Monday, February 29, 2016

Amanuensis Monday - Post 309: 1807 Will of Amos Plimpton (1735-1808) of Medfield, Mass.

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 1807 will of Amos Plimpton (1735-1808) of Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts.  This will was obtained from Norfolk County Probate Court Clerk records on FHL Microfilm:

[Volume 15, page 482]


[Volume 15, page 483]



[Volume 15, page 484]



The transcription of the Proving Statement and the Will is (in line-by-line format):

[Volume 15, page 482, starts 1/4 of way down the page]

 {Seal} Commonwealth of Massachusetts

By William Heath Esquire Judge of the Probate of Wills, and for
granting Letters of Administration on the Estates of Persons deceased,
having Goods, chattels, Rights or Credits in the County of Norfolk,
within the Commonwealth aforesaid.

To all men to whom these presents shall come, Greetings.
Know Ye, That on the day of the date hereof at a Court of Probate,
held at Dedham in and for the County aforesaid, the Instrument
hereunto annexed, purporting to be the last Will and Testament
of Amos Plimpton, late of Medfield, in said County, Gentleman,
deceased, who had, while he lived, and at the time of his decease,
Goods, Chattels, rights or Credits, in the County aforesaid, was
present before me and proven. I Do, Therefore, by virtue of the
power and authority given me in such Case, hereby commit the execu-
tion of the said Instrument and the Administration of the Estate
of the said Deceased unto John Kingsbury, the Executor named in the
said Will, well and faithfully to execute the same, and to adminis-
ter the Estate of the said deceased according thereto; who accepted
of the said Trust, and gave Bond as the Law directs, to exhibit, upon
oath a true and perfect Inventory of the said Estate, into the Probate
Office of the said County within three months; and also to render a plain
and true Account of his proceedings thereon, upon oath, within one year
from the date hereof. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto Set
my hand & Seal of the said Court of Probate. Dated at Dedham the sixth
day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and eight. W. Heath

[Volume 15, page 483]

I, Amos Plimpton of the town of Medfield,
County of Norfolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Gentleman,
being in health and of a sound mind and memory blessed be Almighty
God for the same, do make and publish this my last Will and
Testament in manner following that is to say. First, I order
all my just debts and funeral charges to be paid by my Executor
hereafter named as soon as may be after my decease.

Imprimis I give to my beloved wife Mary Plimpton the use and im-
provement of the following parts of my Dwelling House as long as she
remains my Widow viz. My front room, bedroom and back room
and back chamber with one half of the Cellar and the free use of
the well, with a sufficient yard room together with half the wood
house. And it is my will that she shall receive annually out
of my estate for her support eight cords of good fire wood brought
to the door and cut fit for the fire, five Bushells of Indian Corn,
five bushells of Rye, one bushell of Matt, one barrell of Cyder, sixty
pounds of Pork, fifty pounds of Beef, sixty pounds of good Cheese,
thirty pounds of Butter, ten pounds of Flax and five pounds of
Sheep's Wool, with a sufficiency of same of all kinds. I also give
her all of the furniture which she brought with her when I married
her to be at her disposall forever. Also one Cow at her disposal.

Item I Give and devise to my Grandson John Kingsbury and to his
heirs all my Real Estate that I shall die possessed of, such as buildings
and lands excepting my wood lot at Smith's plane (so called) and what
I shall hereafter give to my daughter Molly Kingsbury for im-
provement during her natural life he the said John Kingsbury
to come into possession of the first part after my decease the other
part after his mother's decease. Item I give to my daughter Molly
Kingsbury wife of Amos Kingsbury the use and improvement of the
one third part of my home lot on the south side the Turnpike
Road during her natural life. Item I give and devise to my
daughter Mercy Smith wife of Aaron Smith and to her heirs
my woodlot lying on Smith's plane (so called). And also six hundred
dollars to be paid in the following manner (viz) one hundred
dollars in one year after my decease and one hundred dollars
annually until the whole sum of six hundred dollars is paid.

Item I give and bequeath to my Son in law Aaron Smith
and to his heirs all my wearing Apparell to be at their dis-
posal forever. Item I give and bequeath to my grandson
John Kingsbury all my farming tools to him & his heirs forever.

[Vol. 15, page 484]

                                          September 6, 1808

Item I give and bequeath to my two Sons in law (viz) Amos Kings-
byry and Aaron Smith and to my grandson John Kingsbury and
to their heirs all the remainder of my personal estate not before
disposed of to be equally divided between them. All the before
enumerated articles which I have given to my wife for her annual
support I order my Grandson John Kingsbury to furnish agreeable
to the foregoing part of my Will. And all the Legacies which I have
given to my daughter Mary Smith are to be paid by my grand-
son John Kingsbury at the times and in the manner before di-
rected in consideration of what I have given him. And I do
constitute and appoint my grandson John Kingsbury sole Executor
of this my last Will and Testament which I have this day made
and executed and in conformation this is my last Will and
Testament. In Testimony whereof I the said Amos Plimpton
have hereunto set my hand and seal this thirteenth day of
January in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred
and seven.                                          Amos Plimpton {seal}

Signed sealed published pronounced and declared by the said
Amos Plimpton as and for his last Will and Testament in the
presence of us, who at his request and in his presence hereunto
set our names as witnesses to the same. John Baxter
                       Thaddeus Moore Alpheus Fisher

The source citation for this will is:

"Norfolk County, Massachusetts Probate Court Records, 1793-1881," manuscript, on FHL US/CAN Microfilms, Volume 15, Pages 482-484, Amos Plimpton estate, will written 13 January 1807, will proved 6 September 1808, accessed 2 February 2016 on FHL US/CAN Microfilm 0,843,580.

Amos Plimpton (1735-1808) married (1) Mary Guild (1735-1800), and they had five children.  Of the five children, only two daughters, Molly (Plimpton) Kingsbury (1758-1813) and Mercy (Plimpton) Smith (1772-1850) survived their parents.  After Mary (Guild) Plimpton died in 1800, Amos married Mary (--?--) Breck in November 1800, who was still living when Amos wrote his will.  

This will is unusual because he left all of his real estate to his grandson, John Kingsbury, and named him executor, and he was to take care of Amos's widow and pay Mercy (Plimpton) Smith $100 annually for six years.  John Kingsbury was born in 1785 to Amos and Molly (Plimpton) Kingsbury in Medfield, and died in 1863.  So when Amos Plimpton died in 1808, John was only 23 years old and had to deal with his grandfather's estate.  

Another interesting aspect of this will is the provisions that Amos  made for the maintenance of his wife.  She was to receive annually "eight cords of good fire wood brought to the door and cut fit for the fire, five Bushells of Indian Corn, five bushells of Rye, one bushell of Matt, one barrell of Cyder, sixty pounds of Pork, fifty pounds of Beef, sixty pounds of good Cheese, thirty pounds of Butter, ten pounds of Flax and five pounds of Sheep's Wool, with a sufficiency of same of all kinds. I also give her all of the furniture which she brought with her when I married her to be at her disposall forever. Also one Cow at her disposal."

There are hints in the will as to where the land of Amos Plimpton was located in Medfield.  Land deeds may shed more light on their actual location. 

Amos and Mary (Guild) Plimpton are my 5th great-grandparents.  I am descended through their daughter Mercy (Plimpton) Smith who married Aaron Smith (1765-1841) in 1795.

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