Monday, August 15, 2011

Amanuensis Monday - Will of Thomas Chase (1654-1734) of Newbury, Mass.

...
Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent TransylvanianDutch blog) started a Monday blog theme many months ago called Amanuensis Monday. What does "amanuensis" mean? John offers this definition:

"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."

The subject today is the will of Thomas Chase (1654-1734) of Newbury, Massachusetts.  Thomas married (1) Rebecca Follansbee (1658-1711)  in 1677, and Elizabeth Woodhead (1674-????) in 1713;  Elizabeth survived him.  Thomas and Rebecca (Follansbee) Chase had children:  Thomas (1680-1756); Jonathan (1683-1756); James (1685-1753); Aquila (1688-1714); Ruth (1691-1758); Mary (1695-1732); Josiah (1697-1723); Rebecca (1700-1769); Nathan (1702-1784); Judith (1704-1747).  Thomas an Elizabeth (Woodhead) Chase had Elizabeth (1715-????).

Thomas Chase died testate in 1734, having written a will on 3 August 1732. It reads (transcribed from Essex County [Massachusetts] Probate Records, Volume 321, pages 55-56, accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,875,131):

In the Name of God Amen, I Thomas Chase of Newbury in the County of Essex in his majesties Province of the Massachussetts Bay in New England being sensible of my Frailty and mortality, but as yet of perfect mind and memory Thanks be to God, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament. First of all I commend my Soul to God ect. and as touching ye worldly Goods wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life, I give demise and dispose of in the following manner and Form.

1. I give and bequeath unto my loving and well beloved wife Elizabeth Chase ye use and Improvement of one third Part of my real estate during her natural Life, and one third Part of my personal Estate forever to be at her dispose except my Utensils of Husbandry, Carpenters Tools & wearing Apparel & I give my Horse to my said Wife during her remaining my Widow, and at her marriage or Decease, I give my said Home to my son Nathan Chase.

2. I give to my son Thomas Chase his Heirs and assigns forever four acres of my Island of Salt meadow at that End next the Gut as Called, having paid him his Portion already.

3. I give and bequeath to my son Jonathan Chase ten Pounds in Bills of Credit or in other Species equivalent to Bills to be paid by my Executor within, One Year after my decease and one Quarter Part of my wearing apparel besides what I have given him already.

4. I give and bequeath unto my Son James Chase ten Pounds in Bills of Credit or other Species equivalent to Bills of Credit (besides what I have already given to him) to be paid by my Executor within two years after my decease & I Give my Son one Quarter Part of my Wearing Apparel.

5. I give to my Grandson Edward Chase ten pounds in Bills of Credit or in Other Species equivalent to Bills of Credit to be paid by my Executor when my said Grandson shall arrive to the Age of twenty one years.

6. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Ruth Miller fifteen pounds in Bills of Credit or in other Species equivalent to Bills of Credit to be paid by my Executor within four years after my Decease.

7. I give to my daughter Mary Horton five pounds in Bills of Credit or in other species equivalent to Bills of Credit to be paid by my Executor within five years after my Decease.

8. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Rebecca Moulton five Pounds in Bills of Credit or in other Species equivalent to Bills of Credit to be paid by my Executor within six years after my Decease.

9. I give & bequeath unto my Daughter Judith Horton five Pounds in Bills of Credit or other Species equivalent to Bills of Credit to be paid by my Executor within seven years after my decease.

10.. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Tirza Chase thirty Pounds in Bills of Credit or in other species equivalent to Bills of Credit within one year after my decease to be paid by my Executor and I give my said Daughter Tirza two thirds of my Household Goods and one Cow & my great Bible, after my Wifes decease, and my will is that If my Daughter Tirza depart this Life and leave no Child, then what is herein given to her shall be paid to my four Daughters abovenamed in equal Shares viz: in Case my said Daughter depart this Life, before she receive her Portion herein given to her and leave no Child then her Sisters shall receive ect.& I give to my daughter Tirza One half of my Sheep, and I give to my aforementioned Wife the other half of my Sheep, & what I Have at my decease I give to my Wife & sd daughter Tirza. I give and bequeath unto my Son Nathan Chase and to his Heirs and assigns forever all my real Estate consisting in Housings and Lands, meadows ect. whatsoever and wheresoever it may be and also all my personal Estate not before disposed of in this my Will and I do constitute and appoint my Son Nathan Chase to be Executor to this my Will to receive all my Debts and to pay all my just Debts Legacies and funeral Charges and my Will is that all my Legacies shall be paid in Newbury and I do revoke and make void all former Wills by me made and ratifie and Confirm this to be my last Will and Testament, In Witness whereof I set to my Hand & Seal this third day of August Anno Domini 1732.

Signed, sealed and published & declared by the abovenamed Thomas Chase to be his last Will and Testament in Presence of us --

Joseph Coffin ....................................... his
William Goodridge ....................Thomas T Chase (seal)
Nathaniel Coffin. ............................... mark

The will was accepted by the Court at Ipswich on 25 February 1733/4, with Nathaniel Coffin and William Goodridge attesting that Thomas Chase signed, sealed, published and declared the above written will in their presence.

Four sons, a grandson (perhaps the son of Aquila or Josiah Chase), and all five daughters are named in this will.  Is Tirza Chase the Elizabeth Chase found in the Newbury records?  My ancestry goes through Mary Chase who married John Horton in 1719 in Swansea, Massachusetts and had a family in Rehoboth, Massachusetts.  Mary (Chase) Horton died several months before the will was written.  Interestingly, all four daughters by Thomas's first wife Rebecca settled in Rehoboth, even though it is a fair distance from Newbury. 

No comments: