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In the name of God Amen.
I William Sever of Kingston in the County of Plimouth, Esquire
being advanced in years but (blessed be God) of Sound mind &
Memory, & Sensible of the Uncertainty of Life, do make & ordain
this Instrument as my last Will & Testament.
And, in the first place, I resign my Soul into the hands
of my Great Creator & maker, & my Body to the Earth, to be decently
Interred at the discretion of my Executors herein after named,
hoping for a Resurrection to Life Eternal through the merits of
Jesus Christ, my Redeemer & Saviour.
And the worldly Estate wherewith God has blessed me
I give and bequeath in manner as follows, vizt.
Whereas at my marriage with Mercy Russell now my
well beloved wife, it was Stipulated by a Contract that may
appear, that in case She should Survive me, She should be
entitled to the sum of Two Thousand dollars from my Estate, &
also an Annuity of Two hundred dollars during her Natural
Life & also the use of such part of my Mansion house as she may
wish to retain for her use, so long as she may Survive me; I do
hereby will, order & require my Executors hereinafter named, to pay
into her hands, within Twelve Months after my decease, the before
mentioned sum of Two Thousand Dollars & at the expiration of
six months from my decease, to pay into her hands one Moiety of
the said Annuity of Two hundred dollars, and at the expiration of
each six Months after during her Life: the sum of One hundred
dollars being the Moiety of the Annuity aforementioned -- And
that she retain in her hands, for her use, such part of my Mansion house
& furniture, with garden, Stable & other conveniences about it as she
may wish to Occupy. The above to be considered as a Just
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Consideration for her rights of Dower or thirds in my Estate, Real or
personal of which I may be possessed at my decease.
It is also my Will that Jane Sullivan who has long been
a faithful domestic in my Family, and is now in advanced years,
be Supported at the expense of my Estate during her natural life.
I give and bequeath unto my grandson William James Sever,
the son of William Sever late of Worcester, deceased the sum of
Five thousand dollars to be paid into the hands of such person, who
as his Guardian may be legally Authorized to receive the same,
within Twelve Months after my decease.
I do also give & bequeath unto my Granddaughter Penelope
Winslow Sever, the daughter of my Son William Sever, abovenamed,
the Sum of Two Thousand dollars, to be paid within Twelve Months
after my decease, into the hands of such person who as her Guardian
may be legally authorized to receive the same.
I do also give & bequeath unto my Grandaughter Anne Warren
Sever, also the daughter of my Son William Sever before named, the
Sum of Two Thousand dollars to be paid within Twelve Months after
my decease into the hands of such person who as her Guardian may be
legally authorized to received the same.
I do also give & bequeath unto my daughter Mary Sever, the
Widow of my Son William Sever, before named the sum of One Thousand
dollars to be paid into her hands within Twelve Months after my
decease, provided that a that time she be living & the Widow of
my Said Son William Sever.
I do also give & bequeath unto my Grandaughter Sarah Russell,
the daughter of Thomas Russell late of Boston, deceased, & of Sarah
Russell, late wife of the sd Thomas Russell, & my well beloved daughter,
the Sum of One Thousand dollars to be paid into the hands of such person
who, as her Guardian, may be legally authorized to receive the same
within Twelve Months after my decease. The Smallness of the Legacy
will not, I hope, be construed as a want of Affection for my said
Grandaughter -- For as she is possessed of a property exceeding the whole
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Amount of mine -- and as my Sons have family to provide for,
I hope these may be considered a /sufficient reason for the Smallness
of the Legacy to my said Grandaughter.
The remainder of my property Real or personal, or of what
Nature or kind soever, after paying my just debts, & the expenses
of my Internment, I give & bequeath unto my Sons, James Sever
& John Sever of Kingston aforesaid, to be equally divided between them.
The Real property as the may agree to divided the same, or in
case they should not agree in Sentiment as to a division thereof,
that three persons be named & agreed on by themselves, to make
according to their best judgments of an equal division thereof.
And in case at my decease there should be found among my
papers any Security in money from either of my sd Sons, James & John,
it is my will that such Security, or Securities, shall be considered as
a demand against them, or either of them, & that each account with
the other for a Moiety of such Security or Securities.
And I do hereby Constitute & appoint my said Sons, James Sever,
& John Sever joint Executors of this my last will & Testament.
In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand & Seal
the thirtieth day of April in the year of our Lord One
Thousand Eight hundred & two.
Signed Sealed & declared by the
sd William Sever to be his last will William Sever
& Testament, in presence of
Isaac Lothrop
Nath'l Lothrup
Lucy Lothrop.
The source citation for this probate case file is:
Plymouth County [Mass.] Register of Probate, Plymouth County (Mass.) Probate Records, 1686-1881, American Ancestors (https://www.americanancestors.org), Estate file 17842 (61 images), Willim Sever of Kingston, 1809.
William Sever (1729-1809) was born 12 October 1729 in Kingston, Massachusetts, the son of Nicholas and Sarah (Warren) Sever. William died 15 June 1809 in Kingston. He married, first, Sarah Warren (1730-1797), daughter of James and Penelope (Winslow) Warren, on 2 December 1755 in Kingston. They had five children:
* Sarah Sever (1757-1787), married 1784 Thomas Russell (1761-1796).
* William Sever (1759-1798), married 1785 Mary Chandler (1759-1821).
* James N. Sever (1761-1845), married 1796 Jane Russell (1769-1840).
* Anne Warren Sever (1763-1788).
* John Sever (1766-1803), married 1790 Nancy Russell (1767-1848).
William Sever married, second, Mercy (Foster) Russell (1737-1810) on 19 June 1798 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. They had no children together. The will mentions the marriage contract with Mercy Russell.
The will was proved in Plymouth County Probate Court on 14 August 1809. This is a very complicated probate estate file because son John Sever died in 1803, and son James N. Sever was challenged by the other heirs, including the children of John Sever.
William Sever (1829-1809 is my 2nd cousin 8 times removed. Our common Seaver ancestor is Robert Seaver (1608-1683) of Roxbury, Massachusetts.
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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."
Read other transcriptions of records of my ancestors at Amanuensis Monday Posts.
Copyright (c) 2023, Randall J. Seaver
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