^a Addington Cler.

The source citation for this document is:

"Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991," indexed database with digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), Suffolk County > Probate Records, Vol 5-7, 1666-1674, Vol. 6, pages 267-269 (images 333-4 of 922), James Allin will, 1676;  Original data in Massachusetts County, District and Probate Courts.

James Allin married Anna Guild (1616-1673) in 1638 in Dedham, Massachusetts.  They had 9 children between 1639 and 1654, all of whom outlived their parents.  

The will of James Allin names only two of his children, Nathanael and Sarah (Allin) White, and also his son-in-law Joseph Clarke, who married Mary Allin (1641-1702) in 1663.  Joseph Clarke was named the executor of the will.  The will was written on 23 7th month (September?) 1676, and was proved in Suffolk County Probate Court on 30 January 1676/7.

This is a Derivative Source document, because it is a transcription done many years after the original will and the original entry into the Suffolk County Probate Court record books.  It provides Primary Information (assuming it was transcribed correctly) and Direct Evidence of relationships with two of his children and a son-in-law.  

James Allin is my 9th great-grandfather, and I am descended through his daughter Mary (Allin) Clark and her husband, Joseph Clark (1642-1702).  

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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2 comments:

Rob said...

"
James Allin is my 9th great-grandfather, and I am descended through his daughter Mary (Allin) Clark and her husband, Joseph Clark (1642-1702)."

You and my brother-in-law share this connection. He descends from Joseph Clark and Mary Allen's daughter, Esther. She married Thomas Thurston in 1693. I'll show him your post.

Jean Yuill said...

James Allin is also my 9th great-grandfather through his daughter Mary (Allin) Clark and Joseph Clark my 8th great-grandfather.
I live in Alberta Canada.