Amanuensis Monday -- 1707 Will of Robert Herrington (1616-1707) of Watertown, Massachusetts

 This week's document for transcription is the 1707 will of Robert Herrington (1616-1707) of Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, which is in Estate File 10459 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 Robert Herrington of Watertown in y'e County of Midd'x in her Majesties Province of the Massachuset Bay in New England y't being weakly in body but

in sound & disposing memory, Praise be given to god for y't some, do make this my last will & testament in manner & form following & (that is to say) first and

Principally I resign my soul into y'e mercyfull hands of almighty god my Creator, assuredly hoping through y'e merits of my blessed Saviour to obtaine

pardon & remission of all my sins, and my body I commit to y'e earth, whence it was taken, to be decently buried by the discretion of my executors herein

after named, and as for y'e worldly goods & estate the lord hath lent me, I dispose thereof as followeth.

Impr  I give & bequeath to my eldest son John Herrington the one moyetie or halfe part of the farm land which I Purchased of Mr. Jeremiah Dumer

Esqr, the Southwest end of s'd farmland be the same more or less, to be parted as afores'd, also y't one third part of my meadowland which I purchased

of Mr. Sam'll Saltonstall, be the same more or less to him & his heirs forever.

2ly  I give and bequeath to my son Daniell Herrington one farme containing by estimation one hundred & five acres which I purchased of the

Lawrance Waters and ten acres of meadow, be it more or less, Purchased of Mr. Sam'll Saltonstall, to him & his heirs forever.

3ly  I give & bequeath to my son Benjamin Herrington fifty five acres of farm land on which his now dwelling house now stands, be the same more or less,

and also eight acres of meadow land lying within y'e limits & bounds of Sudbury, by me Purchased of M'r Roger Wellington, and Benjamin Wellington, 

and also fower acres of meadowland by y'e same more or less, Purchased of Lawrance Waters, to him & his heirs for ever.

4ly  I give & bequeath to my son Samuel Herrington one hundred & ^twenty^ & five acres of Farmeland whereon his now Dwelling house standeth being a part of the

farmeland abves'd purchased of M'r Jerimiah Dumer Esq'r being the southeast part of s'd farme, be the same more or less, and the meadow

lying in it, called & commonly known by y'e name of Brown's meadow, to him & his heirs for ever.

5ly  I give & Bequeath to my son Thomas Herrington my farm Purchased of David Church containing by estima'n fifty eight acres  be y'e same more or less

and also the third part of my meadowland Purchased of M'r Sam'll Saltonstall, be the same more or less and twenty acres of land called land in low

of Township Purchased of Lawrance Waters, to him and his heirs for ever.

6ly  I give and bequeath to my youngest son Edward Herrington & to his heirs and assigns for ever (he hath under god been the stay of my old age) 

the homestall containing by estimation six acres, be the same more or less, with one mansion house two barnes mill house and cyder works, and

orchards on s'd land, also my lot of Plowland on Watertown little plaine containing by estimation eighteen acres be it more or less and is bounded

Southerly at the highway and easterly with a highway, northerly w'th the Contrey Road leading thro'h s'd town to Sudbury and westerly w'th y'e land of

Sam'll Hager, also twelve acres of upland and meadowland purchased of Nath'll Treadeway with y'e land purchased of Capt. Benja'n Gearfield

adjoyning to s'd land be the whole more or less, and is bounded Easterly and northerly with y'e lands of M'r Abraham Brown, westerly with y'e

lands of y'e aboves'd Capt. Gearfield, southerly with a town highway and northerly w'th y'e aboves'd Contrey Road, also five acres and seven score and fower

Rods purchased of Lawrance Waters, bounded northerly with y'e land of y'e aboves'd M'r Abraham Brown, easterly with y'e land of M'r Ben'n South

with a highway and w'th y'e aboves'd Robert Herringtons land, also thirty acres & a halfe of land purchased of M'r Ric'd Norcrosss, also  eigh acres

of meadowland by me Purchased of Capt. Jn'o Sherman, be it more or less, and also all my movable estate within doors or withough as well as what

is due to me by bils or bond as well as all other due to ^me^ any way belonging, or in any wise in right appertaining.

7ly  I give and bequeath to my eldest Daughter Susanna Beere forty pounds in Chattles or other movables at money prices to be paid to her

out of that part of the movables by me given to my aboves'd Son Edward within one year after my Deceas by my executors.

8ly  I give and bequeath to my Daughter Mary Bemis forty pounds in movables at money Prices to be paid to her by ^my^ Executors 

within two years after my Deceas out of y't movable estate willed to my son Edward.

9ly  I give and bequeath to my Daughter Sarah Winship forty pounds out of my movables at money prices to be paid to her by my

Executors within three years after my Deceas out of y'e movables willed to my son Edward, and also my will is that of the s'd movables will not

amount to pay my three aboves'd Daughters forty pounds a peice to each and every of them then my will is that my s'd son Edward make

payment of y'e sum to ???? them their full proportion in money out of y'e estate willed to him.

10ly  I Give and bequeath to my Grandchild Joseph Herrington son of my son Joseph Herrington Deced five acres of meadow land by me

Purchased of Phebe Barnard to be delivered to him if he live to the age of twenty one years by my executor.

11ly  I give unto my Daughter-in-law Joanna Ward (late y'e wife of my aboves'd Son Joseph Herrington Deced) five shillings in money to be paid

her by my Executor within two months after my Deceas.

12ly my will is that if my son Benjamin Herrington afores'd doe pay all my funerall Charges, I will unto him the meadow land, that is to

say) the remaining part being five acres which was purchased of Phebe Barnard afores'd, the whole being ten acres, and also the

twelve acres of land by me purchased of Sam'll Waters.

And moreover my will is that all my lands willed as aboves'd shall not be sould or disposed to any Person or Persons but into the name

or Posterity of the Herringtons aboves'd, also my will is that if any of my aboves'd Children shall in words or actions do any

thing to contradict this my last will & testament, what I have above willed to them shall be equally  Divided between

them that shall take up sattisfyed with my will as aboves'd, and my will is that what of my estate is not willed after all my

Just debts legacies and funerall charges being p'd my will is to equally divided between my executors. And I doe nominate

appoint and ordaine my above named Son Daniel Herrington and my Son Edward Herrington my Sole Executors

to so this my last will & testement performe makeing null and voide all former or other wills by me heretofore made.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this first day of January, one thousand seven hundred fower

and in the third year of her Majesties Reign Anne by the grace of God over England &c Queen.

Sealed Published and owned

In the presence of with memo  of the word                                Robert herrington   {seal}

(twenty) interlined between the fourteenth and

fifteenth lines before signing & Sealing of these

??? ??? ????                            Middles'x Ss John Leverett Esq'r Judge of the Probate of Wills &c

            his                               Simon Taynter Abraham Brown & Munnings Sawin  

Simon  S  Tayntor                 prsonally appearing before me made oath that they were

           mark                            present & did see Robert Herrington Sign & Seal & heard

Abra'm Brown                      him publish & declare the above written Instrumen't as his 

Munings Sawin                    Last Will & Testam't.  That when he did so he was to these

                                              Depon'ts Apprehension of sound & disposing mind, and that

                                              they set their hands hereunto as Witnesses in the

                                              presence of the Testato'r.

                                             ????? June 3'd 1707                     Jud'i Cor.  JLeverett.

The source citation for this probate case file is:

Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Probate case files, Volume: Middlesex Cases 10000-11999, Estate File #10459 (5 images), Robert Herrington estate, 1707; "Middlesex County (Massachusetts) Probate File Papers, 1648-1871," digital images, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014, American Ancestors  (https://www.americanancestors.org: accessed 28 February 2021); Digitized mages provided by FamilySearch.org from original records at Probate Registry, Cambridge, Mass. 

Robert Harrington (1616-1707), married Susanna George  (1631-1694) on 10 October 1648 in Watertown.  They had 13 children:

*  Susannah Harrington (1649-1708), married (1) 1671 John Cutting (1649-1689); (2) 1690 Eleazer Beers (1644-1691); (3)  1704 Peter Cloyse (1640-1708).

*  John Harrington (1651-1741), married 1681 Hannah Winter (1685-1741)

*  Robert Harrington (1653-1676).

*  George Harrington (1655-1676)

*  Daniel Harrington (1657-1728), married 1681 Sarah Whitney (1654-1720).

*  Joseph Whitney (1659-1691), married 1688 Joanna Mixer (1666-1725)

*  Benjamin Harrington (1662-1754), married 1684 Abigail Bigelow (1664-1754)

*  Mary Harrington (1664-1716), married 1680) John Bemis (1659-1732).

*  Thomas Harrington (1665-1712), married 1686 Rebecca Bemis (1654-1712).

*  Samuel Harrington (1666-1712), married 1691 Grace Livermore (1671-1703).

*  Edward Harrington (1669-1736), married 1692 Mary Ockington (1669-1725).

*  Sarah Harrington (1671-1710), married 1689 Joseph Winship (1661-1725).

*  David Harrington (1673-1675).

Robert died 17 May 1707 in Watertown, and his will was proved on 3 June 1707 in Middlesex County Probate Court in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  In his will, Robert Harrington mentioned all ten of his living children.The only other record in the estate file is an inventory, wherein the movable estate was apprised at about £230 and the real estate at £730.

Robert and Susanna (George) Harrington are my 8th great-grandparents, through their son Edward Harrington (1669-1736) who married Mary Ockington (1669-1725) in 1692 in Watertown, 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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