This week's document for transcription is the 1804 Deed of David and Martha Kirby of Westport. Massachusetts selling 80 acres of land to Benjamin Devol in Westport, Bristol County, Massachusetts for $1,400.
a) Bristol County, Massachusetts, Deeds 1802-1804, Pages 446-447, Image 228 of 861
b) Bristol County, Massachusetts, Deeds 1802-1804, Pages 448-449, Image 229 of 861
The transcription of this deed (with help from FamilySearch Full-Text Search, with some errors corrected) is:
[Page 447, Starting above the middle of the right-hand page of the image]
Know all Men by these Presents That We David Kirby & Martha Kirby
both of Westport in the County of Bristol & Commonwealth of Massachusetts
being Husband & wife in consideration of Fourteen Hundred Dollars
paid by Benjamin Devol of the Town & County afores'd Yeoman the Re-
ceipt whereof we do hereby acknowledge, do hereby give grant sell & convey
unto the said Benjamin Devol, a certain undivided half of a Farm
situate in Westport afores'd containing about eighty acres in the
whole of the Farm be the same more or less & is all that farm which
Benjamin Sowle late of Westport dec'd bought of the Heirs of Joshua
Richmond dec'd which s'd Benjamin Sowle who was the father of the s'd
Martha Kirby did in his last Will & Testament give unto her the one
half of s'd Farm with all the Buildings & priviledges thereto belonging;
unto her & her Heirs & Assigns forever: which s'd Farm is bounded Northerly
partly on Land belonging to Sylvester Brownell & partly on land belonging
to Joseph Brownell, Westerly on Land belonging to the s'd Sylvester & Joseph
& Southerly partly on the s'd Sylvesters Land & partly on the Grantors land
& Easterly partly on a pond & partly on the s'd Sylvesters land, which s'd
undivided half with all the Buildings & priviledges thereto belonging,
that is all the Right, title & Interest which we have to s'd Farm we do here-
by sell & convey. To Have and To Hold the afore granted premises
to the s'd Benjamin Devol his Heirs and Assigns to his & their Use
& Behoof forever. And we do covenant with the s'd Benjamin Devol his Heirs
& Assigns, that we are lawfully seized in fee of the aforegranted Premises;
That they are free of all Incumbrances; That we have good Right to sell
& convey the same to the s'd Benjamin Devol And that we will warrat
& defend the same premises to the s'd Benjamin Devol to his Heirs &
Assigns forever, against the lawful Claims & Demands of all Persons.
In Witness whereof we the s'd David Kirby & Martha Kirby have here-
unto set our Hands & Seals this thirty first day of March, in the year
of our Lord One Thousand eight Hundred & four.
Signed sealed and delivered David Kirby {s}
in presence of us. Martha X Kirby {s}
her mark
[Page 448, Conitnuing at the top of the left-hand page of the image]
Abner Brownell
Dorothy Brownell
Bristol s.s. Westport , March 31. 1804. Then the above named David
Kirby & Martha Kirby acknowledged the above Instrument to be their
free act & Deed Before me.
Abner Brownell Just of Peace .
Received April 18. 1804, And recorded by James Williams, Reg'r.
A true copy from Book 83. Pages 412 and 413 of Bristol Co. No. Dist. Land
Records. Attest: Emma E. Pray, Examiner
The source citation for this deed is:
"Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States land records," Deed of David and Martha Kirby to Benjamin Devol, executed 31 March 1804, recorded 18 April 1804; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99Z7-5WV4?view=fullText : accessed 24 July 2026), Image Group Number: 007451276, "Bristol Deeds, 1802-1804," pages 447-448, images 228-229 of 861; original papers at Bristol County (Massachusetts) Register of Deeds.
By this record it appears that David and Martha Kirby sold 80 acres of land in Westport to Benjamin Devol for $1,400. The land was bequeathed to Martha (Sowle) Kirby by her father, Benjamin Sowle. The parcel was bounded by lands of Sylvester Brownell, Joseph Brownell and David Kirby.
David Kirby (1740-1832) married Martha Sowle (1743-1828) in 1763 and they had two children. They are my 5th great-grandparents through their daughter Sibel Kirby (1764-1848) who married Humphrey Wite (1757-1814) in 1786.
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Read other transcriptions of records of my relatives and ancestors at Amanuensis Monday Posts.
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:
"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."
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