Monday, July 25, 2016

Amanuensis Monday - 1689 Will of Griffin Crafts (1600-1689) of Roxbury, 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 will of  Griffin Crafts (1600-1689) of Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts:



The transcription of this will is:

[image 291 of 585, left-hand side, near bottom]

The Last will and Testament of Griffen Crafts
of Roxbury in the County of Suffolk in New
England made this 18th of may in the year of
our Lord one thousand six hundred eighty
nine is as followeth.  I the said Griffen Crafts

[image 291 of 585, right-hand side]

being through Gods Goodness in competent health
and of perfect memory and understanding yet be-
ing sensible of the decay of nature the Lord having
this Severall yeares past deprived me of my natu-
rall sight and being allso alaremed by other
infirmities atending my old age to prepare for
the disolution of this my Earthly Tabernacle
it is in order thereunto it is my desire to make
and Constitute this my last will and Testa-
ment in manner and forme following.  I doe heart-
ily & freely commit and bequeath my soul into
the hands of my gracious and mercifull father
who gave it me and my body after my decease
to my Executor hereafter mentioned to be by him
honourably and decently buried being fully A-
shured tha tho death shall make a seperation
betweene my Soul and body for a season and the
grave shall reduce my flesh and bones into
rottnes yett by the Allmighty power of god
they shall be raysed and united – againe at the
Last day hopeing through gods mercy in the
merits of Christ I shall their behold my re-
deemer with everlasting Joy and Comfort con-
cerning that Temporal Estate that hath
pleased god to blesse me withall in the world
my will and desire is that my just debts
if any be together with my sickness and fu-
nerall charges be defrayed and discharged
and the remainder of my Estate dispose as
hereafter expressed.  Item  I give and bequeath
to my Beloved Wife dorcas seven pounds tenn
shillings as followeth namly fifty shillings
a year for three years beginning at my decease
in such pay following twenty in money and
thirty in provision while the three years be
out if she Live so long and if she doth not
live while the three yeares be out then conse-
quently for the time she liveth and further I
doe give to my beloved wife one book of mr. gir-
Rens workes and then to be returned to my
Executor.  Item I give to my beloved Son
moses Craft tenn pounds in money or in En-
glish goods at money price besides what he

[image 292 of 585, left-hand side]

oweth me already and all my wearing Clothes
and all to be payd and delivered within half
a year after my decease by my executor hereafter
mentione.d  Item I give ato my son-in-law
Nathanyel Wilson besides fifteene pounds in
money that he oweth me already five pounds
more twenty shillings in money and four pounds
in cuntry comodities to be payd by my Executor
within one yeare after my decease.  Item I give
to my son-in-law Edward Adams five pounds
twenty shillings in money and four pounds
in Cuntry commodities to be paid by my Executor
within one year after my decease.  Item I doe
give to my daughter hannah wilson that is to
say if She out live her husband and be left as
widdow tenn pounds in cuntry commodities
to be paid by my Executor in three years equally
beginning at the decease of her husband Nathan-
iel Willson provided that she be not married
againe.  Item I Give to my daughter Abegal
Adams tenn pounds in Cuntry Comodities
according to the tenour of my daughter willson
above expressed.  Item I give to my grand
Child Epheim Craft a Cow if he live to the
age of 21 yeares to be paid by my Executor hereaf-
ter expressed the Cow not to exceed eight yeares
of age.  Item I doe make my son Samuell
Craft my Soul Executor and doe give unto him
all my housing and Lands & Estate of what
kind & nature soever whether in my hands
or due unto me allways excepting the mouva-
bles in my house & thus my will I do order to
stand for ever If I make not another and in
aknowledgment of all and Singular the promiss-
ed articles I the said Griffin Craft have heare-
unto sett to my hand fixed my Seale the day
& yeare above written.
                       The mark of G Griffen Craft {A Seal]
Witnes Joseph Griggs, William gareis

                               Boston November 9th 1690
Joseph Griggs and William Gareis the two Sub-
scribing wittnesses appeared in County Court &
made oath that they were present & did see

[image 292 of 585, right-hand side]

Griffen Crafts Signe seale & publish this instru-
ment to be his Last will & testament and that when
he so did he was of a disposing mind.

The source citation for this will is:

Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991, indexed database with digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), Suffolk County, "Probate Records, Vol. 7-8, 1636-1766," Volume 8, page 8 (images 291-292 of 585), Griffen Crafts will papers, 1689.

Griffin Craft(s) (1600-1689) had six children by his first wife, Alice LNU (1600-1673), named Hannah, John, Mary, Abigail, Samuel and Moses Craft(s).  John and Mary had died by the time Griffin Crafts made his will.  He named his living sons Samuel and Moses, and his living daughters Hannah Wilson and Abigail Adams, in his will, along with his third wife Dorcas.

This document is a derivative source since it was copied from the original Volume 8 of the Suffolk County Probate Court book, which was copied from the original handwritten will in the probate packet filed in Suffolk County, Massachusetts.  

Griffin Craft is my 10th great-grandfather, and I am descended from his daughter, Hannah (Crafts) Wilson (1628-1692), who married Nathaniel Wilson (1621-1692) in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1645.

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