Monday, June 4, 2018

Amanuensis Monday - Will of William White (1683-about 1780) of Dartmouth, Mass.

This week's document for Amanuensis Monday is from the Bristol County, Massachusetts Probate Packet records for William White (1683-1780) of Dartmouth, Massachusetts:

a) Bristol County (Mass.) Probate Packet 18,020, image 2 (of 4):



b) Bristol County (Mass.) Probate Packet 18,020, image 3 (of 4):

c) Bristol County (Mass.) Probate Packet 18,020, image 4 (of 4):


The transcription of this will is:


[image 2 of 4]

In the Name of God amen. The Sixth day of January in the Eighth
year of his Majesties Reign George the Third &c Annoq Domini 1768, I William
Whight of Dartmouth In the County of Bristol in the province of the Massachusetts
bay in New england Gentleman being very aged & week in Body But of a Sound
Disposing mind perfect memory & understanding as in my Life past Thanks be given unto
the almighty God for the same. Therefore Calling unto mind the mortality of my body &
Knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die Do make & ordain this my Last
Will & Testament. Principally & first of all, I give & Recommend my Soule Into the
hand of almighty God that gave It and my body I Commit to the Earth therein
to be decently buryed at the Discretion of my Executors herein afternominated and
as touching all such Temporal Estate as it hath pleased almighty god to bless me
With in this Life I give Devise & Dispose of the Same In the following manner & form.

Imprimus I Give and bequeath unto my well beloved Son William White my Gun Which
he hath now In his possession & Improvement.

Itim I Give & bequeath unto my teen Well beloved Granchildren namely Israel
Peleg William Silvenus Obed Ruth Sarah Hannah Mary & Unice all Children
to my Son George White Deceased the Sum of one Spanish Silver Milled Doller to be
paid unto them by my Executors hereinafter Named and to be Equally Divided to &
amongst them my sd ten Granchildren.

Itim I Give & bequeath to my Well beloved Daughter Sarah Brown my Bead that
Standeth in the South east Corner of my Great Chamber together with all the furnature
belonging to it.

Itim I Give & bequeath unto my Well beloved Daughter Hannah Taber the Sum of
twelve Spanish Silver milled Dollers to be paid unto her by my Executors out of my Estate
Within one year after my Deceas.

Itim I give & bequeath unto my Well beloved Son Roger White all my Ware-
ing apparel of Every Sort & Cinde whatsoever and my Gun which I now have
In my house & also my Case of Reazers & my hone.

Itim I Give & bequeath unto my Well beloved Son Christopher White the Sum of
five Spanish Silver Milled Dollers to be paid unto him by my Executors out of my Estate.

Itim I Give & bequeath unto my Wellbeloved Son Thomas White my Silver Tankard.

Itim Moreover I give & bequeath unto my three Well beloved Sons Namely
Roger White Christopher White & Thomas White that note of hand which is now
Due unto me from Henry Soale of Newport Said Note bears Date September
the Ninth A.D. 1765 It is to be understood all the principle & Interest Due unto
me upon sd note of hand In the old tenner & to be Devided to & amoungst them
my sd three Sons in manner as followeth. Roger is to have two hundred pounds
old tenner out of sd note and Christopher is to have two hundred pounds old
tenner out of sd not And Thomas to have all the Rest & Remainder of the sd
Intrest. It is to be understoof If they my three sd Sons Can Recover the sd not
or t Least the old tenner money Due upon the sd note then it shall be Divi-
ded to & amongst them as above Setforth but if other wise by sny ways or

[image 3 of 4]

Means that note of hand Should fail & they my sd three Sons Could not Recover or
Get the sd money thereon due that then the Gifts to them in this perragraf Shall be
null & void & not to be paid or discharged with any other part of my Estate.

Itim I give & bequeath the Sum of four Spanish Silver Mill Dollers to be Equa-
lly Divided amongst all my ?????? Granchildren that are Children of my Daughter Eli-
zabeth Slowcum Deceased & to be pd unto them by my Executors herein after men-
tioned out of my Estate.

Itim I Give & bequeath unto my Well beloved Son Oliver White my bead &
beding & my Smithing tools. It is to be understood the bed & beding And the Smithing
tools he hath already in his possession.

Itim I Give & bequeath unto my Well beloved Son Abner White my Gun
Which he now hath in his Possession.

Itim I give & bequeath unto my well loved Grandaughter Phebe Smith the
Sum of Nine Spanish Silver milled Dollers to be paid unto her by my Executors
out of my Estate who therein after named.

Itim I give and bequeath unto my well beloved Daughter Susannah
White all the Rest & Residue of my Estate be it of what nature or Cinde so
ever or Wheresoever it may be found due owing or Coming unto me by any way
s or means both Raal & personal which is not herein before otherwise Dis-
posed of to be & Remain unto her my said Daughter & to her heirs & assig-
ns forever She my said Daughter providing procuring & Decently maintain-
ing & Looking after my well beloved wife In her aged week & Low Condition
both in Sickness & In health for & During the term of the Natural Life of my
Said wife Elizabeth White her mother and with y^e use & Improvement of the farm
& houseing together with the profits thereof Whereon I now Live to maintain her
sd Mother With all sorts of the nessasaries of Life Decently During the term of my
sd Wifes Natural Life. If my sd Daughter Lives So Long but if She my sd Daughter
Should not Live so long as her Mother then so much of that Estate which I have herein
given here my said Daughter to Enable her to maintain her mother Shall Return
and pay all ther Charges that Shall a Rise for Looking after my s^d wife after
the Death of my sd Daughter Susannah.

Itim I do hereby order my sd Daughter Susannah White to pay all
my just Debts funeral Charges And I do likewise nominate my sd
Daughter Susannah White & my well beloved Granson Peleg White
Son to my son George White Deceased And do hereby Constitute & appoint
them to be Joynt Executors of this my Last Will & Testament Desireing
them to take Cear & Execute the Same in Every part according to the
true Intent & meaning thereof And I do hereby utterly Disallow
Revok & disannull all & Every other Wills Legacies & bequests by

[mage 4 of 4]

Me in any ways Before Willed & Bequeathed Ratifying & Confirm this &
no other to be my Last Will & Testament In witness Whereof I have here
unto Set my hand & Seal the Day and year first hereinbefore Written
Signed ealed Published Pronounced         }
and Declared By the said William White }
as his Last Will and Testament In the        }
Presence of us the Subscribers .                }
William Gifford                                                          William White
Daniel Hathway
Restcome Sanford

Bristol Ss. October y^e 3^d 1780

Then before the Hon^bl Benj^a Williams Esq^r Judge
of y^e Probate of wills &c for y^e County of Bristol came
William Gifford one of the wittnesses
to y^e before written Instrument and made Oath
that he was present & saw William White
y^e subscriber thereto who is ???? dec^d sign
seal & heard him Publish & Declare s^d Instrument
as his Last will & Testament and that he was
of a sound & disposing mind & memory
when he so did & that he with Daniel Hathaway
& Restcom Sanford signed as witnesses at y^e
same time and are in y^e presence of y^e Testator.
I do therefore prove approve & allow of y^ same
as y^e ????? Last will & Testament and Adm^r
is hereby Granted to his Daughter Sussannah
White & his grandson Peleg White Executors in y^e
same will named well & faithfully to Execute
y^e same according to y^e Law ????? and
meaning thereof.
                                                 Benj^a Williams
Ent^d Geo. Leonard Reg^r
  
The source citation for this document is:

Bristol County, Massachusetts, Probate case files, Case file 28020 - William White 1780; "Bristol County (Massachusetts) Probate Records, 1636-1899," digital images, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (http://www.americanancestors.org : accessed 17 May 2018).
William White (1683-1780) was the son of Sylvanus White (1667-1688) and Deborah --?-- (1667-after 1688).  He married Elizabeth Cadman (1685-after 1768) in 1707, and they had eleven children.  Son George White died before William wrote his will, and his ten children were named in the will.  Daughter Elizabeth Slowcom died before William wrote his will, and the will provides for the grandchildren without naming them.  
The granddaughter Phebe Smith named in the will may be a daughter of one of the children, but I don't know which one.  

The will provides for the remaining nine children.  Daughter Susannah White and grandson Peleg White (son of George White) were named as executors.  Daughter Susannah White  was to provide for the care of her mother, Elizabeth (Cadman) White, who probably died before 1780.  

It is unclear as to when William White (1683-about 1780) died.  It was certainly before 3 October 1780 when his will was proved.  The will of his son William White (1708-1780) was proved the same day in the same probate court.  Perhaps William White 1683 died earlier but his wife died in the 1780 time frame and probate of the estate of William White 1683 was delayed until she died.

William White is my 7th great-grandfather, through his first son, William White (1708-1780) of Dartmouth, Massachusetts, who married Abigail Thurston (1700-1770) in 1729.

  
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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."

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2018/06/amanuensis-monday-will-of-william-white.html

Copyright (c) 2018, Randall J. Seaver


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