Monday, February 5, 2018

Amanuensis Monday - Probate Records of Stephen Wing (1621-1710) of Sandwich, Massachusetts

This week's document for Amanuensis Monday is the 1710 Probate Papers for the estate of Stephen Wing (1621-1710) of Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts:

a)  Volume 3, pages 382-3:




b)  Volume 3, pages 384-5:



The transcription of the Will and Letter Testamentary is:


[page 383, halfway down the page]

I Stephen Wing of the Town of Sandwich in the County of Barns-
table in New England being aged and weak of Body yet through y^e mercy of
God of disposing mind and memory and Calling to mind y^e uncertainty of
this Transitory Life I am Desirous according to my Duty to sett things in order
before God shall Call me Home. And therefore Do make this my Last
Will and Testament hereby Revoking and Disannulling all former Will &
Wills by Word or Writing heretofore by me made and Do hereby Constitute
and Declare this to be my Last Will and Testament in manner & form
following; viz. my Desire is to Comitt my Soul to God In Jesus Christ who
gave it and my Body to Decent Buriall att our Friends burieng place att
Spring Hill when God shall please to Call me Home. And as Touching my
worldly Estate which god hath beyond my Deserts bestowed on me my Will
is to Dispose of it as followeth.

Impr. My Will is that all my Debts in Rights or Conscience to any man Due
Together with my Funeral Charges Shall be first Discharged by my Execut^rs
hereafter named In Convenient Time out of my Estate.

Item I Will and bequeath unto my son Nathaniel Wing Ten Pounds.

Item I Will and bequeath unto my son Elisha Wing Ten Pounds.

Item I Will and bequeath unto my Daughter Sarah Gifford fifty shillings

[page 384]

Item I Give and Bequeath unto my Daughter Abigail Twenty Shillings.

Item I Will and Bequeath unto my son Jn^o Wing my Great Driping pan & spit

Item I Will and bequeath unto my Grandson Jeremiah Gifford Twenty Shillings.
and Each Legacy to be paid in Two years after my Decease.

Finally my Will is and I Do herein Constitute & appoint my Two Sons viz:
Ebenezer Wing and Matthew Wing Joynt Execut^rs to This my Last Will and
Testament to administer upon my Estate and To pay out my Debts & Legacys
according to this my Will. In Witness whereof I have hereunto sett my
Hand and Seal this Second day of December Anno Domini 1700.

Signed Sealed & Declared to be his Last Will
and Testament In presence of                                        Stephen Wing {seal}
Stephen Sheffe

Daniel Allen               Barnstable Ss: on the 13^th day of July 1710
Jashub Wing              Then William Bassett Daniel Allen & Jashub
W^m Bassett             Wing whose names are sett to this Will as Witness
                                    set Before Barnabas Lothrop Esq^r Judge of Probate
                                    &c for the County of Barnstable Did Testifye
                                    as in the presents of god that they did see Steph^en
                                   Wing Late of Sandwich & heard him own it to be his
                                   Last Will and Testament.
                                                                Attest W^m Bassett Reg^tr

Barnabas Lothrop Esq^r Commisionated by y^e Gournour & Councill to be Judge of y^e
probate of Wills & for Granting Letters of Administration on y^e Estates of Persons Deces^d
Having Goods Chattels Rights & Credits in y^e County of Barnstable within the Province of y^e
Massachusetts Bay in New England. To all unto whom these presents shall Come
Greeting: Know ye that upon the Day of the Date hereof before me at Barnstable
for y^e County aforesd. The Will of Stephen Wing Late of Sandwich now Deceased to
these presents Annexed was proved approved and allowed who having while he lived &
at the Time of his death Goods Chattels Rights & Credits in y^e County aforesd. And the
Probate of y^e sd Will and power of Comitting administration of all & Singular y^e
Goods Chattels rights & Credits of y^e sd deceased by virtue thereof appertaining unto me
the Administration of all & singulat the Goods Chattels Rights & Credits of y^e sd Dece^d
and his Will in any manner Concerning is hereby Comitted unto Ebenezer Wing
& Matthew Wing sons of sd Deceased Execut^rs in y^e same Will named well & faithfuly
to Execute the sd Will & to administer y^e Estate of y^e sd Deceased according thereunto &
To make a True and perfect Inventory of all and singular y^e Goods Chattels Rights
and Credits of y^e sd Deceased and to Exhibit the same into the Registry of y^e Court
of Probate for this County aforesd forthwith. And also to Render a plain & true
accompt of their sd Administration upon oath. In Testimony whereof
I have hereunto sett my Hand and the Seal of y^e sd Court of Probate.
Dated att Barnstable the 13^th Day of July Anno Domini 1710.

                                                                            Barnabas Lothrop

The source citation for this record is:

Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991, indexed database with digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), Barnstable County, "Probate and Guardianship Records, Vol 1-2, 1674-1742; Vol 3, 1743-1747," Vol. 3, pages 383-385 (images 692-3 of 828), Stephen Wing, 1710, Will and  Letters Testamentary.

Stephen Wing (1621-1710) married Sarah Briggs (1637-1689) in 1655, and they had seven children, six of whom lived to adulthood and are mentioned in the will.

The will of Stephen Wing, written 3 December 1700 and proved on  13 July 1710, names the sic living children.  Sons Ebenezer Wing and Matthew Wing were named executors of the estate, but were not named as heirs. However, Ebenezer and Matthew Wing were given tracts of land by their father in 1700, probably before the writing of his will.  Stephen may have also given his other children land before he died.

Sons Nathaniel Wing and Elisha Wing were bequeathed ten pounds each, and son John Wing received a dripping pan.  Daughter Sarah Gifford received 50 shillings, and daughter Abigail received 20 shillings.  Grandson Jeremiah Gifford received 20 shillings.  There is nothing in the will that leaves the rest of his personal property to an heir.  Perhaps the executors had to pay the legacies from their own funds if the personal estate was not sufficient to pay the legacies.

Stephen and Sarah (Briggs) Wing are my 8th great-grandparents.  I am descended through their daughter Sarah Wing (1659-1720) who married Robert Gifford (1660-1730) in 1680.  I am also descended from son Matthew Wing (1674-1724) who married Elizabeth (Mott) Ricketson (1659-1723) in 1694.

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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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Copyright (c) 2018, Randall J. Seaver

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