Amanuensis Monday - 1807 Deed of Zachariah Hildreth to Zachariah Hildreth Jr. in Townsend, Mass.

This week's document for Amanuensis Monday is the 1807 deed of Zachariah Hildreth of Townsend, Massachusetts to Zachariah Hildreth Junior of Townsend in the Middlesex County, Massachusetts Land Records:

The transcription of this deed is:

[Volume 180, page 369]

Know all men by these Presence that I
Zachariah Hildreth of Townsend in the county of Middle-
sex and commonwealth of Massachusetts, Gentleman, in 
consideration of four hundred dollars paid by Zachariah
Hildreth Jun^r of the same Townsend aforesaid, Gentleman yeoman, 
the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge, do hereby give
grant sell and convey unto the said Zachariah Hildreth
J^r a certain peice of land in Townsend aforesaid and a
part of two lots N^o fifty four and fifty five said lots situate
on Bayberryhill, containing forty acres be the same more or
less bounded as follows (viz.) begining at a stake and stones
the southeast corner of one of the above lots thence west
twenty nine deg^s north about one hundred rods by Jonas
Farmers land to a stake and stons for a corner, thence
north twenty nine deg^s east sixty four rods by Jonas
Browns Josiah Baileys and Joseph Walkers land to a
stake and stones for a corner, thence east twenty nine
deg^s south about one hundred rods by Nathan Scales
Land to a stake and stones for a corner in the line of
said Farmers land, thence south twenty nine deg^s west
sixty four rods by said Farmers land to the bounds first
mentioned.  To have and to Hold the aforegranted
premises to the said Zachariah Hildreth J^r his heirs and
and assigns to his and their use and behoof forever, and
I do covenant with the said Zachariah Hildreth J^r 
his heirs and assigns that I am lawfully seized in
fee of the aforegranted premises, that they are free of all
incumbrances, that I* have good right to sell and
convey the same to the said Zachariah Hildreth J^r
and that I will warrant and defend the same pre-
mises to the said Zachariah Hildreth Jun^r his heirs and
assigns forever against the lawful claims and demands
of all persons.  In Witness whereof I the said

[Volume 180, page 370]

Zachariah Hildreth with my wife Nabby she releasing
her right of dower or thirds to ^the^ above granted premises have
set our hands and seals this ninth day of March in the year
of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seven.  Zach Hil-
dreth and seal.  Nabby Hildreth and seal.  Signed sealed and
delivered in presence of us Nathan Scales, Samuel Scales
Middlesex Ss March 1^t 1808.  The within named Zachariah
Hildreth and Nabby his wife acknowledged the within
instrument by them subscribed to be their free act and deed
before me Isaac Mulliken, Justice of the Peace.
                                   Middlesex Ss Cambridge, January 17^th 1809.
Received and Entered
                                      by Samuel Bartlett Reg^r.

The source citation for this recorded deed is:

"Massachusetts, Land Records, 1620-1986," digital images, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 23 September 2018), Middlesex County, "Deeds, 1808-1809, Vols. 179-181," Volume 180, page 369 (image 456 of 799), Deed of Zachariah Hildreth to Zachariah Hildreth Jr., executed 9 March 1807, recorded 11 January 1809.

Zachariah Hildreth Junior (1783-1857) was the son of Zachariah Hildreth (1754-1829) and his first wife, Elizabeth Keyes (1759-1793).  This is the first land transaction for Zachariah Junior in the Middlesex County Deed index for 1800 to 1835.

The land sold is 40 acres on Bayberry Hill in the town of Townsend, Massachusetts.  It is 100 rods (550 yards) by 64 rods (352 yards), situated west-northwest to east-southeast, and was part of Lots 54 and 55 of the original land lots of Townsend.  

I couldn't find a map of the town lots on the Internet, but I did find Bayberry Hill on the Google Map:

The map above is about 17,600 feet wide, or 5,867 yards.  So the land (550 yards wide) would take something like 1/11th of the width of the map above.  

Bayberry Brook is the stream in blue in the middle of the screen above, and Bayberry Hill Road is below the stream (note that "The Flower Hutch" blue stickpin is on that road).  The red stickpin in the lower right-hand corner of the screen above is Bayberry Ln, which is what came up when I searched for "bayberry townsend ma."  My guess is that the land is somewhere between the red stickpin on the southwest and Bayberry Brook on the northeast, perhaps near, but not on, one of the roads.

Zachariah Hildreth (1754-1829) is my 4th great-grandfather, and Zachariah Hildreth Jr. (1783-1857) is my third great-grandfather, who married Hannah Sawtell (1789-1857) in 1810.  I am descended through their son, Edward Hildreth (1831-1899) who married Sophia Newton (1834-1923).

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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."

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