This week's document for Amanuensis Monday is a 1788 deed of Simon Gates seloling land in Gardner, Massachusetts to Ephraim Pratt of Gardner in the Worcester County, Massachusetts Land Records:
The transcription of this deed is:
[page 426 on left-hand page of image]
[in top margin]
Gates Simon to Ephr^m Pratt
[body of text, handwritten text in italics]
To all People to whom these Pres-
ents shall come -- Greeting. Know ye, That I Simon Gates of Gard-
ner in the County of Worcester and Commonwealth of
Massachusetts Yeoman --
For and in consideration of the Sum of sixteen pounds
to me in Hand before the Ensealing hereof, well and truly paid by Ephraim
Pratt of said Gardner in the County and Commonwealth
abovesaid, Yeoman --
the Receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge and my self therewith fully satisfied and contented; and thereof
and of every Part and Parcel thereof, do exonerate, acquit, and discharge him the said Ephraim Pratt
& his Heirs, Executors, and Administrators, forever by
their Presents: Have Given, Granted, Bargained, Sold, Aliened, Conveyed, and Confirmed; and by these Presents, Do, freely
fully, and absolutely, Give, Grant, Bargain, Sell, alien, Convey, and Confirm, unto him the said Ephraim Pratt
and his Heirs and Assigns forever, a certain
tract of land situate lying and being in the Easterly part of the Town
of Gardner and is part of a third division lot number twenty
four and it begins at a stake and stones and it runs Northeast-
erly forty four rods to a maple from thence Southwesterly
twenty seven rods to a ^stake &^ stake & stones, from thence Northeaster-
ly fourteen rods to a stake & stones, from thence Southwesterly
thirty rods to a stake & stones, from thence straight to where it
first began. Containing in the whole eighteen acres be the
same more or less.
To Have and to Hold the said granted and bargained Premises, with all the Appurtenances, Privileges, and Commodities, to
the same belonging, or in any wise appertaining to him the said Ephraim Pratt & his
Heirs and Assigns forever. To his and their
only proper Use, Benefit and Behoof forever. And I the said Simon Gates
for myself Heirs, Executors,
and Administrators, do Covenant, Promise, and Grant, to and with the said Ephraim Pratt
& his Heirs and Assigns, that before the Ensealing hereof, I am the
true, sole, and lawful Owner of the above bargained Premises, and am lawfully seized and possessed of the same, in my own
proper Right, as a good, perfect, and absolute Estate of Inheritance in Fee Simple: And have in my self good Right,
full Power, and lawful Authority, to Grant, Bargain, Sell, Convey, and Confirm, said bargained Premises, in Manner as aforesaid:
And that the said Ephraim Pratt his Heirs, and Assigns, shall and
may, from Time to Time, and at all Times forever hereafter, by Force and Virtue of these Presents, lawfully, peaceably, and quietly,
Have, Hold, Use, Occupy, Possess, and Enjoy, the said demised and bargained Premises, with the Appurtenances, free and clear, and
freely and clearly, acquitted, exonerated, and discharged of, from all and all Manner of former or other Gifts, Grants, Bargains,
Sales, Leases, Mortgages, Wills, Entails, Jointures, Dowries, Judgments, Executions, or Incumbrances, of what Name or Nature
forever, that might in any Measure or Degree obstruct or make Void this present Deed.
Furthermore, Simon Gates --
for my self, Heirs, Executors, and Administrators, do Covenant and Engage the above demised Premises to him
the said Ephraim Pratt and his --
Heirs and Assigns, against the lawful Claims or Demands of any Person or Persons whatsoever, forever hereafter to Warrant, Secure
and Defend by these Presents. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty fourth day of November AD one
thousand seven hundred eighty eight.
Signed Sealed & Delivered } Simon Gates {seal}
in presents of us }
Abner Holden } Worcester ss Westminster November 24^th
David Nicholas Ju^r } 1788 - personally appeared Simon Gates
and acknowledged the above Instrument
to be his act & Deed
Before me Abner Holden Justice Peace
Rec^d Jan'y 21^st 1789 Entered & Exam^d pr Dan^l Clap 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 13 January 2015), Worcester County, "Deeds, 1788-1789, Vol. 104-105," Volume 105, Page 426, image 601 of 737, Deed of Simon Gates to Ephraim Pratt, executed 24 November 1788, recorded 21 January 1789; citing records in land offices and county courthouses, statewide in Massachusetts.
This deed is for a tract of 18 acres of land in Gardner, Massachusetts. Ephraim Pratt paid 16 pounds for this tract. This tract may be part of the 50 acre tract of land in Lot 24 that Simon Gates acquired from Silas Marshall in 1778.
Simon Gates (1739-1803), son of Amos and Mary (Hubbard) Gates, who married Susanna Reed (1745-1833) in 1766, is my 5th great-grandfather. I am descended from their son, Nathan Gates (1767-1830) who married Abigail Knowlton (1774-1855) in 1790.
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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."
Copyright (c) 2019, Randall J. Seaver
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