Monday, February 27, 2017

Amanuensis Monday -- 1761 Probate Records of Thomas Dill (1708-1761) Estate in Barnstable County, Massachusetts

This week's documents for Amanuensis Monday are the 1761 Barnstable County, Massachusetts probate documents for the Thomas Dill (1708-1761) estate of Eastham, Massachusetts:

1) Probate Index pages:


The probate records index shows these records for Thomas Dill:



This was an intestate estate, so the index proceeds through the Probate Court volumes in approximate date order.  

For this blog post, we will consider the Letter of Administration and the Inventory.

2)  Letter of Administration - Volume 10, page 81 (right hand page of image below):



The transcription of this record is (with italics for handwritten information):

Province of the Massachusetts Bay
By the Hon. Silvanus Bourn Esqr.

Judge of the Probate of Wills, and for granting Letters
of Administration on the Estates of Persons deceased,
having Goods, Chattels, rights or Credits in the County
of Barnstable within the Province aforesaid,

To George Brown of Eastham in the County
of Barnstable yeoman Greeting

Whereas Thomas Dill late of Eastham
in the County of Barnstable yeoman,

Deceased, having while he lived, and at the Time of his Decease,
Goods, Chattels, Rights or Credits in the County aforesaid, lately
Died Intestate, whereby the Power of committing Administration,
and full Disposition of all and singular the Goods, Chattels, Rights and
Credits of the said Deceased; and also the hearing, examining and
allowing the Accompt of such Administration doth appertain unto Me :
Trusting therefore in your Care and Fidelity, I do by these Presents,
commit unto you Full Power to Administer all and singular the Goods,
Chattels, Rights and Credits of the said Deceased ; and well and faith-
fully to dispose of the same according to Law ; and also to Ask, Gather,
Levy, Recover and Receive all and whatsoever Credits of the said Deceased
which to him while he lived, and at the Time of his Death did
appertain, and to pay all Debts in which the said deceased stood bound
so far as his Goods, Chattels, Rights and Credits can extend, according
to the Value thereof ; And to make a true and perfect Inventory of all
and singular the Goods, Chattels, rights and Credits ; and to exhibit
the same into the Registry of the Court of Probate for the County
aforesaid, at or before the Seventeenth Day of June
next ensuing ; And to render a plain and true Account of your said
Administration upon Oath, at or before the Seventeenth Day of
March which will be in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand
Seven Hundred and Sixty two. And I do hereby ordain,
constitute and appoint you Administrat or of all and singular the
Goods, Chattels, Rights and Credits aforesaid.
In Testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my Hand, and the Seal of
the said Court of Probate. Dated at Barnstable the Seventeenth
Day of March Annoque Domini, 17 61.
                                                                     Silvanus Bourn

                       Exam. LS Da^d Gorham Reg.

The source citation for this document is:

"Massachusetts (Barnstable County), Probate records, 1686-1894," handwritten, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah (51 rolls of FHL US/CAN Microfilm), citing original Barnstable County Registers, Thomas Dill probate records: Letter of Administration (Volume 10, page 81).

3)  Inventory of Estate (bottom half of the right-hand page on image below:


The transcription of the inventory is:


To the right Honourable the Judge of Probate for the County
of Barnstable &c: Pursuant to your Order in the Prire Warrant
we whose Names are underwritten have taken a True Inventory
of the Estate of Thomas Dill Deceased and is as followeth.

The House and Barn and Land adjoyning it
£27..12.. 0
To the Meadow
16..  5.. 4
To the Stock
07..10.. 4
To a Third of a Schooner
46..16.. 1
To the Best Feather Bed
04..  0.. 0
To 4 Beds and furniture and Linnen
17..10..10
To Wearing Cloathes
10..  9.. 1
To Chirs Tables wheels and other Small Wear
08..12.. 5
To Caps and aprons
01..  4.. 8
To Iron Ware
01..13.. 9
To Puter
02..  1.. 4
To Glassware
1..  7.. 6
The Hou??? Estate both Real and Personal
143..18.. 2

1..  4.. 8
Dated at Eastham the Twentieth fourth
Day of March 1762 Witness
£145.. 2..10

Silvanus Snow
Samuel Walker
Ebenezer Atwood

Barnstable Ss By the Hon^e Silv^s Bourn Esqr Judge of Probate &c
fors^d County George Brown adm^r presented the foregoing and made
oath that it Contains a true and Perfect Inventory of the Estate of
Thomas Dill late of Eastham dec^d so far as he hath come to his hands
& knowledge & if more hereafter Appear he will cause it to be added
&c he ??????? Apprisers ware sworn as the Law directs. Silvanus Bourn

Sept: 17. 1761        Exam^d Da^d Gorham Reg^r

The source citation for this document is: 

"Massachusetts (Barnstable County), Probate records, 1686-1894," handwritten, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah (51 rolls of FHL US/CAN Microfilm), citing original Barnstable County Registers, Thomas Dill probate records: Inventory (Volume 12, page 221).

Thomas Dill married Mehitable Brown in 1733 in Eastham, and they had eight children between 1734 and about 1755.  Mehitable died before 1758, when Thomas married, secondly, Mary (Higgins) Baker, and they had no children.

George Brown, probably a neighbor or associate of Thomas Dill, and perhaps a cousin or nephew of Mehitable Brown, was named administrator of the estate and charged with obtaining an inventory, keeping an account, and dividing the estate according to the state law.

The inventory, apprised by three men of Eastham, found an estate worth 145 pounds, 2 shillings, and 10 pence.  Of that, about 44 pounds was real property, and the personal property included one third ownership of a schooner worth 46 pounds.

Thomas and Mehitable (Brown) Dill are my fifth great-grandparents, through their son Thomas Dill (1755-1839).  

NOTE:  These records are now online on Ancestry.com in the Barnstable County, Massachusetts Probate Court record volumes.


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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."

My list of previous Amanuensis Monday posts is at  http://www.geneamusings.com/p/amanuensis-monday-posts.html.  

Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver


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