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Monday, January 12, 2015

Amanuensis Monday - Post 251: Setting Off the Widow's Dower in Simon Gates (1739-1803) Estate

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."

The subject today is the 1803 setting off of the widow's dower in the estate settlement of Simon Gates (1739-1803) of Gardner, Worcester County, Massachusetts in Worcester County Probate File 23252:




The transcription of this part of the Administration is:

[image 82, starting about 4/5 of the way down the page]

We then Set Off to Susanna Gates the Widow of the Said Deceased, for her
Dower or thirds thereof One half of the New Dwelling House it being
the South Eastwardly front room the Westwardly half of the Chambers the north
Half of the Cellar and one half of the Kitchen Cheas room Dressers in the Kitchen
front enery and Bakers hole in Common and Undevided with the Other Half
third both parties having an Equal priviledge for passing and Repasing
the Chamber and Down Celler and to their parts from time to time and
at all times forever as Occasion May or shall require.

[image 83 of 1069]

Also the Westwardly part of the Barns as followeth (viz) The West Shed
the West hold and Scafold the West Thrashing floor and the priviledges above
And the west half of the Bay adjoining said Thrashing floor it being
to the Cross timbers in said bay and the Westwardly Half of the Cowyard.
The Ground on Which the barn As Sett off to the Widows lands and Cowyard
to be Considered as a privilede for said dower so long as the now barn Stands
and no longer and then to be the property of the remaining two thirds.
However reserving a priviledge to the two thirds for bringing in hay or
Other fodder into said floor way for filling the Scafold front of said bay as oc-
casion Shall or may require.

Also we Set off to said Susanna thirty four Acres in two pieces in
the home farm Bounded as followeth. One piece of of Mowing Plowing
Pasturing and Woodland and the New house Standing on the same bounded
as followeth beginning at a Stake and Stones at the Southeast Corner of Josiah
Kendalls land thence runing North Eighty Seven degrees forty five Minutes
East Nineteen rods one link by a town way to a Stake and Stones at the
End of a Lane two rods wide which is Left to be in Common with the other
two thirds and for the use of both parties thence Due North forty four
rods ^by said lane^ to a Stake and Stones Near the Northwest Corner of the Barn thence
North Seventy two Degrees fifteen Minutes East two rods thirteen links
to a Stake and Stones by a Wall and North of said Barn thence North
Two Degrees West ^thirty four rods eleven links^ by land of the two thirds as the fence now stands to a
Stake and Stones at the Pasture thence North Seventeen Degrees thirty
Minutes by a bend in a Wall which Incloseth a field thence North Seventeen
Degrees Twenty three Degrees forty five Minutes West fifty four rods Twenty
links by said two thirds to a Stake and Stones thence South Eighty Seven
Degrees thirty two Minutes West forty two rods and ten links by said two
thirds to a Stake and Stones in Edward Jackson's line thence South three
Degrees East Sixty Six rods by said Jackson's land to a Stake and Stones thence
by Josiah Kendalls land to a Stake and Stones thence ^north^ Nine Degrees forty
five Minutes East Six rods fifteen links by Said Kendalls land ^to a Stake and Stones^ thence
North Eighty five Degrees East three rods by said Kendalls land to a
Stake and Stones thence South Seventeen Degrees East by Said Ken-
dalls land to a Stake and Stones thence North Eighty five Degrees
East twenty four rods twenty three links by said Kendalls land
to a Stake and Stones thence ^South^ two Degrees thirty three Minutes
East by said Kendalls land to the first mentioned Corner bound.
Also the South End of the Orchard Eastward of said lane bounded
as followeth beginning at a Stake and Stones Standing on the East
side of Said lane and in Daniel How's line thence North Eighty Seven
Degrees forty five Minutes East Eleven rods Eighteen links by said
Hows land to a Stake and Stones thence North Seven Degrees forty five
Minutes West Eighteen rods to a Stake and Stones By land of the
two thirds thence South Eighty Eight Degrees West Nine rods nine-
teen links by land of said two thirds to a Stake and Stones on the
East side of said Lane thence South one Degree East Seventeen rods
Eightl inks by said lane to the first mentioned Corner bound.
Appraised at the Sum of Nine hundred and Ten Dollars Eighty
three Cents and one third of a Cent.                                              $ 910=83-1/3

[image 84 of 1089]

                                                                               Brough forward 910=83-1/3
Also another tract of land Called the Conant Lott
lying in said Gardner Containing according to the
Deed thirty Acres of Pasturing and Woodland Butted
and Bounded as followeth (viz) Begining at a Stake and
Stones the Northeastwardly Corner of said premises thence
Westwardly by a town way to a Stake and Stones thence
Southwardly by land of John Pierce and William Channel land
to a Stake and Stones thence Eastwardly on ^Town way ?? Teffts land^ said two fourth
divisions to a Stake and Stones by Edward Jackson's land
thence to the first mentioned Corner bound appraised at the
Sum of three Hundred and thirty Dollars                                       $ 330=00

Also one half of a Wall pew Number fifteen below or on the
lower floor in said Gardner Meeting House being in Common
with the other two thirds of said Estate Appraised at the Sum
of Twenty two Dollars                                                                      $ 22=00

Also one half of the Stable at Said Meeting house being in
Common and undevided Appraised at the Sum of Two Dol-
lars and fifty Cents                                                                            $ 2=50

Amounting in the whole to the Sum of One Thousand
two hundred Sixty five Dollors thirty three Cents and
one Third of a Cent                                                               $ 1265.33-1/3

The source citation for the setting off of the widow's dower is:

Massachusetts, Worcester County, Probate Files, 1731-1925, Case 23252, Simon Gates Estate, 1803, Setting off of widow's dower; digital images, FamilySearch.org,(https://familysearch.org: accessed 12 August 2014); in "Case no 23243-23330, Gates, Sarah-Gay, William, 1731-1881" (images 82-84 of 1069); original records in Worcester County, Mass. Courthouse.

This is the fifth of several transcriptions from the Estate packet for Simon Gates (1739-1803), my 5th great-grandfather.  He died 11 March 1803 in Gardner, Worcester County, Massachusetts.  

Widow Susanna Gates received approximately one-third of the total of the real estate ($ 3,796) in the Simon Gates estate, which totaled $ 1,265.33-1/3.  It included half of the home farm house, additional home farm land and buildings, and another parcel of land in Gardner, plus one half of the church pew and horse stable at the church.  The appraisal of the real estate in thisl ist does not match the real estate values in the Inventory taken earlier.

In the next post, I will transcribe the remainder of this document wherein the appraisers will define the Real Estate, and the money, set off to the children of Simon Gates.


Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver

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