Monday, April 22, 2019

Amanuensis Monday -- 1843 Deed of Samuel D. Baldwin to Zachariah Hildreth in Townsend, Massachusetts

This week's document for Amanuensis Monday is the 1843 deed of  Samuel D. Baldwin to Zachariah Hildreth of Townsend in the Middlesex County, Massachusetts Land Records: 

[Volume 446, pages 160-161]



[Volume 446, pages 162-163]

[Volume 446, pages 164-165]

The transcription of this deed is:

[Volume 446, page 161, starts near top of right-hand page]

[in right-hand margin]


Sam^l D. Baldwin
             to
Zach^h Hildreth


[body of text]

           Know all men by these Presents,That I, 
Samuel D. Baldwin of Townsend in the County 
of Middlesex, Yeoman, in consideration of two 
thousand dollars to me paid by Zachariah Hildreth 
of said Townsend, Yeoman, the receipt whereof I do
hereby acknowledge, do hereby give, grant, 

bargain, sell and convey unto the said Zachariah 
Hildreth his heirs & assigns forever, a certain tract 
of land situated in the Southeasterly part of said 
Townsend on both sides of the road leading from 
Henry Seeva's in Townsend to Lunenburg bounded 
beginning at a stake & stones on the east side of the 
road ^aforesaid^ at a  corner of Ephraim Spaulding's land, thence 
Southeasterly by land of said Spaulding to a stake 
stones, thence Southerly on land of said Spaulding to 
a stake and stones,  at the road leading from said 
Spaulding's to Joel Emery's, thence westerly on said 
road to a corner of the aforesaid road leading from 
said Seeva's to Lunenburg, thence crossing said last 
mentioned road to a corner of Isaac Spaulding's 
land at a stake and stones, thence northerly by said 
road about fourteen rods to a stake and stones, 
thence westerly two rods and ten feet to a stake 
and stones, thence northerly about seven rods 
to a stake and stones, thence Easterly about two rods 
and ten feet to the aforementioned road, thence 
Northerly by said road about six & half rods to a 
stake and stones, thence Southwesterly by land of 
ames Hildreth about thirty nine rods to a stake and 
stones, thence Southerly by said Hildreth land about 
four rods to a stake and stones at land of said Isaac
Spaulding, thence westerly on land of said Spaulding 
and ^land of^ Lucy Spaulding to the School lot, so called, to a 
stake and stones, thence west about 41° North by land 

[Volume 446, page 262]

of Samuel Scales & land of Solomon Green about one 
hundred and fourteen rods & two thirds of a rod to 
a stake and stones to a corner of land of Elisha Conant,
thence Northerly in a straight line by land of said 

Conant and land of Aaron Hildreth to a stake 
stones on the bank of the Squanicook River, thence
Easterly by said river as it formerly run, meaning
to follow the old channel of said river to the 

Clark Bridge, so called, across said river, thence 
Southerly by the road first mentioned to the bounds 
first mentioned, excepting the road passing through
said premises.  Also a certain other tract of
land situated in the Southerly part of said
Townsend on Babery hill, so called, bounded be-
ginning at the Southeast corner of the premises 

at land formerly owned by Henry Sanderson
at a stake and stones, thence North 60° west nine-
teen rods & 17-1/2 links by land formerly owned by said 

Sanderson to a stake & stones, thence north 30° 
East sixty five rods by land of Aaron Hildreth to 
a stake and stones, thence South 60° East nineteen 
rods & 17-1/2 links by land of Samuel Scales to a 
stake and stones, thence south 30° West sixty five 
rods by land of Solomon Everett to the bounds 
first mentioned.  Also Pew No. 8 in the Brick 
meeting house belonging to the Orthodox Congrega-
tional Church and Society in said Townsend, Being 
the same premises granted by the said Zachariah 
Hildreth to me by deed bearing even date here-
with.    To Have and to Hold the aforegranted 
premises to the said Zachariah Hildreth his heirs 
and assigns to his and their use and behoof forever 
and I do covenant with the said Zachariah Hil-
dreth his heirs & 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 in man-
ner aforesaid; and that I will warrant and de-
fend the same premises to the said Zachariah Hil-
dreth, his heirs and assigns forever against the
lawful claims and demands of all persons.

[Volume 446, page 263]

Provided nevertheless that if I the said Samuel
D. Baldwin, my heirs, executors & administrators
shall well and truly keep, perform and fulfil the
condition of a certain bond bearing even date
herewith given by the said Samuel D. to the said
Zachariah in the penal sum of two thousand
dollars conditioned by said Samuel D. in consid-
eration that the said Zachariah had conveyed to
said Samuel D. certain real estate being the home-
stead farm of said Zachariah situated in the
Southeasterly part of said Townsend, the said
Samuel D. should pay or cause to be paid satis-
fied & fully discharged one note running to Cushing
Wilder in the amount of one hundred and thirty
nine dollars dated December 20, 1842.  also one note
running to Ruth Emery to the amount of forty
dollars dated May 23, 1842.  Also one note running
to Milo Hildreth to the amount of twenty eight
dollars dated January 28, 1843 that the said Samuel
D. shall provide the said Zachariah Hildreth and
Hannah Hildreth wife of said Zachariah during
their joint lives & the life of the survivor of them suf-
ficient good firewood cut fit for the fire to support one
fire for all seasons of the year said wood to be delivered
free of expense to them at the dwelling house now
occupied by the said Zachariah and that the said
Samuel D. shall provide and furnish the said
Zachariah & Hannah during their joint lives &
the life of the survivor of them free of expense
with all kinds of provisions that may be necessary
& proper to their comfortable support & maintain-
ance, meaning to include flour & all kinds of grain,
meat, vegetables & west India goods & whatever
else may be necessary, proper and conducive
to their comfort and support in a way & manner
suitable to their rank and condition in life to be
furnished in such quantities and at such times
as they shall require for their support, & that
the said Samuel D. shall supply them with suitable
nursing & Doctoring whenever they shall need
the same, & Provide them all kinds of clothing

[Volume 446, page 164]

that they shall need suitable to their condition in
life.  It being understood however that if the
said Hannah shall survive her husband the
said Zachariah & shall demand her dower in his
estate & have the same set off to her the said
Samuel D. shall not be liable after her dower is
set off to furnish her the aforesaid supplies
the said Samuel D. shall also board and clothe &
school Moses Hildreth & Edward Hildreth until
each shall arrive at the age of sixteen years.
Also Harriet A. Hildreth until she is eighteen
years of age, all being children of said Zachariah
Hildreth if the said Zachariah shall request him
so to do, the said Samuel D. is to permit them to
attend all of the winter schools taught in the
district in which he resides & to be entitled to the
benefit of the labor of said children while they
are with him.  And that the said Samuel D.
shall permit the said Zachariah and his family
to occupy Pew No. 8 in the Brick Meeting House
in said Townsend during their lives and at all
times whenever they shall request him to furnish
them with a suitable horse and carriage to ride
to Meeting or wherever they shall wish to go.
And that the said Samuel D. shall pay to Eliz-
abeth Hildreth and to Harriet A. Hildreth the sum
of fifty dollars each to be paid to each when they
severally arrive at the age of twenty five years
or are married which ever event may first hap-
pen.  Now if the said Samuel D. shall well
& faithfully perform, keep and fulfil all and every
part of the condition of said bond & the agreement
therein contained according to the true interest
and meaning thereof, then this deed as also the
said Bond shall be void; otherwise be and
remain in full force and virtue.
 In witness whereof, I the said Samuel D.
Baldwin have hereunto set our hand and seal
this 24 day of April in the year of our Lord 
one thousand eight hundred and forty three.          
Signed, sealed and delivered }    Samuel D. Baldwin  {seal}

[Volume 446, page 265]

in presence of us                   }
James Hildreth                    }  Middlesex ss September 4 AD 1843
Elizabeth Hildreth              }  Then personally appeared the
above named Samuel D. Baldwin and acknowledged
the above Instrument to be his free act and deed
Before me, F. A. Worcester, Justice of the Peace.
Middlesesx ss.  July 6, 1844.  Rec^d & Recorded by
                                                 W^m F. Stone  Regr.
   
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 2 February 2019), Middlesex County, "Deeds, 1844, Vol. 446," Volume 446, pages 161-165 (images 84-86 of 298), Deed of Samuel D. Baldwin to Zachariah Hildreth, executed 24 April 1843, recorded 6 July 1844.


In this deed, Samuel D. Baldwin sells these two tracts of land in Townsend and the pew in the local church to Zachariah Hildreth for $2000 on 24 April 1843, if the conditions of a bond are not fulfilled.  
No acreage for the two plots of land is given, nor are boundary lengths for every segment of the metes and bounds, so it is not possible to calculate the acreage or to know the exact locqtion of the tracts.  The first tract is on both sides of the road from Henry Seeva's [Seaver] land to Lunenburg (the next town south of Townsend).  The second tract is on Baberry Hill south of the Squannicook River.  

On the same date in a previous deed, Zachariah and Hannah Hildreth sold these two tracts of land in Townsend and the pew in the local church to Samuel D. Baldwin of Townsend for $2,000 on 24 April 1843.  

Samuel D. Baldwin had married Clarissa Hildreth, daughter of Zachariah and Hannah Hildreth, on 15 May 1840 in Townsend.  So this is a daughter and her husband supporting her parents.  

The conditions include that Samuel D. Baldwin pays off three debts incurred by Zachariah Hildreth; that he provide Zachariah and Hannah Hildreth firewood, food, clothing and health care for the rest of their lives; that he support the three minor children of Zachariah; that he pay the two unmarried daughters money at age 25 or at marriage; and that he provide a horse and carriage to them whenever they need one. Basically, this is 19th century Social Security!

SZachariah Hildreth (1783-1857), who married Hannah Sawtell (1789-1857) in 1810, is my third great-grandfather.  I am descended from their son, Edward Hildreth (1831-1899) who married Sophia Newton  (1834-1923) in 1852.

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


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/2019/04/amanuensis-monday-1843-deed-of-samuel-d.html

Copyright (c) 2019, Randall J. Seaver


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3 comments:

Diane B said...

Well, this is a fabulous deed, Randy. I am related to almost everyone in there, especially Ruth (Sanderson) Emery and Lucy (Emery) Spaulding. The Spauldings ran that "School Lot" for several generations and some noted educators are descended from them. This is a great explanation of the neighborhood. Thanks for posting.

Randy Seaver said...

Hi Diane,

Small world, isn't it?

Do you know where the School Lot was located? If I recall correctly, it was to the north of the Hildreth lands along the road from Townsend to Lunenburg, and on the south side of the Squannacook river. Do you know what is on the School Lot now?

Diane B said...

These are good questions, Randy. I am anxious to look into this, but have not done so yet. Benjamin Spaulding's house was eventually sold on eBay and relocated. I'm not quite sure if it was next to the school lot or not. I'll look into it.
Diane