Saturday, January 30, 2016

MyHeritage Adds Audio Recordings to Their Mobile App

I received the MyHeritage email this afternoon about the audio recordings on the MyHeritage mobile apps - you can read all about them at New: Audio Recordings for Interviewing Your Relatives on the MyHeritage Blog.

The email from MyHeritage said:

"As we know, oral interviews are vital in family history research. Our relatives are a treasure trove of precious family information, and we want to make sure that their stories are preserved forever. Audio Recordings lets you interview your relatives directly from their profile in your family tree, and store the interview for future generations in your MyHeritage family site.
"Audio files are uploaded to the family tree profile of the person you're interviewing, where they can easily be listened to at anytime.

"Audio Recordings is free and available on the latest version of the MyHeritage mobile app on the App Store and Google Play.

"I'd be grateful if you could share the link for your readers to download the app: https://www.myheritage.com/mobile"

I like to try out new things - so this is what I did:

1)  I opened the MyHeritage mobile app on my iPhone and found my grandmother in the family tree:


2)  I tapped on her icon on the screen above and her profile opened:


3)  There is a headphones icon to the right of her name.  When I tap on the icon, the Recording screen opens:


It says I don't have any recordings yet.

4)  To make a recording, I tapped on the orange "Start recording" button on the screen above.  I did, and the orange screen below opened:


To make the recording, I tapped on the "Record" button at the bottom of the screen above.

5)  I recorded a short story about my grandmother coming to San Diego twice - once for her son's wedding in 1942 and the second time in 1959 to visit our family and meet her three California grandsons.

When I was done, I tapped the "Stop" button at the bottom of the recording screen.

6)  The screen then told me that the recording had ended successfully:


I tapped on the "OK" button to save the recording.

7)  The screen changed to the one below:


8)  I went to Edit the name of the recording, so I followed directions in the MyHeritage blog post, and swiped to the left to Edit the recording:


9)  I tapped on the "Edit" button and entered my recording title into the Edit form and tapped OK:


10)  When I tapped the "OK" button, the screen showed that the recording name had been changed:


11)  Well, that was really easy to do!  

I learned that I am really terrible at telling stories about my family - I need to have bullet points to do this well.  Maybe I can read some of my blog posts?  That would probably be too boring!

12)  I am not sure who can hear my recordings.  I tried to find the profile in the MyHeritage blog post but that profile doesn't exist, apparently.

My guess is that anybody who can access my MyHeritage tree can hear them; there are 30 MyHeritage members who can access my tree.  Would someone try to listen to my recording for my grandmother on MyHeritage and see if you can hear it?

UPDATED:  Once again MyHeritage advances their state of family tree technology!  FamilySearch already has this audio feature in their Family Tree mobile app. My guess is that Ancestry.com and  Findmypast will add this feature in the near future since it seems so easy to do.

Back to the regularly scheduled programming!

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Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.


Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- Your #GenealogySelfie Photo

Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: 
 It's Saturday Night again - 
time for some more Genealogy Fun!!



Here is your assignment if you choose to play along (cue the Mission Impossible music):


1)  February 1 has been designated the #GenealogySelfie Day by ConferenceKeeper and Geneabloggers - see 
http://www.geneamusings.com/2016/01/conferencekeeper-geneabloggers-proclaim.html.

2)  Get ready for it - it's on Monday - and take your #GenealogySelfie photograph(s).  Be creative - stand next to an ancestor or a descendant, or photos of ancestors or descendants, or your family tree, or in your genea-cave.

3)  Share your #GenealogySelfie photos in your own blog post, and/or in a Facebook or Google+ post.

Here are some of mine:


a)  Here is a genea-selfie of me chained in the Genea-Cave taking a break from pecking at a blog post:




b)  Here is a genea-selfie with my ten-generation chart of my father's ancestry, created back in 1994 by a friend of mine who was trying to start a calligraphy business:


c)  Here is a genea-selfie with some of the photographs in our hallway:



















That's enough - which one should I enter for the #GenealogySelfie hashtag scramble on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ on Monday?

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Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.


Surname Saturday -- ROLFE (England to colonial Massachusetts)

It's Surname Saturday, and I'm "counting down" my Ancestral Name List each week.  


I am in the 8th great-grandmothers and I'm up to Ancestor #1199 who is Hannah ROLFE (1650-????) 
[Note: the earlier great-grandmothers and 8th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts].

My ancestral line back through two generations of this ROLFE family line is:


1. Randall J. Seaver

2. Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983)
3. Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002)

4. Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942)
5. Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962)

8. Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922)
9. Hattie Louise Hildreth (1857-1920)


18.  Edward Hildreth (1831-1899)
19.  Sophia Newton (1834-1923)

36.  Zavhariah Hildreth (1783-1857)
37.  Hannah Sawtell (1789-1857)

74.  Josiah Sawtell (1768-1847)
75.  Hannah Smith (1768-1824)

148.  Ephraim Sawtell (1738-1800)
149.  Abigail Stone (1736-1800)

298.  James Stone (1702-1783)
299.  Mary Farwell (1709-1783)

598.  Joseph Farwell (1670-1740)
599.  Hannah Colburn (1673-1741)

1198.  Thomas Colburn, born about 1649 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts, United States; died about 1728 in Massachusetts, United States.  He was the son of 2396. Edward Colborne and 2397. Hannah.  He married 06 August 1672 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.
1199.  Hannah Rolfe, born about 1650 in Massachusetts, United States.

Children of Thomas Colburn and Hannah Rolfe are:

*  Hannah Colburn (1673-1741), married 1696 Joseph Farwell (1670-1740).
*  Jonathan Colburn (1673-1693).
*  Thomas Colburn (1675-1770), married 1707 Mary Farwell (1681-1739).
*  Daniel Colburn (1679-????).

2398.  Daniel Rolfe, born about 1625 in Rattlesden, Suffolk, England; died 24 June 1654 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts, United States.  He married about 1648 in Ipswich, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.
2399.  Hannah Bradstreet, born about 1625 in Essex, England; died 20 June 1665 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, United States.  She was the daughter of 4798. Humphrey Bradstreet and 4799. Bridget Harris.

Children of Daniel Rolfe and Hannah Bradstreet are:

*  Hannah Rolfe (1650-????), married 1672 Thomas Colburn (1649-1728)

Information about this family was obtained from:

*  Several mentions and online family trees on the Internet.  

*  Torrey's New England Marriages to 1700 includes the Daniel Rolfe and Hannah Bradstreet marriage.  Their deaths are in the town vital records.  Daniel's estate was administered in 1654, and names his "father" Humphrey Broadstreet. 


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Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.


Friday, January 29, 2016

Geni.com Tells Me I'm Related to Some Interesting Authors

I was browsing through Geni.com today and decided to look for some famous authors.  Here are some of who I found are my relatives:

1)  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) is my 7th cousin 3 times removed:


The common ancestors according to Geni.com were William Collier (1580-1671) and Jane Clark (1590-1666). My Collier ancestor is Ruth Collier according to Geni.com, but my actual Collier connection is Mary Collier (1612-1658) who married Thomas Prence.  So my line back is different, but the result is the same.

2)  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) is my 7th cousin 4 times removed:


The supposed common ancestors are Henry Howland (1564-1635)  and Anne Ailes (1567-1629), who were the parents of Henry Howland (my ancestor) and John Howland of the Mayflower (Ralph's ancestor).  Unfortunately, I don't know who were the parents of my Henry Howland (1603-1671).  So this relationship may be wrong.

3)  Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864)  is my 6th cousin five times removed:


The common ancestors are David Stone (1540-1625) and Ursula Clark (1563-????), parents of Simon Stone (1586-1665) (my ancestor) and Gregory Stone (1592-1672) (Nathaniel's ancestor).

4)  Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) is my 5th cousin 5 times removed:


The supposed common ancestors are Richard Church (1608-1668) and Elizabeth Warren (1616-1670) Geni claims my line goes through Deborah Church (1657-????) who married Sylvanus White (1667-1688).  I don't think (and the Mayflower Society) thinks that the Deborah who married Sylvanus White is not Deborah Church but another Deborah.  However, I do have Richard Church and Elizabeth Warren as ancestors, but through their son Joseph Church.  So my line is different from what Geni.com has in its database.

For all of the above, I have assumed that the Geni.com line for the famous person is correct.  I don't know if that's true or not.  I do know that Geni.com does not have all of my lines back to common ancestors correct, as discussed above.  By doing these comparisons, I can find probably errors in Geni.com's database and perhaps be able to correct them.

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Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

52 Ancestors - Week 109: #132 Simon Gates (1739-1803)

Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme of "52 Ancestors" in her blog post Challenge:  52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog.  I am extending this theme in 2016 to 156 Ancestors in 156 Weeks. Here is my ancestor biography for week #109:

Simon Gates (1739-1803) is #132 on my Ahnentafel list, my 5th great-grandfather who married #133 Susanna Reed (1745-1833)  in 1766.



I am descended through:

*  their son, #66 Nathan Gates (1767-1830), who married #67 Abigail Knowlton (1774-1855) in 1790. 
*  their daughter, #33 Abigail Gates (1797-1867) who married #32 Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825), in 1817.
*  their son, #16 Isaac Seaver (1823-1901), who married #17 Lucretia Townsend Smith (1828-1884) in 1852.
*  their son, #8 Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922), who married #9 Hattie Louise Hildreth (1847-1920) in 1874. 
*  their son, #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942), who married Alma Bessie richmond (1882-1962) in 1900.
* their son, #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983), who married #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002) in 1942.
*  their son, #1 Randall J. Seaver (1943-....)

 =====================================================

1)  PERSON (with source citations as indicated in brackets):


*  Name:                       Simon Gates[1–17]    
*  Sex:                          Male   

*  Father:                     Amos Gates (1706-1783)   
*  Mother:                   Mary Hubbard (1712-1754)   
  
2)  INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
  
*  Birth:                       1739, Stow, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1]   
*  Military:                  15 March 1759 (about age 20), enlisted in Captain Abijah Hall's regiment; Crown Point, Nova Scotia, Canada[1]   
*  Deed:                       4 September 1765 (about age 26), bought 62 acres of land in Westminster from Benjamin Pemberton  for 17 pounds; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[4]
*  Deed:                       11 April 1775 (about age 36), bought 62 acres of land in Westminster from David Wilder for 30 pounds; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[6]    
*  Deed:                       3 March 1778 (about age 39), bought two parcels of land, 114 acres, in Westminster from Silas Marshall for 347 pounds; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[7]   
*  Deed:                        3 October 1779 (about age 40), bought 30 acres of land in Westminster from Samuel Conant Jr.  for 570 pounds; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[16]   
*  Deed:                        27 February 1787 (about age 48), bought 3 acres 6 rods of land in Gardner from Ephraim Pratt Jr.  for 9 pounds; Gardner, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[8 ]   
*  Deed:                        10 March 1787 (about age 48), bought 30 acres of land in Gardner from Clark Stone for 30 pounds; Gardner, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[17]   
*  Deed:                        7 January 1790 (about age 51), bought 62 acres of land in Gardner from Cyrus Fairbank  for 36 pounds; Gardner, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[9]   
*  Deed:                        31 March 1794 (about age 55), bought 76 acres of land in northeasterly part of Gardner from Lucas Dunn for $100; Gardner, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[10]   
*  Census:                     1 October 1798 (about age 59), Gardner, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[11]   
*  Death:                       11 March 1803 (about age 64), Gardner, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[12–15]   
*  Burial:                      19 March 1803 (about age 64), Gardner, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[15]   
*  Probate:                    6 April 1803 (about age 64), Letter of administration; Gardner, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[14]   
  
3)  SHARED EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
  
*  Spouse 1:                   Susanna Reed (1745-1833)   
*  Marriage 1:                27 May 1766 (about age 27), Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[5]   

*  Child 1:                     Nathan Gates (1767-1830)   
*  Child 2:                     Elizabeth Gates (1769-1778)   
*  Child 3:                     Susannah Gates (1772-1778)   
*  Child 4:                     Simon Gates (1774-1778)   
*  Child 5:                     Anna Gates (1777-1778)   
*  Child 6:                     Simon Gates (1779-1852)   
*  Child 7:                     Daniel Gates (1782-1847)   
*  Child 8:                     Gerry Gates (1784-1784)   
*  Child 9:                     Reuben Gates (1786-1873)   
*  Child 10:                   Ezekiel Gates (1789-1809)   
*  Child 11:                   Elizabeth Gates (1794-1819)   
  
4)  NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):   

Simon Gates was born in about 1739, probably in Stow, Massachusetts, the son of Amos and Mary (Hubbard) Gates[1].  There is no birth record for Simon Gates in Stow, Massachusetts for Simon Gates.  In his military enlistment on 15 March 1759, , he was mentioned as a son of Amos Gates, with a residence of Stow.  In his enlistment on 26 February 1760, he was listed as 21 years of age[1].  This appears to be the only record that provides a birth year (about 1739) and a father's name.

Simon Gates served in the Crown Point expedition under Captain Abijah Hall from 15 May to 13 December 1759.   He served again from 4 March to 27 November 1760 under Captain Silas Brown in the campaign for the total reduction of Canada[1].  

The History of Westminster, Massachusetts book by Heywood provides this short sketch of Simon Gates[2]:

"Simon Gates settled in what is now Gardner, Massachusetts after his marriage to Susannah Reed.  He bought lot number 26 in the 2nd division on 4 September 1765, situated just over the Westminster line, but did not locate on it until 1768.  When Gardner was incorporated in 1785, he was assigned to the new town at his own request, 'because he was most needed there.'  Another version of the story is that he was promised a deaconship in the church - a promise which was never kept and one perhaps 'more honored in the breach than in the observance.' He was the ancestor of most of the Gates descendants in Westminster, Gardner and vicinity."

The History of Gardner, Massachusetts by Glazier has a short sketch about Simon Gates[3]:

"GATES, SIMON, from Westminster, owned a good farm on what is commonly called Beech Hill, where his grandson, Horace Gates, now lives.  He m. Susan Reed; their ch. were:  1. Nathan, m. Abigal Knowlton. 2. Simon, m. Sarah Taylor. 3. Daniel, m. Phebe Mosman. 4. Reuben, b. Apr. 21, 1786, m. _____ Mosman. 5.  Ezekiel, b. Oct. 31, 1789, d. Aug 2, 1809. 6. Elizabeth, d. Jan. 21, 1791. 7. Elizabeth."

On 4 September 1765, Simon Gates, husbandman of Bolton, bought 62 acres of land in Westminster from Benjamin Pemberton of Roxbury, Esquire, for 17 pounds[4].  The land was bounded by lots 22, 23, 26 and 27. 

On 27 May 1766, Simon Gates married Susanna Reed in Marlborough, Massachusetts[5].  The marriage record in the Marlborough vital record book says:

"Gates, Simon and Susanna Reed, May 27, 1766"

Simon and Susanna (Reed) Gates had 11 children between 1767 and 1794.  Their births were recorded in 1767 in Stow, the next six from 1769 to 1782 were recorded in Westminster, and the last three were recorded in Gardner.

On 11 April 1775, Simon Gates, yeoman of Westminster, bought 60 acres, with two acres saved for highways, of land in Westminster from David Wilder of Lancaster, gentleman, for 30 pounds[6].  The land was in lot number 27 in the second division, belonging to original lot 2013.  

On 3 March 1778, Simon Gates, yeoman of Westminster, bought two parcels of land totalling 114 acres from Silas Marshall, yeoman of Westminster, for 347 pounds[7].  The first parcel was 64 acres in lot 55 of the third division, and the second parcel was 50 acres in lot 24 of the third division.  

On 3 October 1779, Simon Gates, yeoman of Westminster, bought 30 acres of land in the northwesterly part of Westminster from Samuel Conant, Jr., yeoman of Stow, for 570 pounds of lawful money[16].  The land was in lot 121 in the third division.  

On 27 February 1787, Simon Gates, yeoman of Gardner, bought 3 acres and 6 rods of meadow land in the easterly part of Gardner, from Ephraim Pratt, Jr., cordwainer of Gardner, for 9 pounds[8].  The parcel was in lot 72 of the third division.

On 10 March 1787, Simon Gates, yeoman of Gardner, bought 37 acres of meadow land in Gardner from Clark Stone, yeoman of Sutton, for 30 pounds[17].  The land was in lot 92 of the third division.  
On 7 January 1790, Simon Gates, yeoman of Gardner, bought 62 acres of land in Gardner from Cyrus and Mary Fairbank of Ashburnham for 36 pounds[9].  The land was lot 93 originally of Westminster.

On 31 March 1794, Simon Gates, yeoman of Gardner, bought 76 acres, with two acres allowance for highways, from Lucas Dunn, yeoman of Gardner, for 100 pounds[10].  The land was lot number 121 in the third division. 

In the 1798 Direct Tax list for Massachusetts and Maine, Simon Gates resided in Gardner, Worcester County, Massachusetts[11].  The record shows six separate valuations:

*  Occupants or possessors:  Simon Gates
*  Reputed owners:  Gates Simon
*  Land subjected to valuation: 97 acres and 120 perches of land; Valuation of $1490
*  Land subjected to valuation: 25 acres of land; Valuation of $208
*  Land subjected to valuation: 22 acres of land; Valuation of $99
*  Land subjected to valuation: 25 acres of land;  Valuation of $255
*  Land subjected to valuation: 10 acres of land;  Valuation of $90
*  Land subjected to valuation: 35 acres of land;  Valuation of $90

The town records of Gardner indicate that Simon Gates, the wife of Susanna and father of Reuben and Ezekiel died 11 March 1809[12].  The record says:

"Simon Gates the father of the above children died March 11th 1809."

However, the administration of the estate of Simon Gates filed on 4 April 1703 by the widow Susanna Gates implies that he died before that date[14].  It is probable that the date in the town records should have been 11 March 1803 rather than 1809; his son Ezekiel died on 12 August 1809, and the entry for Simon may have been entered at that time.

The inscription on the gravestone of Simon Gates in the Old Burying Ground in Gardner says[15]:


ERECTED
in memory of Mr.
SIMON GATES
who died March 11th 
180? in the 64th
Year of his age.

Simon Gates of Gardner died intestate, and left a sizable estate[14].  The probate records can be found in Worcester County Probate Packet No. 23,252 at the Worcester County Courthouse in Worcester, Massachusetts.  The packet includes a letter of administration naming the widow, Susanna Gates, as administratrix on 6 April 1803.  A $10,000 bond was posted by Stephen Miles and Stephen Hoar, sureties.  An inventory was taken on 14 May 1803, in the sum of $5,636.17 by Stephen Miles, Stephen Hoar and Levi Fairbanks; the inventory was accepted by the Court on 19 May 1803.

A warrant of partition was issued to Aaron Wood, Matthias Mosman and Stephen Hoar on 7 September 1803.  Their report was filed and allowed on 17 May 1804.

The administratrix filed her account and it was allowed on 17 May 1804, with the balance of $599.65 to be distributed to the heirs as ordered.  Receipts were received from Simon Gates, Elizabeth Gates, Daniel Gates, Merari Spaulding and Merari Spaulding (guardian) on 17 May 1804.

The partition of the estate was very detailed and very complex, due to the large land holdings of Simon Gates.  The land included:

1)  The home farm in the northeastern part of Gardner, 98 acres and 23 rods of mowing, plowing, orcharding, pastureland and woodland, together with two dwelling houses, barn and other outbuildings.  The land was bounded southerly by Josiah Kendall, southeasterly by Josiah Kendall, a town way, Daniel How, and widow Ray, northerly by John Owens, and westerly by Edward Jackson.  This home farm was appraised at $2,525.

2)  30 acres of pasture and woodland, called the Conant lot, in the eastern part of Gardner, bounded northerly by a town road, westerly by John Pierce and William Chappel, southerly on fourth division land, and easterly by Edward Jackson.  This land was valued at $330.

3)  The Marshall lot in the southeastern part of Gardner, comprising 48 acres and 149 rods of mowing pasture and woodland, bounded northwesterly and southwesterly by David Read, southeasterly by Ephraim Pratt, John Pierce and Jabez Bigelow, and northeasterly by William Penniman.  This land was appraised at $490.

4)  Two Fourth Division lots numbers 99 and 100 in Gardner, containing 34 acres; valued at $185.

5)  A tract of 18 acres of swamp land in the northwestern part of Westminster, called the Coburn Swamp, appraised at $190.

6)  Pew number 15 in the Gardner meeting house, valued at $44.

7)  A pew in the galleries of the Gardner meeting house, valued at $27.

8)  A horse stable near the meeting house valued at $5.

The entire real estate totalled $3,796, of which the widow's one-third dower rights amounted to $1265.33-1/3.

The appraisers set off to the widow, Susanna Gates, one half of the dwelling house, 32 acres of the home farm, the 30 acre Conant lot, one half of pew 15 in the Gardner meeting house, and one half of the stable near the meeting house.  This added up to $1,265.33-1/3.

The remaining amount was $2,530.66-2/3 to be divided amongst the children.

The oldest child, Nathan Gates, had received the sum of $266.67 from his father, and was indebted to the estate by $747.04 principal and interest, totalling then $1,033.72.  By agreement with the other children and heirs of Simon Gates, Nathan Gates agreed to quitclaim any further real or personal estate of his father in return for being relieved of all demands from the estate.  Therefore, he was not considered to be part of the distribution of the remaining estate.

Each child - Simon Gates, Daniel Gates, Elizabeth Gates, Ezekiel Gates and Reuben Gates - was to receive $506.13-1/3.

Elizabeth Gates was apportioned the other half of pew 15 in the Gardner meeting house ($22) and $484.13-1/3 to be paid by her brothers Simon and Daniel Gates.

Ezekiel Gates was apportioned $506.13-1/3, to be paid by his brothers Simon and Daniel Gates.

Reuben Gates was apportioned the Marshall lot ($90) and $416.13-1/3 to be paid by his brothers Simon and Daniel Gates.

Simon and Daniel Gates were apportioned the other half of the dwelling house and the remainder of the home farm (98 acres plus), the two Fourth Division lots,  the Coburn Swamp land in Westminster, the gallery pew in the meeting house and one half of the horse stable. Their portion amounted to $2,018.66-1/3.  They were directed to pay their siblings the amounts listed above.

The personal estate was listed in a detailed inventory, and totalled $1,887.25.  Susanna Gates charged herself with this amount, and filed the account  listing the charges and debts paid to many people, totalling $1,287.62.  This left a balance of $599.63 to be distributed to the heirs.  She was granted her one third share ($199.88), and was directed to pay the other five children $79.95 each.

Receipts for their shares were signed by Simon Gates, Daniel Gates, Elizabeth Gates, and Merari Spaulding, the guardian of Ezekiel Gates and Reuben Gates.

5)  SOURCES
 
1. Clarence Almon Torrey, "Stephen Gates of Hingham, Lancaster and Cambridge, Mass., and Some of  his Descendants," New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume 120, number 3 (July 1966), pages 161-170, and number 4 (October 1966), pages 260-272, Volume 120, page 270, Simon Gates sketch.

2. William Sweetzer Heywood,  History of Westminster, Massachusetts:  (first named Narragansett no. 2) from the date of the original grant of the township to the present time, 1728-1893 ; with a biographic -genealogical register of its principal families  (Lowell, Mass. : Vox Populi Press, 1893), page Simon Gates sketch.

3. Lewis Glazier, The History of the Town of Gardner, Massachusetts, From its Earliest Settlement to 1860 (Worcester, Mass. : C. Hamilton, 1860), page 349, Simon Gates sketch.

4. "Massachusetts, Land Records, 1620-1986," digital images, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org :  accessed 13 January 2015), Worcester County, "Deeds, 1785-1786, Vol. 98-99," Volume 99, Page 445, image 574 of 685, Benjamin Pemberton to Simon Gates, 1786.

5. Franklin P. Rice (editor), Vital Records of Marlborough, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (Boston, Mass. : Franklin P. Rice ,1908), Marriages, page 254, Simon Gates and Susannah Reed marriage entry.

6. "Massachusetts, Land Records, 1620-1986," digital images, FamilySearch  (https://familysearch.org : accessed 13 January 2015), Worcester County, "Deeds, 1774-1776, Vol. 73-74," Volume 73, Page 353, image 194 of 599, David Wilder to Simon Gates, 1775 .

7. "Massachusetts, Land Records, 1620-1986," digital images, FamilySearch  (https://familysearch.org :  accessed 13 January 2015), Worcester County, "Deeds, 1785-1786, Vol. 98-99," Volume 99, Page 443, image 573 of 685, Silas Marshall to Simon Gates, 1786.

8. "Massachusetts, Land Records, 1620-1986," digital images, FamilySearch  (https://familysearch.org : accessed 13 January 2015), Worcester County, "Deeds, 1787-1788, Vol. 100-101," Volume 101, Page 619, image 672 of 694, Ephraim Pratt  Jr. to Simon Gates, 1787.

9. "Massachusetts, Land Records, 1620-1986," digital images, FamilySearch  (https://familysearch.org :  accessed 13 January 2015), Worcester County, "Deeds, 1793-1795, Vol. 120-121," Volume 121, Page 432, image 569 of 677, Cyrus Fairbank to Simon Gates, 1794.

10. "Massachusetts, Land Records, 1620-1986," digital images, FamilySearch  (https://familysearch.org : accessed 13 January 2015), Worcester County, "Deeds, 1794-1795, Vol. 122-123," Volume 122, Page 506, image 267 of 692, Lucas Dunn to Simon Gates, 1794; citing land offices and county courthouses, statewide, Massachusetts.

11. "Massachusetts and Maine 1798 Direct Tax," indexed database and digital image, American Ancestors (http://www.americanancestors.org), Volume 14, Gardner, page 281, Simon Gates entry.

12. Systematic History Fund, Vital Records of Gardner, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849 (Worcester, Mass. :  Franklin P. Rice,1907), Deaths, page 118: Simon Gates entry.

13. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), "Gardner, Births Marriage and Deaths," page 7 (stamped) (image 12 of 779),  Simon Gates death entry.

14. Massachusetts, Worcester County, Probate Files, 1731-1925, Case 23252 Simon Gates Estate, 1803, Letter of Administration; digital images, FamilySearch,  (https://familysearch.org: accessed 12 August 2014); in "Case no 23243-23330, Gates, Sarah-Gay, William, 1731-1881, (images 91-92 of 1069); original records in Worcester County, Mass. Courthouse.

15. Jim Tipton, indexed database, Find A Grave (http://www.findagrave.com), Old Burying Ground (Gardner, Mass.), Simon Gates memorial.

16. "Massachusetts, Land Records, 1620-1986," digital images, FamilySearch  (https://familysearch.org :  accessed 13 January 2015), Worcester County, "Deeds, 1794-1795, Vol. 122-123," Volume 122, Page 503, image 265 of 692, Samuel Conant to Simon Gates, 1794.

17. "Massachusetts, Land Records, 1620-1986," digital images, FamilySearch  (https://familysearch.org :  accessed 13 January 2015), Worcester County, "Deeds, 1787-1788, Vol. 100-101," Volume 101, Page 618, image 672 of 694, Clark Stone to Simon Gates, 1787.


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