Monday, December 7, 2020

Amanuensis Monday -- 1705 Will and Inventory of John Houghton (1647-1705) of New London, Conn.

 This week's document for transcription is the 1705 Will and estate Inventory of John Houghton (1647-1705) of New London, Connecticut Colony, which is in the New London County Probate Court records. 

[pages 310-311]

[pages 312-313]

The transcription of this will is:

[page 310, near the bottom of page]

I, John Houghton of New London being sick and weak of body but through
the goodness of god of perfect memory and good understanding doe
make this my last Will and Testament.  Revoking and making void

[page 311]

others.
First, I give and bequeath my soul to god, Beseeching him in his mercy to receive it, for
his meritts sake of Jesus Christ his only Son.  And my body to the ground to be buried
desently.  And what of the good things of this world god hath bestowed on me, I dispose
of them as followeth.
Item.  I will that all my just debts and funeral charges be first paid and discrayed.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Sons Obadiah and Makepeace my youngest son being
all the Sons that I have by my now wife Ruth, a parcell of Land lying and being
at Cascoe Bay, being all that was given me by my now wife's father, John Browne
and to their heirs forever.  But in case they should dye without issue, then the
sand Land I will to my two daughters which I have by my now wife named
Hannah and Abiall and to their heirs forever.
Item.  All the rest of my Estate not above disposed on which only is moveable
Estate and but a small sum, I give and bequeath unto my well beloved wife
Ruth, to be improved by her for and toward the bringing up of my four children
the youngest four, namely Obadiah, Makepeace, Hannah and Abiall, and also
for hero wn relief if alsoe see cause to give a reason why I have not in this my
last will given legacies to the rest of my children, it is not out of any ill will or
for want of love and respect, they are all alike dear unto me, But chiefly because
there is no Real estate save only the small matter of land above mentioned given
to my youngest sons which came by my now wife, and a small matter of move-
able Estate.  And also that the other of my children are in some capacity to get
their living being brought up, and these four youngest unable to help themselves.
And I alsoe doe give my now wife Ruth full power to dispose of all my children
namely John and Samuel and all the rest of my children until they come of
age at her discretion after my decease.
Lastly, I doe appoint and constitute my well beloved wife Ruth my sole Executrix
to this my last will and testament.  And in testimony that this is my last will
and testiment, and in testimony I declare it by setting hereunto my hand
and Seal this 25'th day of March 1704.
Signed and sealed
in the presence of us                                             John Houghton {seal}
Joshua Bill
C. Luiver Davis
Sam Chester

Joshua Bill appeared in a Court of Probate in New London June the 6, 1705
and made solemn Oath that he saw John Horton sign and seal the above
written Instrument and heard him declare it to be his last Will and Testament
and that then he the said Houghton was of a sound and disposing mind and
memory to the best of his understanding and that he set to his hand as a wittness.
                                                                   Test. George Denison
                                                                           County Clerk.
Capt Samuell Chester appeared in a Court of Probate held in New London November 6
1705 and made Oath that he also saw John Houghton sign seal and heard him
declare the above written will to be his last will and that to the best of his
knowledge he was sound in his Reason & understanding and that he set to his
name as a wittness to it.
                                                                   Test. George Denison, Clerk.

[page 312]

The within written will was Recorded in the 3'd Book of Wills for the County
of New London on fol. 64 this 16'th of November 1705.
                                                                   pr George Denison
                                                                                Clerk of Probate.

The Inventory of the Estate John Houghton deceased, and a true prisal taken by us
ye date followeth                                                                      £     s     d
Eitem his waring clothes prised at ......................................... 1   10   00
Eitem to books .......................................................................      08   00
Eitem to one Gun ...................................................................      08   00
Eitem to one warming pan .....................................................      19   06
Eitem to ten pounds of wooling yarn ..................................... 4   10   00
Eitem to two beds and beding ................................................ 1   03   00
Eitem to Chest and boxes a table & chairs ............................       03   00
Eitem to a wooling wheel & a Linen wheel ..........................       10   00
Eitem to 2 pots one brass kettle and a pail ............................       18   00
Eitem to 3 puter platters 3 basons 1 quart pot & other dishes  5  00   00
Eitem to 12 Sheep and 16 lambs ...........................................      12   00
Eitem to 2 Swine & four pigs ................................................      13   00
Eitem to fourteen pound of Sheeps wool ..............................      10   00
Eitem to 2 axes and 2 hoes, a pr of beetle rings ....................      10   00
Eitem to Iron & heater & a pr of fire tongs ...........................      08   00
Eitem to a Sadle and a Bridle ................................................      08   00
                                                                                                18  10   06
An old horse ..........................................................................      15   00

N. London June 4, 1705               James Morgan Jun.
                                                      James Avery Jun.

Ruth Houghton widow and relict of John Houghton late of New London deceased,
appeared at a Court of Probate held in New London November the 6'th 1705 and
made Oath that she gave in to the apprizers a true and just account of the
Estate f her deceased husband and that if anything further appear to be
his Estate that is considerable Shee will add it to this Inventory.
                                                                           Test. George Denison
                                                                                            Clerk.
Recorded in the 3'd Book of Wills for New London County on fol. 64 this
16th of November 1705.
                                                                            pr George Denison
                                                                                Clerk of Probate.

The source citation for this probate case file is:

Connecticut, Probate Court (New London District), "Probate Records, 1675-1916," on 25 microfilm reels, Volume A-B (p.1-185) 1675-1716, Volume A, pages 310-312 (stamped) (images 439-440 of 731), estate of John Houghton, New London, 1705; FHL microfilm on FHL Microfilm US/CAN 1,311,924, Item 2.

John Haughton (1647-1705) married (1) Hannah  --?-- in about 1675, perhaps in Boston.  There is no record that provides Hannah's name at the time of marriage.  They had four children, all probably born in Boston:

*  Hopestill Horton (ca 1674-1734), married 1698 Ebenezer Snow (1680-1725).
*  Dorothy Horton (ca 1680-1738), married 1701 David Doane (1674-1748).
*  Samuel Horton (ca 1686-1778), married 1714 Hannah Atwood (1686-1771).
*  John Horton (ca 1688-1710).

John Haughton married, in about 1694 probably in Boston, 2) Ruth Browne (1668-????), daughter of John and Hester (Makepeace) Browne of Marlborough, Massachusetts.  They had four children, the first two probably born in Newbury, Massachusetts and the next two probably born in New London, Connecticut:

*  Obediah Haughton (ca 1695-1773), married 1719 Mary Leverick.
*  Makepeace Haughton (ca 1696-1773), married 1725 Joanna Coffin (1701-1781)
*  Hannah Haughton (1700-????)
*  Abiall Haughton (1703-????)

John Houghton of New London wrote a will on 25 March 1704 which was proved in the New London County Probate Court on 16 November 1705.  In the will, he appointed his wife Ruth to be executrix of his estate, and bequeathed his entire estate to his present wife, Ruth, for her support and care of their children.  He also bequeathed land in Cascoe Bay given to him by his wife's father, John Browne, to his youngest sons Obadiah and Makepeace Houghton, and if they do not survive, then to his daughters Hannah and Abiell by Ruth.   He mentions his older sons John and Samuel [in Eastham at this time], and "other children," and leaves it to Ruth's discretion to give them some of the personal estate.  The will was witnessed by Joshua Bills, C. Luiver Davis and Samuel Chester.  

An inventory of the estate of John Houghton was taken on 4 June 1705 by James Morgan and James Avery.  The inventory totals £19-5s-6d.

John and Hannah (--?--) Haughton are my 7th great-grandparents, through their son Samuel Horton (1686-1788) who married Hannah Atwood (1686-1771) in 1714 in Eastham, Massachusetts.

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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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Copyright (c) 2020, Randall J. Seaver

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