Amanuensis Monday -- 1725 Deed of Obadiah and Hannah Sawtell of Groton, Mass. to Son Hezekiah Sawtell (1703-1779)

This week's document for transcription is the 1725 land deed of Obadiah Sawtell (1648-1740) and wife Hannah Sawtell (1661-after 1726) of Groton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, selling land to Hezekiah Sawtell:

[Volume 25, pages 179-180]:

Volume 25, page 181-2:

The transcription of the deed is:

[Page 180, near top of the page]

To all People to whom this Deed of Sale Shall come Greeting Know ye That 

Obadiah Sawtell of Groton in the County of Middlesex in the province of the Massachu-

setts Bay in New England yeoman for and in Consideration of the Sum of three hundred pounds

of good and Currant money of New England to him in hand well and truly paid before

the Ensealing and delivery hereof by his son Hezekiah Sawtell of Groton aforesaid hus-

bandman the Receipt whereof to full Content and Satisfaction he doth hereby ackno-

ledge and himself therewith fully Satisfied and thereof and of every part thereof doth ful-

ly acquit release and discharge the said Hezekiah Sawtel his heirs and assigns forever

Hath given granted bargained and Sold and by these Presents doth with the free & full

Consent of Hannah his now married wife testified by her signing and sealing of this

Deed) fully freely clearly & Absolutely give grant bargain sell aliene Enfeoffe

convey and Confirm unto the said Hezekiah Sawtel and to his heirs and assigns for-

ever All that the houselott or homested belonging to the s'd Obadiah Sawtel situate

lying and being in the township of Groton afores'd on both sides the country Road

leading to Lancaster with the house and Barn thereon standing the said Land contain-

eth in the whole Thirty acres more or less and consisteth of upland meadow plow-

land woodland mowing land and Pasture land; one parcel whereof lyeth on the wester-

ly side of s'd country road & containeth about twenty two acres more of less and is bound-

ed Easterly to said Highway northeasterly by the Brook in Broad meadow as far as ^to^ the

place where the Ditch meets with the brook westerly by meadow of Jona' Paige to the

upland and then by the said broad meadow Southeasterly partly by land of Sam'l Barron

and part Southerly and Easterly by land now belonging to Josiah Sawtel a highway

going through some part of said land to broad meadow aforesaid.  The other parcel of

said houselott lying on the Easterly Side of said countrey Road containeth eight Acres

more or less and is bounded Westerly to the said countrey road Southwardly by Josiah

Sawtell as the fence stands and elsewhere by land and meadow which formerly be-

longed to Jonas Prescott Esq'r deced.  Also a parcel of upland and Swampy meadow-

land lying and being at a place called the Patches containing by Estimation forty

acres more or less and is all that which was laid out to and stands recorded in Groton

town record book to Richard and Obadiah Sawtel or either of them at the place afores'd bound-

ed Northerly by the highway and all other points by land formerly John Barron's and

Nicholas Hutchins and town Common or however otherwise bounded or reputed to be

bounded; also a five acre Right Share or Proportion in all the undivided Land

in Groton afores'd in all future Draughts and Divisions (being part of the twenty acre

Right which formerly belonged to Richard Sawtell deced).  To have and to hold

all and singular the above granted Land and premises with every part thereof to-

gether with all the buildings and fences thereon standing and being with the profits privileges &

appurtenances thereof to him the said Hezekiah Sawtell his heirs and assigns to his and their own

sole and proper use benefit and behoof forever.  And the said Obadiah Sawtel for himself his heirs

Execut's and admin'r doth covenant promise and grant to and with the said Hezekiah Sawtell his

heirs and assigns That at the time of the ensealing and delivery hereof he the said Obadiah Sawtel

is the only lawful owner of the abovegranted premises and is lawfully seiz'd thereof in his own

proper Right as of a good and indefeasable Estate of Inheritance in Fee simple having in

himself good Right full power and lawful authority so to dispose of the premises and that

the said Hezekiah Sawtel his heirs and assigns shall and may at all times forever hereafter

lawfully quietly and peaceably have hold up and enjoy the premises free and clearly dis-

charged of and from all former Gifts Grants bargains Sales Leases Conveyances Jointures

[page 181]

Extents and of and from all other Incumbrances Further the s'd Obadiah

Sawtell doth Covenant promise bind and oblige himself his heirs Execut'rs & adm'rs

to Warrant Secure and defend all the abovegranted Land and premises and the appurt-

tenances thereof unto the s'd Hezekiah Sawtel his heirs and assigns against the lawful

Claims and demands of all and every person and persons whomsoever forever by these

Presents.  In Witness whereof the said Obadiah Sawtell and Hannah Sawtell his

wife have hereunto set their hands and seals the twenty third day of March An-

no Domini 1723 in the Tenth year of his Maj's Reign.  Obadiah Sawtell his mark 'O' and Seal,

Hannah Sawtell her mark 'm' and Seal. Signed Sealed and delivered in presence of William

Shattuck his mark '+' Eleazer Green his mark 'E' Benj'a Prescott.  Middle'x February 17, 1724/5.

The within named Obadiah Sawtel with his wife the within named Hannah Sawtel both

personally appeared and acknowledged the within written Instrum't to be their voluntary

act and Deed Before me John Houghton Just'e of the Peace.

Middle'x Camb. Oct'o 23 1725 Receiv'd and Entre'd Ss Fra. Foxcroft Jun'r Reg'r.

The source citations for this probate case file is:

"Massachusetts, Land Records, 1620-1986," digital images, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 22 April 2021), Middlesex County, "Deeds 1724-1727, Vol 24-25," Volume 25, Pages 180-181 (images 474-5 of 760), Deed of Obadiah Sawtell to Hezekiah Sawtell, executed 23 March 1724/5, recorded 23 October 1725.

All of the lands of Richard Sawtell (1611-1694) in Groton were bequeathed to Obadiah Sawtell in his 1692 will.  Obadiah and Hannah (Lawrence) Sawtell are my 7th great-grandparents, married in about 1680 in Watertown, and they had 13 children.  Hezekiah Sawtell (1703-1779) was their 13th child, and is my 6th great-grandfather.  

At the time of the signing of this deed in February, 1724/5, Obadiah was age 76 and Hannah was age 62.  Hezekiah was age 22 and recently married.  All but one of the living children of Obadiah and Hannah Sawtell had married and several had bought or received land from their parents.  While it is not documented or conditioned in the deed, it is likely that Obadiah and Hannah continued living on their homestead with Hezekiah's family until their deaths.  

This is one of the three deeds I have found that name Hannah as Obadiah's wife after 1707.  I think that it is very likely she is Hannah (Lawrence) Sawtell (1661-after 1726) and the deed shows that she was alive on 17 February 1724/5 when she was present and signed the deed by mark.  A later deed was signed by Hannah on 28 September 1726.

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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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