This week's document for transcription is the 1716 Will of Thomas Brigham (1641-1716) of Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, which is in the Middlesex County Probate Court records.
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The transcription of this will is:
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In the Name of God amen This Twenty first day of april Anno domini one Thousand seven hundred and sixteen & in the second
year of the Reigne of our sovereign Lord George of Great Britian &c King, I Thomas Brigham of the town of Marlborough in the County
of Middlesex in the province of the Massachusets Bay in New England yeoman being very weak of body but of perfect mind & memory
praised by God for it Knowing that it is apoynted for man once to dy do make and ordain this my Last will & Testament. First I
bequeth my Soul into the hands of Almighty God my maker hoping that through the merritorious Death of Jesus Christ my only Saviour
to know the free pardon of all my sins. And my Body to be Buried in Christian Like Decent & Comly maner at the Discreation
of my hereafter Named Executors. And as for such worldly Estate as it hath pleased God to bless me with hear in the world
I Give and Dispose of the same in the maner and form following. Item I will and Give to my son Elnathan Brigham and to his
heirs Three acres of Land in Etten farm next adjoyning to the seven acres I have Given him by Deed Lying side by side with it
And also Twelve acres of Land in sd farm som where towards the uper end of the sd farm. Item I will and Give unto my
two sons Nathan Brigham and Jonathan Brigham and to there heirs all that part of my Etten farm that Lies on the Easterly side of
Assabeth River Except what I have Given to my son Elnathan Brigham. Item I will and give unto my Two sons Nathan Brigham
& Jonathan Brigham and to their heirs Twenty two acres of the thirty acres that is Laid out to me in Etton farm
to have it on the southerly end of the sd Thirty acres And also the pece of Land that Joyne to it on the westerly side. Item I will and
Give unto my two sons David Brigham and Gershom Brigham & to their heirs Eight acres of the thirty that is Laid out to me in
Etten farm to have it on the northerly End of the sd Thirty acres And also all the Rest of my Etton farm that Lies on the
westerly side of Assabeth River I give to the sd David Brigham & Gershom Brigham & to their heirs Except what is given to
others of my Children. Item I Give unto my son David Brigham & to his heirs all my meadow in the barneker meadow and Brook
meadow. Item my will is that all my Books be Equaly Devided amongst all my Children. Item I will and Give unto my Daughter
Mary Houghton the wife of Jonas Houghton jun'r of Lancaster the feather bed I Ly upon with all the furnituer to it ...
And I give unto my Daughter Mary Houghton above s'd one Cow and my Great Brass Kittle that is my son Jonathan and all my
movable Goods within Doors viz Brass Iron & pewter with all my utensels in the house Except my part in the Barrels and
Except Likewise some particular things that I have or shall Dispose of to som particular persons. Item I Give unto my
Daughter Mary Houghton afore mentioned & to her heirs Thirty six pounds in mony to be paid by my sons as followeth: Twenty
pounds to be paid to her or to her heirs by my son Gershom Brigham within three years after my deceas at three several payments
viz six pounds thirteen shillings & four pence a year. And ten pounds to be paid to her or to her heirs by my son David Brigham
within two years after my Deceas. And fourty Shillings to be paid to her y by son Nathan Brigham. And fourty Shillings to be
paid to her by my son Jonathan Brigham. And fourty Shillings to be paid to her by my son Elnathan Brigham these three Last
to be paid to her or to her heirs within one year after my Deceas. Item I will and give unto my two sons David Brigham and
Elnathan Brigham my Lot of Cedar swamp that is in Chancy Swamp. Item I will and Give unto my son Gershom Brigham all
my utensels for Husbandry. And one half of my Lot of seder swamp in Cran swamp. And also my part in the barrels. Item I will
and Give unto my Daughrer Mary Brigham the wife of Jonathan Brigham the Twenty Shillings which John Emes oweth me. Item my
will is that all my Cattle and horses be Equaly devided amongst all my Children Except what I shall dispose of in my Life time.
Item I Give unto my son Jonathan Brigham my bigest Brass Kittle here in the house. Item I Do hereby Constatute ordain & apoynt
my Three Sons Nathan Brigham Jonathan Brigham & Gershom Brigham to be my Executors of this my Last Will and Testament
Revoking & disalowing of all other wills & Testaments whatsoever Rattefying and Confirming this to be my Last will and
Testament in wittness whereof I the s'd Thomas Brigham have here unto put my hand and fixed my seal the day
and year above written.
Item my will further is that if there be any part of my Estate Ether Real or personal be Left
undisposed of which at present I have not thought off that it be Equaly devided amongst all my children
these Lines were writen before signing and sealing.
Signed sealed and Delivered
in presence of
Wittnesses Gersom How Thomas Brigham {seal}
Ephraim How
Jn'o Banister
Eliazar How
The source citation for this probate case file is:
Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Probate case files, Volume: Middlesex 2000-3399, Estate File #2703 (5 images), Thomas Brigham estate, 1717; "Middlesex County (Massachusetts) Probate Records, 1648-1871," digital images, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014, American Ancestors (https://www.americanancestors.org: accessed 16 January 2021); Digitized mages provided by FamilySearch.org from original records at Probate Registry, Cambridge, Mass.
Thomas Brigham (1641-1716) married Mary Rice (1648-1698) on 27 December 1665 in Marlborough, Massachusetts. They resided in Marlborough, and had nine children:
* Thomas Brigham (1667-1683).
* Nathan Brigham (1671-1747), married 1692 Elizabeth Maynard (1664-1733).
* David Brigham (1673-1674).
* Jonathan Brigham (1675-1768), married 1696 Mary Fay (1674-1751).
* David Brigham (1678-1750), married 1709 Mary Lennardson (1674-1748).
* Gershom Brigham (1680-1749), married 1703 Mehitable Warren (1684-1749).
* Elnathan Brigham (1683-1758), married 1705 Bethiah Ward (1681-1765).
* Priscilla Brigham (1685-1685).
* Mary Brigham (1687-1748), married 1710 Jonas Houghton (1682-1739).
Thomas Brigham died testate on 25 November 1716. The will was proved in Middlesex County Probate Court on 1 January 1717/8. The six living heirs wrote articles of agreement that the estate included a ten acre right to land in Marlborough, and that 4 acres should be given to Jonathan Brigham and 6 acres of Elnathan Brigham.
Thomas and Mary (Rice) Brigham are my 8th great-grandparents, through their son Nathan Brigham(1671-1740) who married Elizabeth Maynard (1664-1733) in about 1692.
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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/2021/01/amanuensis-monday-1716-will-of-thomas.html
Copyright (c) 2021, Randall J. Seaver
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