Amanuensis Monday - 1676 Will of James Allin (1614-1676) of Medfield, Mass.

This week's document for Amanuensis Monday is the 1676 will for James Allin (1614-1676) of Medfield in Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony:

The transcription of the Allin documents is:

[page 267, stamped on right-hand page of first image]

[in margin]

Allin's Will

Page 177 Earlier Volume

[in main body]

In the yeare of our Lord 1676 the 23^d day of the Seven-

th monthe I James Allin of Medfield in the County

of Suffolke in New England being by the good hand

of God preserved to Old age & being thereby & other

infirmities attending the same in minde of my

change & considering that it is my duty to prepare

for death that I bee not unprepared when it shall

come I have thought fitt to make this my last Will

& Testament in manner & forme as followeth viz^t.

First I Give & Bequeath my Soule into the armes

of Jesus Christ my deare redeemer and as for my

body I Commit it to the Earth after my decease

to be Christianly buried at the discretion of my

Executo^rs and as for my worldly goods which god of

his mercy hath given mee I doe dispose of them in

manner as followeth vizt. I give & bequeath unto my

son Nathanael Allin Six acres of upland lying &

being in Medfield neere Maple Swampe bounded with

the Common Land on all that as also Two acres of

[page 268, stamped on left-hand page of the second image]

Meadow land the one acre lying up stream in Charles

River the other acre lying upon a Small brooke called

the Mill brooke also I give unto the said Nathanael

Allin Six pound to be paid by my Executo^rs in good

& currant country pay within the space of one full

yeare after my Decease. And I Give & Bequeath to

my Son in law Joseph Clarke and his heirs for ever

all that my house lott with all my Buildings there

upon Both Dwelling Houses Barnes & Leantos with

all the Orchards & Gardens belonging thereunto with

all my other land both uplands Meadows and

Swamps now lying & being in Medfield not formerly

disposed of with all the rights & privilleges belonging

thereunto with all my household goods & moveables

Still provided first that the said Joseph Clarke

doe duly & carefully provide for mee during the tearme

of my naturall life both foode & rayment Suitable

to my condition with whatsoever else may be need-

full & convenient for the preservation & Comfort of my

life whilst I live in this world and a Christian

Buriall whenever it shall please God to take mee hence.

2^dly That whenever it shall please the Lord to take

mee out of this world that whatsoever shall then

remaine of what my houses lands & movables above

specified given & granted in this my Last Will & Test-

ament unto the abovesaid Joseph Clarke the Thirteen

pounds a yeare with the produce of my Estate dure-

ing the tearme of my Naturall life Excepted Shall

be divided among my Children as followeth viz^t.

First I Give & Bequeath unto my daughter Sarah

White wife to Domingo White of Lynn Six pound

and to my daughter Mathew Sabin wife to William

Sabin of Rehoboth five pounds over & above their

Equal share with the rest of my Children of my

Estate shall amount to more then Thirty Pounds

when it shall please God to take me away (to be p

them within the space of one full yeare after my

decease in good & Currant Country pay but if it

should please the Lord to lengthen out my life so

as what I have Should not come to Thirty pounds

then they to have each of them but a double share

and further my Will is that what part of my Estate

is left when it shall please god to take me away their

[page 269, stamped on right-hand page of the second image]

shares shall be paid yearly to them not Exceeding forty

Shillings pr yeare to each of them nor less then forty

shillings pr yeare if there be Estate left the which said

share shall be paide sometime in the Second yeare

after my decease and so yearely according to what

Estate is left to be paid in Country pay or in some

of the remote lands and I doe hereby ratifie & Confirme

unto & upon all my sons all such lands as have bene

given them by mee formerly and I doe hereby constitute

appointe & ordaine my Loveing & Welbeloved Son in

law Joseph Clarke Executo^r to this my last will & Test-

ament to the Intent that he shall see the Same

effectually prformed according to my true Intent &

meaning therein & to him I Commit & give full power

and Trust for the Execution thereof. And I doe also

nominate & appointe my Trusty & welbeloved friend

George Barber of Medfield Supervisor of this my last

will & Testament Desireing that he would always by ayding &

assisting to my Executo^r in the Execution thereof and

I doe hereby utterly revoake all other wills & be-

queathals whatsoever by mee formerly made at any

and in Token that this is my last Will & Testament

written and Contained in this Sheete of paper I

have hereunto putt my hand & affixed my Seale This

three & twenty of the Seventh monthe in the yeare

of our Lord one Thousand Six hundred Seaventy Six.

Read Signed & Sealed             James J Allin & a Seale

in the presence of us                      his mark

Samuel Bullin

George Barber

The two words Enterlined Betwene the 6 & 7 lines from

the bottome was Done before Sealing

Samuel Bullin & George Barber made Oath in Court

January 30 1676/7 That they were present when James

Allin did Signe Seale & publish this Instrument

as his last will & Testament and that when he

so did he was of a disposing minde.

as attests                                      Is^a Addington Cler.

Compared Feb^y 17^h 1676/7    Is^a Addington Cler.

The source citation for this document is:

"Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991," indexed database with digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), Suffolk County > Probate Records, Vol 5-7, 1666-1674, Vol. 6, pages 267-269 (images 333-4 of 922), James Allin will, 1676;  Original data in Massachusetts County, District and Probate Courts.

James Allin married Anna Guild (1616-1673) in 1638 in Dedham, Massachusetts.  They had 9 children between 1639 and 1654, all of whom outlived their parents.  

The will of James Allin names only two of his children, Nathanael and Sarah (Allin) White, and also his son-in-law Joseph Clarke, who married Mary Allin (1641-1702) in 1663.  Joseph Clarke was named the executor of the will.  The will was written on 23 7th month (September?) 1676, and was proved in Suffolk County Probate Court on 30 January 1676/7.

This is a Derivative Source document, because it is a transcription done many years after the original will and the original entry into the Suffolk County Probate Court record books.  It provides Primary Information (assuming it was transcribed correctly) and Direct Evidence of relationships with two of his children and a son-in-law.  

James Allin is my 9th great-grandfather, and I am descended through his daughter Mary (Allin) Clark and her husband, Joseph Clark (1642-1702).  

NOTE:  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."

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