Monday, August 27, 2012

Amanuensis Monday - Petition for Land Ownership Sale

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 document this week is the land ownership affidavit filed by the administrator of the estate of my great-grandfather, Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922), who died 27 November 1922 in Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts.  Frank's wife, Hattie (Hildreth) Seaver, died in 1920 before Frank did, and Hattie was apparently the owner of their property (probably though her mother, Sophia (Newton) Hildreth).  


Here is the petition requesting sale of the property by Hattie (Hildreth) Seaver, as part of the estate of Frank Walton Seaver:



The transcription of this document is (handwritten portions in italics, blanks underlined):

To the Honorable the Judges of the Probate Court in and for the County of Worcester:

RESPECTFULLY represents J. Ward Healey 
administrat or execut of the estate will of 
Hattie L. Seaver
late of Leominster,
in said County, deceased, in testate, that the said Hattie L. Seaver,
at the time of her decease, was the owner of certain real estate situate in
Leominster, in the County of Worcester,
bounded and described as follows, viz.:

A certain tract of land in Leominster, Massachusetts, on the 
southwesterly side of Lancaster Street, containing 19317 square 
feet, more or less, bounded as follows:
 Beginning at a stone bound on the southwesterly side of said 
Street at land now or formerly of City Coal Co; thence by said
City Coal Co.'s land South 68° 5' West 209.1 feet, more or less, 
to land at New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad Company;
thence by said Railroad Co. land northerly 104.08 feet, more or
less, to land of City of Leominster; thence by said City's land
North 69°9' East 174.8 feet, more or less, to the said southwesterly
side of Lancaster Street 100.12 feet, more or less, to the place of beginning.
 The above described land is the same as that described on a
certain plan of land entitled "Land owned by the heirs of Edward 
Hildreth, Leominster, Mass. , Sept. 22, 1923. Wm P. Ray, C.E."

That it is for the advantage of all parties interested that the same be sold for the purpose of dis-
tribution; that an advantageous offer for the purchase thereof, to wit, the sum of six thousand
dollars, has been made to your petitioner,
and that the interest of all parties concerned will be best promoted by an acceptance of such offer.
  Therefore your petitioner prays that he may be licensed to sell the said real estate of 
said deceased at private sale, in accordance with such offer or in such manner as the Court may 
direct, for the purpose of distribution.

Dated this 26th day of October A.D. 19 23,
............................................ J. Ward Healey

The undersigned, being all persons interested, hereby assent to the foregoing petition.

Frederick W. Seaver
J. Ward Healey As Administrator of Estate of Frank W. Seaver
Harry C. Seaver

This property is the house and land located presently at 149 Lancester Street in Leominster, Massachusetts.  It had been purchased by Edward Hildreth, Hattie's father, in the 1870s.  Edward, his wife Sophia, his daughter Hattie and his son-in=law Frank W. Seaver all died there.  

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2012/08/amanuensis-monday-petition-for-land.html

Copyright (c) 2012, Randall J. Seaver

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