Friday, October 6, 2017

52 Ancestors - Week 195: #274 Timothy Hamant (1699-1774) of Medfield, Massachusetts

Timothy Hamant (1699-1774)  is #274 on my Ahnentafel List, my 6th great-grandfather, who married #275 Hepzibah Clark (1699-1791)  in 1727 in Boston, Massachusetts.


I am descended through:

*  their daughter, #137 Patience Hamant (1735-1780), who married #136 Moses Smith (1732-1806)  in 1762.
*  their son, #68 Aaron Smith (1765-1841) who married Mercy Plimpton (1772-1850) in 1795.
*  their son, #34 Alpheus B. Smith (1802-1840), who married #35 Elizabeth Horton Dill (1791-1869) in 1826.
*  their daughter #17 Lucretia Townsend Smith (1828-1884)who married  #16 Isaac Seaver (1823-1901)  in 1851.
*  their son #8 Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922) who married #9 Hattie Louisa Hildreth (1857-1920) in 1874.
*  their son #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942) who married #5 Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962) in 1900.
*  their son #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983) who married #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002) in 1942.
*  their son #1 Randall Jeffrey Seaver (1943-living)

=====================================================

1)  PERSON (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
   
*   Name:                       Timothy Hamant[1–5]
*  Alternate Name:        Timothy Hammant[6]
*   Sex:                          Male

*   Father:                      Timothy Hamant (1667-1718)
*   Mother:                    Melatiah Clark (1674-1747)
2)  INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):

*  Birth:                       25 March 1699, Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States[1–2]    
*  Town Officer:          1740, 1746-1748, 1754, selectman, Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States[4]
*  Death:                     6 June 1774 (age 75), Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States[5]    
*  Burial:                    after 6 June 1774 (after age 75), probably Vine Lake Cemetery, Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States    
*  Probate:                 19 August 1774 (age 75), will proved; Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States[6]    
 
3)  SHARED EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):


*  Spouse 1:               Hepzibah Clark (1699-1791)    
*  Marriage 1:            19 October 1727 (age 28), Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States[3]    

*  Child 1:                 Mehitable Hamant (1728-1814)    
*  Child 2:                 Elias Hamant (1730-1730)    
*  Child 3:                 Timothy Hamant (1731-1731)    
*  Child 4:                 Seth Hamant (1733-1771)    
*  Child 5:                 Patience Hamant (1735-1780)    
*  Child 6:                 Capt. Timothy Hamant (1736-1813)    
*  Child 7:                 Basmath Hamant (1738-1812)    
*  Child 8:                 Dinah Hamant (1739-1813)    
*  Child 9:                 Francis Hamant (1741-1808)  

4)  NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):    

Timothy Hamant was born 25 March 1699 in Medfield, Massachusetts, the first child of Timothy and Melatiah (Clark) Hamant[1-2].  

The family genealogy section of the History of the Town of Medfield, Massachusetts, 1650-1866 book provides this summary[1]:

"Timothy 3 (Timothy, Francis) was the successor on the old homestead. He married in 1727 Hepsibah Clark (55). Town office seemed to await him, commencing, as was customary even in those days, with that of hogreeve, about the date of his marriage ; after which he served as a selectman five years, and as treasurer for the same length of time. He died in 1774. His wife survived him, dying in 1791."

Timothy Hamant married Hepzibah Clark on 19 October 1727 in Boston, by Samuel Sewall, Justice of the Peace[3].  Timothy and Hepzibah had nine children between 1728 and 1741, all of them recorded in the Medfield town records.

Timothy served as a town Selectman in 1740, from 1746 to 1748, and in 1754[4].  

Timothy died on 6 January 1774 in Medfield, at age 74[5].  He is probably buried at Vine Lake Cemetery in Medfield, but there is no gravestone or burial record available.

Timothy Hamant wrote his will on 8 May 1771, and it was proved on 19 August 1774 in the Suffolk County Probate Court in Boston, Massachusetts[6].  The will says:

"In the Name of God Amen. the eighth day of May, in the eleventh year of the Reign of King George the third, and in the year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred & seventy one.  I Timothy Hammant of Medfield in the County of Suffolk, and Province of the Massachusetts Bay, in new England,yeoman, being advanced in age, and having of late had repeated & very striking admonitions of my Mortality, but yet being of sound, disposing Mind & Memory, blessed be God, do make & ordain this my last Will & Testament, that is to say, in the first & chief place, I commend my Spirit in to the hands of God who gave it, looking for the Mercy of God through Jesus Christ, unto Eternal Life.  I commit my body to the Earth, to be decently buried according to the discretion of my Executors here-after named, in hopes of the Resurrection of the just.  And as to such worldly Estate, as God hath been pleased to endow me with, I give, bequeath & dispose of the same, in manner & form following, that is to say:

"Imprimis, it is my Will & pleasure, that all my just Debts & funeral Expenses, be paid with all convenient speed after my decease.  

"Item  I give & bequeath unto my beloved Wife Hephzibah Hammant the Improvement of the one third part of my Real Estate during her natural life, the one third part of such Money as may remain after my Debts & funeral Charges shall be paid, if any there should be; as also the one third part of such Debts as may be due to me at my decease, and the whole of the within door Moveables to be at her entire use & dispose forever; as also the Improvement of the one third part of all my Buildings during her natural Life, & the one third part of my Stock, to be at her dispose forever.  

"Item, I give & bequeath unto my beloved Grandchildren, the Children of my dear Son Seth Hammant late of Sturbridge deceased, Viz't  Himdell, Simeon, Zillah and Joel Hammant, the other Moiety of the thirty seventh Lot, in the second Divisions of Lands in Sturbridge, the one Moiety of which was given by Deed to my said son Seth, in hi lifetime, the same to be equally divided between my said grandchildren, to be to them, their Heirs & Assigns forever.

"Item, I give & bequeath to my beloved Son Timothy Hammant the Sum of five Shillings lawful Money, to be paid by my Son Francis Hammant, soon after my decease over and above what I have heretofore given him, whether by Deed or otherwise.  

"Item, I give & bequeath unto my beloved son Francis Hammant, his Heirs & Assigns forever, all my Estate situate in Medfield, whether real, or personal, whether Lands, goods, Chattels Moneys, Notes Bonds, dues, or Demands whatsoever, not already demised, he paying my just Debts & funeral Charges, & such Annuitys & Legacies, as shall be hereafter named.  

"Item, I give & bequeath unto my beloved daughter Mehitable Hammant, an Annuity of Three Pounds four shillings lawful Money, to be paid her yearly by my son Francis Hammant aforesaid, during her remaining single, and in case of her Marriage, I give & bequeath unto my said Daughter, the sum of Fifty three Pounds, six shillings & eight pence, to be paid her by my said Son Francis aforesaid, and in case of her being reduced to any Circumstances of Necessity, by sickness, or otherwise, such a part, or the whole of the aforesaid Sum of fifty three pounds six shillings & 8'd as my Executors hereafter named shall think proper, and in case of the payment of the whole, or any part of the Capital, the Annuity to cease, or be diminished in proportion, and in case the whole, or any part of the said sum of £53 : 6 : 8 should remain unpaid at the decease of my s'd Daughter my Will & pleasure is, that the same be equally divided among my surviving Children.

"Item, I give & bequeath unto my beloved Daughters, Patience Smith, Basmuth Walker, & Dinah Chenery, to each and every of them, or their Heirs, the Sum of Twenty Pounds lawfull Money, the one half to be paid at my decease, & the other at the decease of my Wife, by my Son Francis aforesaid.  And I do hereby constitute & appoint my Sons Timothy & Francis Hammant, Executors of this my last Will & Testament, declaring this & no other to be such.

"In Witness whereof, I have hereto set my Hand and Seal the day & year aforesaid.
Sig'd, sealed, publ'd, & decl'd by him the s'd   }  Timothy Hamant
Timothy Hammant, to be his last Will             }    and a Seal
& Testam't in presence of us                            }
Ezra Clark, Noah Clark, Elias Clark."

"Suffolk SS:  The aforewritten Will being presented for Probate by the Executors therein named, Ezra Clark, Noah Clark, & Elias Clark, made Oath that they saw Timothy Hamant, Subscriber to this Instrument sign & seal, & heard him publish & declare it to be his last Will & Testament, & that when he so did, he was of sound disposing Mind & Memory, according to these Deponents best discerning & that they set to their Hands as Witnesses thereof, in the said Testator's presence.Boston Aug't 19'th 1774.  
                                                            F. Hutchinson  Jud. Probate                             
                                                            Exam'd Jno. Cotton  Reg'r."
5)  SOURCES
 
1. William S Tilden and John A S Monks, History of the town of Medfield, Massachusetts, 1650-1886 : with genealogies of the families that held real estate or made any considerable stay in the town during the first two centuries (Boston, Mass.: G.H. Ellis, 1887), page 402, Timothy Hamant sketch.

2. Vital Records of Medfield, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Boston, Mass. :  New England 
Historic Genealogical Society, 1903), Births, page 57, Timothy Hamant entry.

3. "Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), Boston > Boston Marriages, 1721-1751, Vol. II, page 69 (image 36 of 127), Timothy Hamant and Hepzibah Clark entry.

4. William S Tilden and John A S Monks, History of the town of Medfield, Massachusetts, 1650-1886 : with genealogies of the families that held real estate or made any considerable stay in the town during the first two centuries (Boston, Mass.: G.H. Ellis, 1887), pages 133, 137 and 140, Timothy Hamant named as Selectman.

5. Vital Records of Medfield, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, Deaths, page 215, Timothy Hamant entry.

6. "Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991," indexed database with digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com, citing Suffolk County [Mass.] Probate Records, 1636-1899, "Probate Records, Vol. 74-75, 1774-1776," Volume 74, pages 70-72, Timothy Hammant will written 8 May 1771, proved 19 August 1774.

=======================================

NOTE:  Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme of "52 Ancestors" in her blog post Challenge:  52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog.  I have extended this theme in 2017 to 208 Ancestors in 208 Weeks.


Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

No comments: