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Monday, May 9, 2016

Amanuensis Monday - Post 319: Probate Records of Jabez Snow (1696-1760) of Eastham, 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 1760 will and other probate papers of Jabez Snow (1696-1760) of Eastham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts:



The transcription of these probate papers is:

[page 151, middle of right-hand page of first image]

In the Name of God Amen I Jabez Snow of Eastham in the County of
Barnstable in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England yeoman being
Arrived to Declining Age but through Gods Goodness yet of Disposing Mind and
memory Do therefore Now make this my Last Will and Testament in Manner
and form as follows that is to Say first of all I Commit my Soul to God that Gave
it and my body to the Earth to be Decently Buried. Item I Give unto my Dear
and Loving wife Elisabeth Snow one third part of all my Personal Estate
forever that is to say after my Just Debts is paid out of the whole of my Estate
both Personal and Real also I give to my said Loving Wife the use and
Improvement of one third of all my Real Estate During the Terme She Shall
Continue to be my Widdow or till Death shall call her hence.

Item I Give to my three Sons and three Daughters after my Just Debts & funeral
Charges are Paid all my Estate both Personal and Real Equally to be Divid-
ed Between them that is to Jabez Snow to Joshua Snow and Edward Snow
to Eunice Horting Elisabeth Snow and Hannah Snow but inasmuch as
Eunice Horting ^has^ had Given to her already to the value of eight Pounds
Lawfull Money in my Judgment it is my Will & Desire that the other five
Namely Jabez Snow Joshua Snow Edward Snow Elisabeth Snow and
Hannah Snow Should have Each of them the Sum of Eight Pounds
Lawfull Money first to make them Equal with Eunice Horting if
ther Sghould be so much left after all debts and Charges is Paid & if any

[page 152]

Remains then to be Equally Divided as above between Them all.

Lastly I Do Constitute and appoint my Trusty Son Jabez Snow to
be my Sole Executor of this my last will and Testament Declaring
this and no other to be my last will. In Witness whereof I Do here-
unto Set my hand and seal this thirty first day of July in the Year
of our Lord one Thousand Seven Hund and Sixty.
In Presence of
Thomas Bacon                                           Jabez Snow {LS}
Willard Knowles
Isaac Paine

To all People to whom these presents shall come Silvanus Bourn Esq'r
Judge of Parobe ^Wills^ &c. in the County of Barnstable within the Province of
the Massachusetts Bay in New England, Sendeth Greeting.
Know ye that on the Seventeenth day of march Anno Domini 1761
the Instrument hereunto annexed purporting the last Will and
Testament of Jabez Snow late of Eastham in sd County Gent'mn Deceased
was presented for Probate by Jabez Snow the Executor therein Named
then Present Thomas Bacon Willard Knowles & Isaac Paine 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 Subscribed their Names togather
as Witnesses to the Execution thereof in the said Testators Presence
and that he was then to the best of their Judgment of sound and
Disposing Mind. I Do Approve and allow of the Said Instrument as
the Last Will and Testament of the before Named Deceased and Do
Commit the Administration thereof in all matters the same Concerning
and of his Estate whereof he Died Siez'd and Possessed in said County
unto Jabez Snow the before Named Executor well and faithfully to
Execute the said Will and to Administer the Estate of the said
Deceased According thereto/ He accepted of his said Trust, and to
Inventory of the Estate of said Deceased Acording to Law and he
shall Render an Account upon Oath of his Proceedings when there
unto Lawfull Require. I Testimony Whereof I have hereunto set my
Hand and Seal of Office the Day and Year above Written.
                                                                                  Silvanus Bourn
                                           Exam'd Da'd Gorham Reg'r

We the Subscribers Being Appointed by the Honourable
Silvanus bourn Esq'r Judge of Probate for the County of Barnstable to make
a Just and Impartial apprisement of the Estate Capt'n Jabez Snow Late of
Eastham in the County of Barnstable Deceased upon Oath apprised sd Estate
this Twenty fourth Day of March one Thousand Seven Hundred and
Sixty One as followeth (viz.)

[page 153]

The Dwelling house and Barn and Corn House ….......................... 28--0--0
All the Land adjoining to the House …........................................... 52-06--0
The Meadow in the Great meadow and Land Adjoyning …........... 13-19--0
the Meadow in the Boat meadow and the Shedge flatts …............. 10-13--4
the wood Lott at fresh Brook …...................................................... 28--0--0
the wood Lott near David Brown …............................................... 18-13--4
the wood Lott near Smallies Way …............................................... 10-13--4
two Half Lots at the Back Side …...................................................   9--6--8
the one half of a House that was Joseph Snows and the }
Land adjoyning …......................................................... } …..........   9--6--0
the Pew and a third in the Meeting House …..................................  3-14--0
The Wearing Apparal …..................................................................  2--1--4
The Bed and Beding in the Great Room ….....................................  4--0--8
The Bed and Beding in the Chamber …..........................................  5--4--0
The Bed and Beding in the Bedroom …..........................................  3--5--4
Two Small Beds and Beding with the Linning …............................  4--0--0
Two Silver Spoons 6 Tea Spoons and one old Cup ….....................  2--7--4
The Pewter …...................................................................................  1--3--4
Two Oxon Two Steers …................................................................ 12--8--0
Two Cows …...................................................................................  4-16--0
Two farrew Cows …........................................................................  3-14--8
one Heiffer …..................................................................................  2--0--0
Eight Sheep 3 Swine 3 Young Creatures and Hay …......................  8--5--4
Indian Corn and Pire …...................................................................  2-10--0
Guns and Sword …..........................................................................  1--4--0
The Iron ware …..............................................................................  2--5--4
Chists Tables and Chairs ….............................................................. 2-10-10
The Remaining Part of the Personal Estate is ….............................  6--1--2
                                                                                                  £ 254 – 0 – 4
                                                                            Edward Knowles }
                                                                           Nathaniel Atwood } Apprisers
                                                                           Samuel Smith Jr. }

Barbstable SS By the Hom. Silvanus Bourn Esq'r Judge of Prob.
Jabez Snow Executor Presented the foregoing and made Oath that it Contains
a True and Perfect Inventory of the Estate of Cap't Jabez Snow late of Eastham
deceased so far as hath Come to his Hands and knowledge and if more here
after Appear he will Cause it to be added. The Subscribing Apprisers have
Sworn as the law directs.                                            Silvanus Bourn
                                May 9 1761 Exam'd Da'd Graham Reg'r

The source citation for these probate records is:

Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991, indexed database with digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), Barnstabnle County, Probate Records, Volume 12, 1759-1774, pages 151-153, Jabez Snow, 1760 will and inventory.

Jabez Snow and Elizabeth Paine (1702-1772) married in 1720 in Eastham, Massachusetts, and resided there for the remainder of their lives.  They had six children alive at the time Jabez wrote his will on 31 July 1760.  He died on 6 September 1760 and his wife Elizabeth died in 1772.  Elizabeth and their six living children were named in the will of Jabez Snow; the only married daughter at the time was Eunice Horting [Horton].

The will is very simple - one third to the wife and the rest bequeathed to the six children.  The will of Jabez Snow was peroved in the Banrstable Probate Court on 17 March 1761, and the Inventory was filed and approved on 9 May 1761 (255 years ago today!).  The probate records available on Ancestry.com do not provide a distribution to the children or the account of the executor.  There may be other records available in the Ancestry.com collection that were not indexed.  There are probably records in the Barnstable Probate Court that were not microfilmed by the FHL.

Jabez and Elizabeth (Paine) Snow are my 6th great-grandparents.  Their eldest child, daughter Eunice (Snow) Horton, who married Nathaniel Horton in 1742, is my 5th great-grandmother.  

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Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

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