Monday, August 13, 2012

Amanuensis Monday - Petition for Administration of the Estate of Hattie L. Seaver (1857-1920)

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 petition for administration of the estate of my great-grandmother, Hattie Louisa (Hildreth) Seaver (1857-1920), who died 29 November 1920 in Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts:


This one is complicated by the fact that Hattie's mother, Sophia (Newton) Hildreth (1834-1923) died on 29 August 1923 in Leominster, Massachusetts.  Since that was after Hattie died, Hattie was her only child, Hattie and Frank Seaver had two living sons during this time, Sophia's estate had to be settled first.  Sophia also outlived her son-in-law, Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922), but Frank outlived his wife Hattie, and had the two living sons as the only descendants of Sophia (Newton) Hildreth.  Therefore, the estates had to be probated in the order of Sophia > Hattie > Frank.  However, they were all guided through the Probate Court at about the same time in late 1923 by one administrator, J. Ward Healey.

I don't have paper copies or digital copies of any of the papers in Sophia Hildreth's probate packet.  I have only a summary based on my notes taken from the records at the Worcester (Mass.) County Courthouse in 1991.  I also don't have all of the papers in the Hattie L. Seaver or Frank W. Seaver probate packets, but I will transcribe what I have so that I can add them to my Research Notes for them.

Here is the petition for administration of the estate of Hattie Louisa (Hildreth) Seaver (1857-1920):


Hattie L. (Hildreth) Seaver died leaving a husband, Frank Walton Seaver and two living sons, Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942) and Harry Clifton Seaver (1885-1951). 

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

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

RESPECTFULLY represents J. Ward Healey, whose mailing address is 42 Main Street, Leominster, Massachusetts
of Leominster, in the County of Worcester,
 that Hattie L. Seaver
who last dwelt in Leominster in the County of Worcester, in 
the
year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and twenty intestate, possessed of goods 
an d estate remaining to be administered,
leaving as widow -husband h er only heirs at law and next of kin, the persons whose names, residences and relationship to the deceased are as follows, viz."

NAME ................................ RESIDENCE .................................RELATIONSHIP

Frank W. Seaver .................. who has since died ....................... Husband
Frederick W. Seaver ............. Leominster, Mass. ........................ Son

Harry C. Seaver ................... Leominster, Mass. ........................ Son
that your petitioner is a disinterested person.

Wherefore your petitioner prays that he or some other suitable person be appointed
administrat or of the estate of said deceased, and certifies that the statements herein contained are
true to the best of h is knowledge and belief.

Dated this sixth of September, A.D. 19 23.
................................................................. J. Ward Healey

WORCESTER, SS.  Subscribed and sworn to this Sixth day of
September, A.D. 19 23.
Before me, .............. John C. Hull, Justice of the Peace.

The undersigned, being all the persons interested, residing in the Commonwealth, who are of full
age and legal capacity, hereby assent to the foregoing petition.
Frederick W. Seaver

Harry C. Seaver

This is an Original Source record, a photocopy of which was obtained at the Worcester County Probate Court office in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1991.  It was in Worcester County Probate Packet No. B-81,101.


The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2012/08/amanuensis-monday-petition-for_13.html

Copyright (c) 2012, Randall J. Seaver

No comments: