Monday, March 1, 2021

Amanuensis Monday -- 1684 Will of Joseph Boyce (1610-1695) of Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts

 This week's document for transcription is the 1684 will of Joseph Boyce (1610-1695) of Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, which is in Estate File 2929 in the Essex County Probate Court records. 

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The transcription of this will is:

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These may Guide to Understanding y't I Joseph Boyce
of Salem in the County of Essex in New England
Being of perfect memory Sooe for the Selling of
what Outward Estate god hath Given mee make
Constitute & or Dayne this my Last will & testa[torn]
In maner & forme as followeth
First I give & bequeath unto my Beloved w[torn]
Ellennor my whole Estate During her naturall[torn]
Life to her owne youse & at her Desease all [torn]
mooveable goods I give & Bequeath unto m[torn]
?? Sunn Joseph Boyce mary Southick heaster [torn]
& Ellizibeth Hanson my Dafters to bee[torn]
Devided betweene y'm each having an [torn]
Excepting w't is due to mee from [torn]
Curwin which I give & bequeath [torn]
Share of the Best to my Sun Joseph [torn]
Lastly I Give & Bequeath my now Dwelling house
& all the Lands there unto Belonging unto my
Grandsun Joseph Boyce y'e Eldest Sun of my Sun
Joseph Boyce after the Decease of my beloved
wife and to His Issue male after [torn]
if hee Desease without maale issue [torn]
Bengimin the Second Sun & his hea[torn]
& in Like maner to the thurd John [torn]
that is provided Eather of thease my g[torn]
befoare named that by this my will I am [torn]
shall L??? there father, my Sun Joseph B[torn]
have the Sole Bennefitt of the house & Land
During his naturall Life towards the Brin[torn]
up of his Children Excepting after my gra[torn]
whome I Give itto Com to age then there fath[torn]
to pay five shillings pr yeare unto him or his [torn]
heairs while hee Shalle Live & posses the [torn]
the house & Land as above s'd & I doe Bequeath[torn]
& Doe appoynt my frends John Smaul & George
Oakes to Bee overseers of this my Last will &
Testament Revoaking all other wills & Testaments
as witnes my hand this 4 ^day^ 9 ^month^ 1684.  The mark of
                                                                               Joseph X Boyce 3rd

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Essex Ss / Before the Hon'ble Barth'o Gedney Esq'r
Judge of probate &ca for s'd County
February y'e 18'th 1694/5

Roger Darby made oath that he Saw Joseph Boyce
Sen'r Signe the within written & heard him declare and
publish the same to be his last will & Testament and
that he was then of a disposing mind to his best under-
standing and that Samuel Shattock Sen'r ^was with & y'e Sam'l^
witns with him.
                                             Sworne attst ? Sewall Regr
upon w'ch Adminstracon is granted Cum testamente
annexo -                                         ? Sewall Reg'r

The source citation for this probate case file is:

Essex County, Massachusetts, Probate case files, Volume: Essex Cases 2000-3999, Estate File #2929 (40 images), Joseph Boyce estate, 1685; "Essex County (Massachusetts) Probate File Papers, 1638-1881," digital images, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014, American Ancestors  (https://www.americanancestors.org: accessed 6 February 2021); Digitized mages provided by FamilySearch.org from original records at Probate Registry, Cambridge, Mass. 

Joseph Boyce (1610-1684) married Eleanor Plover (1610-after 1684) in about 1633 in Oxfrdshire, England.  They had six children:

*  Joseph Boyce (1635-1635)
*  Mary Boyce (1637-1694), married 1653 Josiah Southwick (1628-1693).
*  Hester Boyce (1640-1722), married 1663 Daniel Southwick (1637-1718).
*  Elizabeth Boyce (164201689), married 1667 Tobias Hanson (1640-1693).
*  Joseph Boyce (1644-1709), married 1667 Sarah Meacham (1647-1704).
*  Benjamin Boyce (1647-1716), married 1667 Mary Allen (1648-1672).

Joseph Boyce died after 4 November 1684 and before 18 February 1694/5.  He wrote a will on 4 November 1684, which was proved in Essex County Probate Court on 18 February 1694/5.  It is not known when Eleanor (Plover) Boyce died.  

Joseph and Eleanor (Plover) Boyce are my 9th great-grandparents, through their son Joseph Boyce (1644-1709) who married Sarah Meacham (1647-1704) on 4 February1667 in Salem, 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."

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2021/03/amanuensis-monday-1684-will-of-joseph.html

Copyright (c) 2021, Randall J. Seaver

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