Monday, January 25, 2021

Amanuensis Monday -- 1733 Will of Joseph Morse (1667-1733) of Marlborough, Massachusetts

 This week's document for transcription is the 1733 Will of Joseph Morse (1667-1733) of Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, which is in Estate File 15528 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

I Joseph Morse of Marlburrough sen'r in y'e County of Middl's in New England yeoman
being Aged and full of Pain but of sound mind and Disposing memory blessed be God therefor in and
by these Presents make this my Last will and Testament in manner and form as followeth -
Imp'rs I Will and bequeath my soul to God that Gave it and my Body to y'e earth to be Decently Buried at
the Discretion of my Executor Hereafter Named Hoping through the Death sufferings and Merrits of
my Great Redeemer to Receive it a spiritual Body in all Respects better filled and prepared for
my Lord and Master's service.
And as to y'e Worldly Goods God in his Rich and undeserved Bounty hath made me Possessor of
I Do Dispose of them in manner following.
1'st  I will and Bequeath unto my son Joseph in Adition to what I have Heretofore Given him by
deed and as his full part in mine inheritance Twelve Acres of Meadow Lying and being in that
comonly called Sedge Meadow and y'e upland thereunto Adjoining at y'e easterly end thereof, and
also five acres of Meadow on y'e easterly part of my Possession in that comonly called Broad Meadow
and also Three Acres in that comonly called spruce swamp adjoining therunto.
2'ly I Will and Bequeath unto my Grand children by my daughter Grace ^deceased^ one Hundred Pounds to be
paid unto them in equall parts as they shall become of full age.  And if it shall Happen that
any of my s'd Grandchildren should Decease before the Become of age as is afores'd, my Will is that
that his or her or their part be equally Devided amongst the survivors of them.
3'ly I Will and Bequeath unto my son in Law Jacob Hinds five Pounds in full of his part of my
Estate whatsoever.
4'ly I Will and Bequeath unto my Daughters Mary Elisabeth and Patience Three Hundred Pounds to
be Paid unto them fifty Pounds Each at y'e end of one year and an half Next after my Decease and
the other Part which is fifty pounds each to be paid unto them att three years End next
after y'e Decease of my Wife Grace, to be Paid unto them Respectively in Good and Lawfull
Bills of Creditt on the Province afores'd or in other species current with y'e Merchant at
Money price at y'e Respective Days and times of Payment.
5'ly I Will and Bequeath unto my Tender and Wellbeloved Wife Grace During the Time that
she shall Remain my Widow, the Continual Improvement of all and every Part of my
Buildings orchards fences Plowlands Meadows and the Continual Incomes from thence 
arising, which are not Heretofore by Deed, or by this my present will Disposed of.
6'ly I Will and bequeath unto my Wife afores'd all my Moveable Estate within my now
Dwelling house (Bonds excepted) and also one Horse Two Cowes and Four sheep
to be at her Dispose to any or all of my three Daughters above Named as she my said
Wife shall Judge most expedient.
7'ly  I Will and Bequeath unto my son Jonas all my Lands not Heretofore Disposed of Together
will all and singular the Buildings Fences orchards improvements and incomes from thence
from time to time and at all times ariseing to be with him and his assignes forever after
the time of my s'd Wife Grace shall Decease or cease to be my Widow.  Further my Will is
that from and after my Decease my cattle of what Kind soever and my money or Bonds for
money Together with my Tooles for Husbandry shall be and Remain unto my s'd son Jonas
forever.
Finally  I name and constitute my son Jonas afores'd to be sole Executor of this my Last
will and Testament Here'by Renouncing all former Wills and Do Declare this to be my Last
Will and Testament Declared signed and sealed this Ninth Day of Aprill Anno Domini
one thousand seven Hundred Thirty and Three and in the fifth year of y'e Reign of our
Soverein Lord George y'e second of Great Britain &c King.
Declared signed and sealed (the word Deceased was Hereunto anexed before sealing and Declaring
Hereof) in Presence of us Wittnesses
Samuel Biglo
Samuel Morss
Daniel Harington                                                       Joseph morse  {seal}

On 3 September 1733, Jonas Morse (the executor) and the three witnesses presented the will to the Middlesex County Probate Court and Jonas Morse was charged to faithfully execute the will of his father and to provide an account when required by Judge Jonathan Remington. 

The source citation for this probate case file is:

Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Probate case files, Volume: Middlesex 14000-15599, Estate File #15528 (4 images), Joseph Morse estate, 1733; "Middlesex County (Massachusetts) Probate Records, 1648-1871," digital images, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014, American Ancestors  (https://www.americanancestors.org: accessed 17 January 2021); Digitized mages provided by FamilySearch.org from original records at Probate Registry, Cambridge, Mass. 

Joseph Morse (1667-1733) married Grace Warren (1671-1753) on 20 January 1690 in Marlborough, Massachusetts.  They resided in Marlborough, and had six children:

*  Joseph Morse (1692-1756), married 1716 Abigail Barnes (1695-1741).
*  Grace Morse (1694-1731), married 1716 Jacob Hinds (1695-1764).
*  Mary Morse (1697-????), married 1719 James Maynard (1694-????).
*  Elizabeth Morse (1699-1774), married 1717 Benjamin Woods (1691-1740).
*  Jonas Morse (1703-1779), married 1735 Lucy Eager (1707-1802).
*  Patience Morse (1705-1776), married 1726 Jonathan Keyes (1702-1778).

There are only four papers in this Estate file - the cover, the will, the order to the executor to appear, and the approval of the will.  There is no inventory or account in this estate file.  

Joseph and Grace (Warren) Morse are my 7th great-grandparents, through their daughter Mary Morse (1697-????) who married James Maynard (1694-????) in about 1719. 

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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) 2021, Randall J. Seaver

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