Monday, June 27, 2022

Amanuensis Monday -- 1865 Will of Elizabeth Seaver in Middlesex County, Massachusetts

 This week's document for transcription is from the 1828 Middlesex County, Massachusetts Probate Court estate papers for the intestate estate of Susanna Seaver (1754-1828) of Newton, Massachusetts.

a)  Middlesex County, Massachusetts Probate Court Records - Case File 41272, image 2 of 21:

b)  Middlesex County, Massachusetts Probate Court Records - Case File 41272, image 3 of 21:

The transcription of these pages is:

Be It Remembered That I
Elizabeth Seaver of Townsend in the County
of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massa-
chusetts being as I trust of sound disposing
mind and memory but calling to mind
the uncertainty of Life do make and publish
this my last will and testament.

First.  I revoke all wills by me heretofore made.
Second.  I give and bequeath to my sister Lydia
Warren of said Townsend the sum of three hundred
dollars.
Third.  I give and bequeath to my nephew John
A. Warren of said Townsend the sum of one
hundred dollars.
Fourth.  I give, devise and bequeath to my niece
Mary E. Whitcomb wife of Jefferson Whitcomb of
said Townsend all the rest and residue of my
estate both real and personal wherever the same
may be found and however bounded and described,
to have and to hold the same to her the said Mary
E. Whitcomb her heirs and assigns forever free
from the interference or control of her husband
(but it is my desire that she the said Mary E. Whitcomb
shall kindly care for my sister the above named Lydia
Warren and in the event the sum I have bequeathed to the
said Lydia should prove insufficient for her maintanance
I trust all her wants will be provided for her by the said
Mary E. Whitcomb).

Fifth.  I ordain and appoint my nephew-in-law Jef-
ferson Whitcomb of said Townsend to be the executor
of this my last will and testament.

In Testimony Whereof I the said Elizabeth Seaver
have hereunto set my hand and seal and
have published and declared this to
be my last will and testament on this
tenth day of October in the year of
our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty four.
                                                Elizabeth Seaver {seal}

Signed, sealed, published and declared
by the within named Elizabeth Seaver as
and for her last will and testament
in the presence of us, who, at her request,
and in her presence, and in presence of each
other, have set our names hereto as subscri-
bing witnesses.
                                                  Stillman Haynes
                                                 Noah Ball
                                                 Huldah Ball

The source citation for this probate record is:

Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Probate case files, Case file 41272 (21 images), Elizabeth Seaver of Townsend, 1865; "Middlesex County (Massachusetts) Probate File Papers, 1648-1871," digital images, New England Historical and Genealogical Society, American Ancestors  (https://www.americanancestors.org: accessed 12 June 2022).

The estate file for the intestate probate of Elizabeth Seaver (1786-1865) contains 21 pages, including:

*  images 2-3, The Will of Elizabeth Seaver
*  5 September 1865:  images 4-7, petition for probate, citation and decree
*  5 September 1865:  image 8, order to publish notice in newspapers
*  23 September 1865: image 9, executor's affidavit for value of estate
*  26 September 1865:  images 10-11, executor's bond
*  2 October 1865:  images 12-13, executor's affidavit of appointment
*  21 October 1865:  images 14-17, executor's inventory - $534.86 in personal property, $1600 in real property
*  4 September 1866:  images 18-21, executor's account.

Elizabeth Warren was born 22 May 1786 in Mason, New Hampshire, the daughter of Henchman and Esther (Taylor) Warren.  She married 13 October 1810 in Mason to Jesse Seaver (1786-1859) of Townsend, Massachusetts.  He died 18 December 1859 in Townsend.  They had one child, Sarah E. Seaver (1832-???) who was not alive in 1850.

There are three heirs named in the will of Elizabeth Seaver:

*  Lydia Warren (1783-1867), a sister to Elizabeth, who received a bequest of $300.
*  John A. Warren (1830-1899), a nephew of Elizabeth's through her brother Jonathan Warren (1782-1842), who received a bequest of $100.
*  Mary E. Whitcomb (1825-1890), a niece of Elizabeth's through her brother Jonathan Warren, who married Jefferson Whitcomb (1829-1882) in 1855.  Mary E. Whitcomb received the balance of the estate, including all of the real estate.  Jefferson Whitcomb was named executor of the estate of Elizabeth Seaver.  

Elizabeth (Warren) Seaver (1754-1828) was the wife of Jesse Seaver, who was my 4th cousin 6 times removed, with our common Seaver ancestor being Robert Seaver (1608-1683) of Roxbury, 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."

Read other transcriptions for records of my ancestors at Amanuensis Monday Posts.

Copyright (c) 2022, Randall J. Seaver

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1 comment:

Susie Q said...

Hope your recovery is going well. Amazing what you can still accomplish......