Monday, March 26, 2012

Amanuensis Monday - the Will of Giles Slocum of Portsmouth RI

Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent TransylvanianDutch blog) started his own 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 Giles Slocum (1623-1683)  of Portsmouth, Rhode Island.  He married Joan (1620-1679) in about 1640, and they had  nine children:  Joanna Slocum (1642-1728); John Slocum (1645-1702); Giles Slocum (1647-????); Ebenezer Slocum (1650-1715); Nathaniel Slocum (1652-1702); Peleg Slocum (1654-1733); Samuel Slocum (1657-????); Mary Slocum (1660-1689); Eliezer Slocum (1664-1727).


Giles Slocum died testate, having written a will dated 10 October 1681, which was proved 10 July 1683 (Charles Elihu Slocum, A Short History of the Slocums, Slocumbs, and Slocombs of America, genealogical and biographical (Syracuse N.Y.: the author, 1888, pages 39-40).  It reads:

"Seeing it pleaseth God to give me this opportunity being in good & sound memory it is with me to setle my out ward Estate that the Lord hath blessed mee with all unto whome I give the glory whoe is gold over All blessed for Ever more amen now Know all people whoe may bee concerned hearin That I Gyles Slocom now of the Towne of Portsmouth one Road Island and in ye Kings Providence Plantation of New England in Amerrica sinnair I doe make this my last will & Testiment in mannar & forme ase ffolloweth my will is that my depts bee first payd by my Executirx hereafter named. Item I doe give & beequeath unto my Louving sonn Samuell Slocome five shillings in Lawfull monyes of New England.

"Item I give & beequeath unto my sonn John Slocom five shillings Lawful monyes of New England. Item I doe give and beequeath unto my Louving sonn Gyles Slocom him his heires And asignes for Ever all my Lands and housing to mee beelonginge and apertaining beeing and Laying in or one Rhod Island in the Towne of Portsmouth and now in my occupation Excepting foure accors of Land with one Small Teniment one it laying in the Towne of Portsmouth in Rhod Island and now in the occupation of Will Rickinson house carpenter. Item I give unto my sonn Giles Slocom one great Chest one table one bedsteed one great chaire.

"Item I give unto my son Ebenezer five shillings Lawfull monyes of New England. Item I give unto my son Nathaniell Slocom two shars of Lands Laying neere the Towne of Shrosbury in New Jersey to him his heires and asignes for Ever. Item I give and bequeath unto my son Peleg Slocom halfe A sheare of Land Lying and beeing in the Towne of Dartmouth with all the Rights prineledges theare unto beelonging to him his heires and asignes for Ever.

"Item I give and bequeath unto my son Eliezer Slocom one quarter of a sheare of Land Laying and beeing in the aforesaid Towne of Dartmouth in the Colonye of Plimouth to him his heires and Asignes for Ever.

"Item I give and beequeath unto my Louing Darter Johanah Mott three quarters of a sheare of Land situate and Laying neare Shorsbury [ Shrewsbury] in New Jersey to her her heires and asignes for Ever.

"Item I give and beequeath unto my Loueing Dauter Mary Tucker foure accars of Land with one small Teniment one it Laying in the Towne of Portsmouth one Rhod Island and now in the occupation of Will Rickinson house carpenter to her and her heires for Ever.

"Item I give and bequeath unto my Dafter Mary Tucker sixteen accors of Land situate and Laying up one the Island of Cononicut which wase formerly in the posstiion of Robert Hasard to her her heires and asignes for Ever.

"Item I give unto my son Eliezer Slocom two oxen foure cowes one horse. Item I give and beequeath unto my Dafter Johanah Mott five pounds Lawful monyes of New England to bee payd her out of my stocke when when solde.

"Item I give and bequeath unto my Dafter Johanah Mott my Riding horse. Item I doe give and beequeath unto my Loueing friends the peple of God called Quakers foure pound Lawfull monyes of New England to bee payd into the mens meeting one Road Island.

"Item I give and beequeath unto my three children Nathaniell Eliezer Slocom and Johanah Mott all my beding equaly devided betwixt them.

"Item I give unto all my Grand children each of them five sheepe A peace.

"Item All the Remainder of my Estate undisposed of I give and beequeath unto my five children Nathaniell Peleg Eliezer Slcom Johanah Mott Mary Tucker to bee Equalye devided bee twen them.

"Item my will is that all my legises bee truly payd by my Executrix within six months after my deseas.

"Item my will is that after my dessease my sonn Gyles Slocom shall give one mounthes time unto my Executrix for the Removing and taking all my stock ase coews osen sheepe horskine and household goods. Lastly I doe heare by nominate constitute and apoynt my trusty and well beloved Dafter Johanah Mott to bee my full and sole Executrix of this my Last will and Testament nulling and makeing void all other wills formerly by mee made what soever And this to stand for my Last will and Testament furder I doe desire my Loueing friends John Easton Simn Water Charles and Arthur Cooke all of Road Island to see this my Last will performed unto which I have heare unto set my hand & seale the Tennth day of ye Eigh mounth called October in the yeare one Thousand six hundred Eighty and one [1681].

..............................................................  The marke of  ............................................................. Gyles T Slocum"

"Signed sealed published and
declared in the presen of 
 the marke of
John C Cooper
the marke of
Mary O Cooke, Arthur Cooke
Margret Cooke"

The one child not mentioned in this will is Samuel Slocum (1657-????).  It is probable that he died before 1681, unmarried.  My descent is through the son Ebenezer Slocum (1650-1715) who married Mary Thurston (1657-1732) in 1676.  Ebenezer received only five shillings from his father; he may have received land via deed before Giles Slocum died.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2012/03/amanuensis-monday-will-of-giles-slocum.html

Copyright (c) 2012, Randall J. Seaver

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