"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."
The subject today is the 1756 Will of Crispus Richards (1681-1763) of Lynn, Massachusetts, probated in July 1763:
The transcription of the will is:
[first sheet of paper]
"In
the Name of God Amen, The tenth day of April anno Domini 1756
I
Crispus Richards of Lynn in the County of Essex in the Province of ye
Massach-
usetts
Bay in New England yeoman - being decaying in body but of sound
mind
Calling to Mind the Mortality of my body Knowing it is appointed for
all
Men once to die: do Make & ordaine this My last Will and
Testament, that
is
to Say Principally & first of all I Recommend My Soul into the
hands of
God
that Gave it, & my Body I Recommend to the Earth to be buried In
Christ-
tian and Decent Manner at the Discretion of my Executor
hereafter
named
and as Touching My Worldly Estate I Give Demise & Dispose
of
as followes: And My Will is that all my just Debts & funeral
Charges
be
duly & Honestly paid by my Executor out of my Estate.
"Imprimis
I Give and bequeath to my beloved Wife Sarah all my Indore Moveable
Estate
to be at her own Disposal & also the Improvement of the one half
of
my Real Estate During.
"Item
I give & bequeath to the several Children of my Son Joseph
Richards Deceased
Viz
to William Richards, Joseph Richard, Mary Richards, Ebenezer
Richards, Hanah
Richards,
Esther Richards, John Richards & Martha Richards to Each of them
the
Sum
of one Shilling Lawfull Money to be paid by my Executor within two
years
after my decease & wifes and that to be their Portion out of my
Estate
haveing
given their father his Portion in his lifetime.
"Item
I Give & bequeath to my Daughter Esther Estess one pound Six
Shillings and
Eight
pence to be paid by my Executor out of my Estate within one year
after
My deceas & wifes & that with what I have heretofore Don for
her to
be
her Portion out of My Estate.
"Item
I Give to my daughter Sarah Ingulls one pound Six Shillings &
Eight
pence
to be paid by My Executor out of my Estate within two years after
I &
my Wife shall Deceas and that with what I have already Don for
her
to be her Portion out of my Estate.
"Item
I Give & bequeath to my Grand Daughter Thankfull Stocker one
pound Six
shillings
& Eight pence to be paid by My Executor out of my Estate with-
in
two years after My & wifes deceas & that to be her portion
Out of my
Estate.
"Item
I Give & bequeath to my daughter Mary Richards ye Sum of four
Pounds
per year annually Each and Every Year So long as shee shall
Remain
unmarried & In Case she Maries then to have one Pound Six
shillings
and
Eight pence to be paid by my Executor out of my Estate.
"Item
I Give to my daughter Deborah Richards ten pounds to be paid by my
Executor
within one year after my Deceas & Wife's & that to be her
portion
out of My Estate with the Priviledge of
my
West Chamber till Maried and no longer.
"Item
I give devise & bequeath to My Son John Richards (whome I
likewise
Constitute
Make & ordain Sole Executor of this My last will and
Testament)
all & singular my Housing & Lands Messuages and
[second sheet of paper]
Tenements
in Lynn and Elsewhere to him My sd Son his heirs and Assigns forever
and
also all my out Dore Moveable Estate of what Name or Nature Soever
to
be to him & his Heirs for Ever and I Doe hereby Ratify &
Confirm this &
no
other to be My last will & testament. In Witness whereof I have
hereunto
Set
my hand & Seal,
"Signed,
Sealed, Published, Pronounced }
and
Declared by the Said Crispus } his
Richards
as his last will & Testament } Crispus C Richards
In
Presence of we the Subscribers } Sign & Seal
William
Collins,
Theophilus
Burrill
William
Watts."
"Salem
July 14 1763 Before the Hon^e: John Choate
Esqr.
Judge of Prob^e of Wills &c: for sd County personaly
appeared
Theophilus Burril & Will^m Watts &
made
Oath that they were present when
Crispus
Richards late of Lynn Decd Sign &
heard
him publish & declare this Instrument to be
his
Last Will & Testament & when he so did he was
of
sound disposing mind & memory to the best of
their
discerning and they together with William
Collins
Esq Set to their hands at the same time in his
presence
azs Witnesses. Whereupon this Will is prov^d
Approv^d
& Allow^d ^and the Seal of the office afixth^
of
trece? & appear & Accepted that
trust
John
Choate ?? ???"
The source citation for this document is:
Essex County, Massachusetts, "Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881," Crispus Richards of Lynn 1763; digital images, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (http://www.americanancestors.org: accessed 23 February 2015); includes Will and court approval, 11 July 1763.
Previously, I had found the Probate Court record book entries for this will and court approval - see Amanuensis Monday - Will of Crispus Richards (1681-1763) of Lynn, Massachusetts (posted 18 October 2010). There is no substantive difference between the transcribed court records and the original records - the only differences are capitalization, and and & substitutes, and word spelling.
Crispus Richards (1681-1763) is my 7th great-grandfather. His wife, Sarah (Collins) Richards (1678-1757) died after he wrote the will in 1756 and before he died in 1763. Their son, Joseph Richards (1703-1748) married Mary Bowden (1705-1755), and had eight children, all of whom are named as heirs in the will of Crispus Richards. I descend through their daughter, Mary Richards (1733-????), who had a son Isaac Buck (1757-1846) out of wedlock, and married John Phillips (1722-????) in 1774. This provides one more piece of evidence that Mary Richards did not marry the father of Isaac Buck.
The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/04/amanuensis-monday-post-262-will-of.html
Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver
No comments:
Post a Comment