Monday, March 12, 2018

Amanuensis Monday - Will of Ebenezer Slocum (1650-1715) of Jamestown, Rhode Island

This week's document for Amanuensis Monday is the 1714 will of Ebenezer Slocum (1650-1715) of Jamestown, Newport County, Rhode Island:

a)  Jamestown, R.I. Land Evidences, Volume 1, page 165:




b)  Jamestown, R.I. Land Evidences, Volume 1, page 166:



c)  Jamestown, R.I. Land Evidences, Volume 1, page 167:

The transcription of this will is:


[page 165]

The Last will and Testament of Ebenezer Slocumb of Conanicutt
Island alias James Town in the Colony of Rhoad Island and Providence
Plantations in New England in America Husbandman is as
followeth Know yee that I the said Ebenezer Slocumb being
Through the Mercy of God Indifferent We;; in Body and of Perfect
mind and Sound Memory praised be his holy Name for the Preventing
future Trouble between my Wife and Children and Relations
Do make My Last Will and Testament as followeth.

Imprimus My mind and Will is that my Executors and Executrix
hereafter Named Shall Receive all Debts Justly due unto me
and Shall pay all Debts Justly due from me to any Person or
Persons Whatsoever. Item I do give (unto) and Bequeath unto
my Loveing Wife Mary Slocumb a fether bed boulster bed-
stead with all other furniture there unto belonging and My
Negro Woman Called Cate With all my Plaite to be freely att
her ^own^ Disposeall.

Item I do give and bequeath unto my Eldest Son Samuell Slocumb
and his Heires Lawfully begotten of his own Body in Wedlock
a Certain Persell or Tract of Land Scituate Lying and being in
James Town aforesaid on the Northward Side of my farm which
he Now Posseseth part of the Same the whole being bounded Northward-
ly by Land belonging to Francis Brindly Eastwardly by a highway
Southwardly by in Part by Land now in possession of Richard Tew and
partly by Land belonging unto me the said Ebenezer Slocumb the said
Southward Line is to run the Same point of the Compas from
the said highway to the Sea as it doth between the said Tews Land
and the said Land Now in the Possession of him my said Son Sam^l
Slocumb it is to be understood that the said Land is to bear the Same
breadth att the Sea as itt doth att the Said highway and Westwardly
by the Salt Water or Sea Togeather with all buildings and other
Privileges theirin contained.

Item I do give and bequeath unto my Second Son Ebenezer Slocumb and
his maile heirs Lawfully begotten of his own Body forever the
Remaining Part of my farm Scituate in James Town above said
bounded Northwardly by land given unto my son Sam^l Slocumb
Eastwardly by Land now in the Possession of the said Richard Tew
Southwardly by a high way and Westwardly by the Sea or Salt
water Togeather With all y^e buildings Orchards and all Other
Privileges therein Contained only my ^mind and^ Will is that my
Loveing Wife Mary Slocumb Shall have Equall Privileges
and benfitt with my said Son Ebenezer Slocumb in my said
farm, Orchards Houseing and houshold goods During her
Widowhood and my mind and Will is that my said Wife Shall
Marrey Againe then my said Son Ebenezer Slocumb Shall in
Lew of her Thirds or dower of the aforesauid farm pay unto
his mother yearly During her Naturall Life the Sum of Six
Pounds pr year in Money or Equivalent to mony if she
will Except thereof in Lew of her Thirds as aforesaid

[page 166]

Item I do give and bequeath unto my Son Giles Slocumb and
his heires and Assigns forever all That my farm of Percell of
Land lying in Corvesett within the Township of Warwick which
I bought of my son in law Peter Green deceased as Will more fully
Appear by a Bill of Sale from said Green Refferance there unto
had with all my Right in Land which I bought of Warwick and
Grenwich men which thay bought of the Colony for him my
said son Giles Slocumb his heires or Assigns to have and
Possess When he Shall attain unto the Age of Twenty one years
with all Liberteys and appurtenances thereunto belonignig or in
any wise Appertaining. I also give unto my son Giles Slocumb
Two oxen two cowes one horse and my Negro Boy Called Sam.

Item I Do give and bequeath unto my Son Joseph Slocumb and
his heires and Assignes forever four Acres of land be itt
more or less lying in the Township Land on the Island of
Conanticutt alias James Town with all my Right in Duck
Island with all the Privilegges there unto belonging and also
one hundred and fifty Pounds in money or goods or Stock
Equivalent to Money to be paid unto him when he Shall Attain
Unto the Age of one and Twenty years by my Executors here
after Named and my mind and Will is and I do hereby Declare
that if either of my said Sons Giles Slocumb or Joseph Slocumb
shall Decease before he has Come of Age to Receive his
Portion in this my Will given him then that part (shall) of
his that Shall so Decease Shall belong to the Survivor of them
both Land Stock and Money as aforesaid.

Item Whereas my three Daughters (Viz) Elizabeth the widow of
Peter Green deceased Rebecah the wife of William Burling
and Desire the wife of Sam^ll Dyer having had alredy
fully Receuived their Portions with the Legacie given them
by their Grandfather Slocumb I give and bequeath unto
Each of my aforesaid Daughters five shillings in money
to be Paid by my Executors hereafter named.

Item I do give and bequeath unto my Two Daughters Marcy Slocum
and Abigail Slocumb to each of them fifty Pounds to them unto
money or goods Equivalent to money to be paid unto
Each of them att the Age of Eighteen Years or att theire
Respective dayes of Marriage which shall first be by my
Executors hear after named and if either of my said two
Daughters Shall decease before they Come of age to Receive
theire Portions that then the Deceased part shall be paid
as aforesaid to the Survivor of them two.

[page 167]

And my mind and Will is and I do hereby give and bequeath
unto my above Named Son Ebenezer Slocumb all and Every
part of the Rest of all my Stock and Moveable Estate what
soever and where soever itt is to be found Which is not already
disposed on in this my Last Will and Testament and he I do
ordaine Constitute appoint and make my Executor with my
Well beloved Wife Executrix to pay the above said Legacies and
to see my last Will and Testament in all Things fully
Performed fulfilled and Kept According to the True Intent and
meaning of the Same and desire my Loveing friends and
neighbors John Hall and Joseph Mory both of James Town
aforesaid and my cozen Jacob Mot of Potchmouth Rhoade
Island to be my Overseers to assist and Councill my Executor
and Executrix in the due and trew Execution and Proformance
of this my Last Will and Testament so farr as they Can
in wittness Whareof I the said Ebenezer Slocumb have hereunto
sett my hand and seale the Tenth day of the Tenth Month
Called December in the year of the Lord one Thousand
Seven hundred and fourteen 1714.

Signed Sealed and Delivered by    }
the above said Ebenezer Slocumb }          Ebenezer Slocumb {seal}
to be his Last Will and Testament  }
in the Presents of
John Wanton
Thomas Richardson
Thomas Leach

The will was proved in Jamestown Council on 20 April 1715.  

The source citation for this will is:

"Land Evidence Records, 1680-1899," Volumes 1-2, (manuscript, Jamestown, Rhode Island), on FHL US/CAN Microfilm 0,946,901, Volume 1, pages 165-167, Ebenezer Slocum will, 1715.

Ebenezer Slocumb named his wife, Mary Slocumb (1657-1732) and nine of his twelve children in his will.  Daughters Mary (Slocum) Greene, Johannah (Slocum) Carr, and Deliverance (Slocum) Rogers were not named, and it is assumed they died before December 1714.  

The land parcels owned by Ebenezer Slocum were transferred to his four sons.  

Ebenezer and Mary (Thurston) Slocum are my 8th great-grandparents, through their oldest son Samuel Slocum (1685-1741) who married Hannah Carr (1691-1785) in 1708.

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


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."


Copyright (c) 2018, Randall J. Seaver

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1 comment:

Unknown said...

Ebenezer Slocum was my 11th great-grandfather.