Monday, March 14, 2016

Amanuensis Monday - Post 311: 1795 Will of Nathaniel Guild (1712-1796) in Norfolk County, 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 1795 will and other probate papers of Nathaniel Guild (1712-1796) of Walpole, Norfolk County, Massachusetts.

Volume 2, page 501:


Volume 2, page 502:



Volume 2, page 503:



The transcription of the will and other documents is (transcribed line-by-line):

[page 501, bottom of page]

[Right margin]: Probate of Nathaniel Guild's Will

S.S. To all people to whom these presents shall come, William
Heath Esq'r Judge of the Probate of Wills &c. in the County of Norfolk,
within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, sendeth greeting.

Know ye that on the fourth day of October, Anno Domini 1796,
the Instrument hereunto annexed, purporting the last will & Testa-
ment of Nathaniel Guild, late of Walpole, in said County, Yeoman,

[page 502]

deceased, was presented for Probate by Samuel Guild the Executor, there-
in named; then present Nathaniel Billing & Isaac Felch, witnesses
thereto subscribed, who made oath, that they saw the said testator sign,
seal, and heard him declare the said instrument to be his last Will
and Testament, and that they, with Jonathan Billing, subscribed
their names as witnesses to the execution thereof in the said testator's
presence,; and tha he was then, to the best of their judgment, of sound
and disposing mind. I do prove, approve and allow of the said
instrument as the last Will & Testament of the beforenamed de-
ceased, and do commit the administration thereof in all matters
the same concerning, and of his estate thereof he died seized & pos-
sessed in said County, unto Samuel Guild the beforenamed Exec-
utor, well & faithfully to execute the said Will, and to adminis-
ter the estate of the said deceased according thereto, who accepted of
his said trust, and gave bond to exhibit an Inventory of the
said estate, within three months & to render an Account, upon
oath of his proceedings, within one year.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand & seal of office,
the day & year above written. W Heath

[left-hand margin] Will.

In the name of God, Amen. I Nathaniel Guild of Walpole, in
the county of Norfolk, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
yeoman, considering the uncertainty of this mortal life, and being of
sound & perfect mind and memory, blessed be Almighty God for the
same, so make & publish this my last Will & Testament, in man-
ner & form following (that is to say): First, I give & bequeath
unto my beloved daughter Mehitable Guild (in consideration of the many
years service she has done in my house since she became of age) one
half of all my estate both real and personal, during her natural life;
& in case she should marry, she shall quit said half, upon receiv-
ing one hundred silver dollars, well & truly paid by my Executor, &
an equal share of my estate with her brothers & sisters. Also I give
and bequeath to my beloved wife Anna Guild, to the heirs of my son Nath-
aniel Guild deceased, to my son Samuel Guild, & to my daughters,
Mary Plimpton, Mercy Hewins, Susanna Morse & Mehitable Guild
one half of all my estate both real & personal, during the natural
life of my daughter, Mehitable Guild, and after the decease or mar-
riage of the said Mehitable, I give unto them the whole of my estate
to be equally divided among them, after one hundred dollars has been

[page 503]

paid out of the same to the said Mehitable, in case she marrys.

Also I do hereby appoint and ordain my son Doctor Samuel Guild
Esq'r of Easton my sole Executor of this my last Will & Testament;
hereby revoking all former Wills by me made. In witness whereof,
I have hereunto set my hand and seal the twenty ninth day of
September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred &
ninety five.                                             Nathaniel Guild {seal}

Signed, sealed, published & declared by the abovenamed Nathaniel Guild,
to be his last Will & Testament in the presence of us, who have here-
unto subscribed our names as witnesses in the presence of the testator,
                    Jon'a Billing Nath'l Billing Isaac Felch.
                                                             Exam'd Sam'l Haven Reg'r

[right hand margin] Order to notify

Norfolk Ss. In Probate Court at Dedham, within & for the same
county of Norfolk, on Tuesday the fourth day of October, 1796.
Ordered that Samuel Guild Executor of the last Will of Natha-
niel Guild late of Walpole, deceased, advertise notifications of his
being Executor as aforesaid, by posting the same up in some pub-
lic places at Walpole in said County, & by publishing it in the In-
dependent Chronicle printed in Boston, within three months.
Given under my hand, the fourth day of October, in the
year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & ninety six.
                                                      W Heath Judge of Probate
                                                     Exam'd Sam'l Haven Reg'r

[right-hand margin] Warrant to approve

Norfolk Ss. To Col. Ebenezer Clap of Walpole, Capt. Nathaniel Morse,
& Mr. Isaac Felch, both of Sharon, all in the County of Norfolk, Greeting.
You are hereby appointed a Committee to appraise on oath all
the estate of Nathaniel Guild, late of Walpole aforesaid, Yeoman,
deceased, and make return of your doings, together with this
Warrant, into the Registry Office of the Court of Probate in &
for said county. Given under my hand, this fourth
day of October, A.D. 1796.                   W Heath Judge of Prob.
                                                               Exam'd Sam'l Haven Reg'r

The source citation for this probate record is:

"Norfolk County, Massachusetts Probate Court Records, 1793-1881," court clerk manuscript, Volume 2, Pages 501-503, will of Nathaniel Guild, 1795, accessed on FHL US/CAN Microfilm 0,843,573.

The will names his wife Anna Guild, his son Samuel Guild, heirs of his son Nathaniel Guild, and his daughters Mehitable Guild, Mary (Guild) Plimpton, Mercy (Guild) Hewins, and Susanna (Guild) Morse.  

Anna was his second wife; the mother of his children was Mary (Boyden) Guild (1708-1776).  He made a special provision for his daughter Mehitable Guild, who apparently helped him considerably in his later years.  

Nathaniel and Mary (Boyden) Guild are my 6th great-grandparents.  I am descended through their oldest daughter, Mary (Guild) Plimpton (1735-1800), who married Amos Plimpton in 1756.

The inventory of the real and personal property is interesting, and I will probably transcribe it in another post in this series.

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