1702 Birth Record of Elizabeth Paine (1702-1772) of Eastham, Mass.. --- Post 395 of Treasure Chest Thursday

It's Treasure Chest Thursday - a chance to look in my digital image files to see what treasures I can find for my family history and genealogy musings.

The treasure today is the 1702 birth record of Elizabeth Paine in Eastham, Massachusetts:

The birth records for the John and Bennett (Freeman) Paine children are on the right-hand page on the image above, about halfway down the  page.  The record for Elizabeth is:

The transcription of this record is:

"Elizabeth [Paine] [born] June 2^nd 1702"

The source citation for this record is:

"Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 November 2012), "Orleans and Eastham Records," page 319 (image 168 of 185), Elizabeth Paine birth entry.

Elizabeth Paine (1702-1772) was the daughter of John Paine (1661-1731) and Bennett Freeman (1671-1716) of Eastham, Massachusetts.  She married Jabez Snow (1696-1760) in 1720 in Eastham, and they had six children between 1722 and 1740.

Jabez Snow and Elizabeth Paine are my 6th great-grandparents, through their daughter Eunice Snow (1722-1816), who married Nathaniel Horton (1721-1771) in 1742 in Eastham, Massachusetts.

This record book is a derivative record book with the records of Eastham families grouped together.  It was probably copied by one person from an earlier record book that may have been discarded.    Several of the Eastham record books recorded families rather than individual events in chronological order.  As such, this is an image of a Derivative Source record, with Primary Information and Direct Evidence for the birth of Elisabeth (Paine) Snow.

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The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/12/1702-birth-record-of-elizabeth-paine.html

Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Finding Your Roots Season 4 is Over

I missed last night's final episode of Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on PBS because I was TreeSharing my RootsMagic family tree with my Ancestry Member Tree and having a great old time.  When I checked Facebook an hour later, I saw that I had missed it.  Oh well.

But wait - the PBS website has all of the episodes and you can watch them at your leisure, at least until they delete, or unlink, them.

So I watched Episode 10 today.  This episode was called "Funny Business" because it featured Aziz Ansari, Maya Rudolph and Amy Schumer.  The highlight for me was at the very end - when Schumer turned the page to see that her cousin was the host, according to a DNA test.

I find each of the stories interesting because almost every one of them go back in time to places that I am unfamiliar with, and the records they find are uncommon and fascinating.

The ten episodes for Season 4 are available at http://www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/about/season-4-episode-guide/

Enjoy the show.  Don't wait too long, though.

Now I wonder if anyone has ever binge-watched a whole season of these shows?

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The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/12/finding-your-roots-season-4-is-over.html

Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Historical Records of an American Santa Claus

There was at least one man who used the name Santa Claus in U.S. history, and there are quite a few records for him:

*  In the 1900 U.S. Census, a person named "Santa Clause" (born April 1887 in MO) was the son of William Clause (born Feb 1857 in MO) and Henrietta Clause (born May 1861 in MO), with siblings Emma B. Clause (born Jan 1881 in MO), William E. Clause (born Nov 1882 in MO), Earler (?) Clause (born Dec 1885 in MO), Nellie Claus (born Nov 1889) and Earl Clause (born Dec 1894 in MO). The family resided in Liberty township, Saline County, MO (NARA T623, Roll 902, ED 129, Page 3A).

*  In the 1910 census, "Sante Claus" was age 23, single, a farm laborer, living as a hired man in the household of David Fleshman in Liberty township, Saline County, MO (NARA T624, Roll 823, ED 172, Page 4A).

*  In the 1920 census, "Santy Clause" (age 31, single, a boarder) resided with his brother Earl Clause in Blackwater township, Pettis County, MO (NARA T625, Roll 939, ED 125, Page 4B).

I was unable to find Mabel Claus or the two children, William and Raymond, in the 1920 census - perhaps someone else would like to try! My best guess is that they may be in Colorado then, or back in Saline County MO.

*  In the 1930 census, "Santa Claus" (age 42, married, first at age 24, born in MO, a laborer, works in river construction) resided in Marshall township, Saline County, MO with his wife Mabel Claus (age 36, married, first at age 18 in MO), son William Claus (age 15, born MO), son Raymond Claus (age 12, born CO), son Fred Claus (age 9, born MO), son Joseph Claus (age 6, born MO), son James Claus (age 3, born MO) and daughter Dorthy Claus (age 0, born MO) (NARA T626, Roll 1246, ED 20, Page 12A).

Notice that son Raymond Claus was born in Colorado, not Missouri. And also note that Santa was in Missouri in the 1920 census listed as single, but he obviously had a wife and children in 1920 if the 1930 census records are correct.

*  In the 1940 U.S. census, "Santa Claus" (age 52, married, born in Missouri, completed 4th grade, a sewer man) resided in Marshall, Saline county, Missouri with his wife Minnie Mabel Claus (age 46, married, born Missouri, completed 6th grade); son William Owen Claus (age 24, single, born Missouri, completed 7th grade); son Raymond Elbert Claus (age 22, single, born Colorado, completed 8th grade, a yard man); Fred Claus (age 19, single, born Missouri, completed 7th grade);  son Joseph Claus (age 16, single, born Missouri, completed 1st year of high school, a new worker); son James Claus (age 13, single, born Missouri, completed 6th grade); daughter Amy Ruth Claus (age 9, single, born Missouri, completed 3rd grade); daughter Edna May Claus (age 3, single, born Missouri).

There is more:

*  Santy Clause married Minnie Mabel Hill on 9 June 1912 in Marshall, Saline County, Missouri. Their marriage record is in the Missouri Marriage License database on Ancestry.com, but it only says that he was from Marshall and over age 21, and she was from Marshall and over age 18.

*  "Santy Clause" registered for the World War I draft on 5 June 1917 in Prowers County, Colorado. He was age 29, born 4 April 1888 in Marshall MO, a natural born US citizen, Caucasian, married with two children. He was a farmer, and resided in Lamar, Route A, Prowers County, Colorado. He was medium height, medium build, blue eyes, light brown hair, and no disabilities, and had no previous military service.

*  Santa Clause has a Missouri death certificate - he died 1 April 1957 in Marshall, Saline County, Missouri (see it at  http://www.sos.mo.gov/images/archives/deathcerts/1957/1957_00011723.PDF) [My thanks to reader Kathy L who sent the link to me in 2013.]

*  Members of the Clause family are buried in Blue Lick Union Church Cemetery in Saline County, Missouri. The list includes:

Donna Clause (died 3 Oct 1942, age 0-4-24)
Earl Clause (1894-1940)
Helen F. Clause (1919-1955)
Henrietta S. Clause (18__-1915)
Minnie Mabel Clause ("Mother," 1894-1944)
Raymond E. Clause (1917-1971)
Santa Clause ("Father," 1888-1957) - see his Find A Grave memorial here.
Silvina Clause (1877-1964)
William Clause (1856-1917)

So, to summarize:

"Santa Claus" was born 4 April 1887 or 1888 in Marshall, Saline County, MO, the son of William and Henrietta (--?--) Claus. He married Minnie Mabel Hill in 1912 and they had at least 6 children.  He was a farmer in 1920, laborer in river construction in 1930, and a sewer man in 1940. He died on 1 April 1957, a retired minister,  in Marshall, Missouri and is buried in Saline County, Missouri.

This Santa Claus is, unfortunately, not coming to town soon - he's dead and buried in Missouri. It doesn't appear that he could possibly be the jolly purveyor of toys and good cheer with a big belly and long white beard who lives with his unnamed wife and elves and 9 reindeer at the North Pole, does it? 

Don't tell the kids.

Isn't it amazing what you can find on the Internet with lots of spare time on your hands?

I posted this originally on 27 November 2006 and had two comments from granddaughters of Santa Claus, one from a cousin several times removed, and one from a lady whose parents were married by Santa Claus.  I had another comment from a probable relative in 2011 - see post here.  In 2013, a neighbor commented - see that post here.

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Note:  I have posted this every year since 2006 at Christmas time.  

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/12/historical-records-of-american-santa.html

Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Randy Visits Santa Claus -- Post 495 of (Not So) Wordless Wednesday

I'm posting family photographs from my collection on Wednesdays, but they aren't Wordless Wednesday posts like others do - I simply am incapable of having a wordless post.

Here is a photograph from the Seaver/Carringer family collection handed down by my mother in the 1988 to 2002 time period:

This photograph was probably taken at Marston's Department Store in downtown San Diego where my grandfather worked for 55 years. This photo was probably taken in the 1947 to 1950 time frame, when I was 4 to 7 years old. My guess is that my grandfather, Lyle Carringer, took this picture, although my mother may have taken it.

It looks like Santa has a good hold on me - an arm around my waist and a hand holding down my left arm. I was never scared of Santa Claus, so my smile is genuine and anticipatory. Either that, or someone made a funny face at me when the picture was snapped.

I wish I could remember what I asked for from Santa Claus.  I'm quite sure it wasn't socks, pants or shirts.  It was probably the "toy of the year."  Maybe Mr. Potato-head?  Or a small bicycle with training wheels?

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FYI:  I've posted this photo almost every year at Christmas time.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/12/randy-visits-santa-claus-post-495-of.html

Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Twelve Days of a Genealogy Christmas - Randy's Version

A genealogy oriented version of the Twelve Days of Christmas was available on the Internet on  Kimberly Powell's site for many years, but it is, apparently, no longer available.

Several years ago, I decided I would do my own based on genealogy, my own needs and my own research:

On the 12th day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me --

*  Twelve Revolutionary War pension files with the Family Bible pages included (12)

*  Eleven autosomal DNA matches with common ancestors (22)

*  Ten Social Security Application and Claims records (30)

*  Nine Facebook postings from distant cousins (36)

*  Eight probate files (40)

*  Seven census pages (42)

*  Six land deeds (42)

*  Five newspaper obituaries (40)

*  Four marriage records (36)

*  Three family Bibles (30)

*  Two draft registration images (22)

*  A new name in my family tree. (12)

I've put the total number in parenthesis of each item - if you sing the song all the way through, going one number at a time.

My true love is a busy girl, isn't she?

But, but, but ... that would take all the fun out of the ancestor search, wouldn't it?

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The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/12/twelve-days-of-genealogy-christmas.html

Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Genealogy News Bytes - 19 December 2017

Some of the genealogy news items across my desktop the last four days include:

1)  News Articles:

*  Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Announced as RootsTech 2018 Keynote Speaker

*  After years of chasing leads, Iowa man reunites with half-sister in Lincoln

*  Georgia student discovers birth brother attended same college, had same major

2)  Record Databases:

*  Added or Updated Ancestry.com Collections - Week of 10 to 16 December 2017

*   Added or Updated Record Collections at FamilySearch.org - Week of 10 to 16 December 2017

*    British Newspaper Archive reaches 23 million pages

*  335 Free Mid-Atlantic States Online Historic Newspaper Titles Added

*  100 Free New England States Online Historic Newspaper Titles Added
3)  Genealogy Education:

*  GeneaWebinars Calendar

*  Upcoming Family Tree Webinar - Tuesday, 19 December 2017, 5 p.m. PST:  The Law and the Reasonably Exhaustive (Re)Search, by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL

*  Upcoming Family Tree Webinar - Wednesday, 20 December 2017, 11 a.m. PST:  Palmetto Pride - South Carolina for Genealogists, by Rorey Cathcart

*  Upcoming SCGS Free Webinar - December 20, 2017:  100 Days to a Better Family History, by Tammy Hepps

*  Genealogy Gold Podcast: (#157) Unusual Sources for Finding Old Family Photos

*  Extreme Genes Podcast:  Episode 218 – Genie Seeks Grandfather Through DNA, Discovers Brother’s Unknown Son

*  NextGen Genealogy Network YouTube Channel:  Faces of NextGen Live - Daniel Horowitz

*  BYU Family History Library YouTube Channel:  Family History and GIS Part 2 - Jarom Randall

*  Family History Fanatics YouTube Channel:  How to add DNA to FamilySearch

*  NYGBS YouTube Channel:  The genealogy interview: Asking relatives questions to grow your family tree

4)  Bargains:

*  Genealogy Bargains for Friday, December 19,  2017

*  Year End 2017 Sale at Hack Genealogy – 50% Off Digital Downloads

5)  Fun Stuff:

*  Map: Six Decades of the Most Popular Names for Girls, State-by-State

*  These Sisters Took The Same Photo 40 Years in a Row and the Last One is Absolutely Amazing

*  The Genealogy Web

Did you miss the last Genealogy News Bytes - 15 December 2017?

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The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/12/genealogy-news-bytes-19-december-2017.html

Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Treasure Chest Tuesday - 1850 U.S. Census Record for Jeremiah McNew Household in Washington DC

This week's Tuesday's Treasure is the 1850 United States Census record for the Jeremiah McNew household in Washington, District of Columbia:

The McNew family, residing west of the 7th street Turnpike, enumerated on 5 December 1850: 

The extracted information for the household members:

*  Jeremiah McNew - age 41, male, a laborer, born Md, over 20 years and cannot read or write
*  Sarah McNew - age 26, female, born Md, over 20 years and cannot read or write
*  Benjamin McNew - age 9, male, born Md
*  Maria McNew - age 8, female, born Md
*  Horrace McNew - age 1-8/12, male, born Md, dead

The source citation for this record is:

1850 United States Federal Census, Washington, District of Columbia, Page 261A, Dwelling #30, Family #30, Jeremiah McNew household; online database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, Roll 57.

Jeremiah McKnew (1804-????) married Frances Alethia Pickrell (1810-1845) in 1829, and they had at least six children, including Benjamin and Maria in this census record.  After Allethia (Pickrell) McKnew died in 1845, Jeremiah married Sarah --?-- (1823-????) before 1848, and had a son, Horace (1848-1850).  The notation on the census image indicates that Horace died between the official census date (1 June 1850) and the date the family was enumerated (5 December 1850), just as the census instructions required.

Jeremaih and Frances Allethia (Pickrell) McKnew are my wife's second great-grandparents, through their son Elijah Pickrell McKnew (1836-1912), who married Jane Whittle (1847-1821) in 1865.

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The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/12/treasure-chest-tuesday-1850-us-census.html

Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Monday Genea-Pourri - 18 December 2017

Here are some of my genealogy-related activities over the past week:

1)  We had our Chula Vista Genealogical Society Holiday Luncheon last Wednesday at the Chula Vista South Library, with 30 in attendance.  This was a potluck, with the typical holiday fare - ham and turkey, plus salad, vegetables, rolls, dessert and more.  For entertainment, we went around the tables and attendees answered "What was your best Christmas gift ever?"  Mine was the Davy Crockett coonskin cap and the Daisy BB gun my brother and I received in 1954.  Second best was probably the Flexible flyers we received in 1955, and third was probably the bicycles we got in 1956.  After the sharing, we had the gift exchange, the raffle for the poinsettias on the table, and the door prize (a gold Santa Claus).  Unwrapped toys and non-perishable food were also collected to donate to the Salvation Army.  It was fun to see everybody dressed up in their Christmas finery and to see some who haven't attended many meetings in recent months.

2)  I finally found the Samuel Haughton/Horton probate records on Ancestry.com that gave me an approximate death date (before 1 April 1778).  I summarized the probate record for his biography on Friday and transcribed them for Amanuensis Monday post today and next week.  

3)  There was no Mondays With Myrt hangout today because of the holidays.  If there had been, I think I would have discussed my research done for a 95-year old church lady whose husband died in World War II in Europe after about a year of marriage.  She needed his service number for paperwork.  I easily found it in several records on Ancestry and Fold3, including his 1942 draft registration card and Find A Grave memorial with a photo of his gravestone.  She had never seen any of these items, and I sent them to her.  We forget how hard it is for others to find records like these.

4)  I have 253 Shared Ancestors on my AncestryDNA list (I had 246 last week), 654 4th cousins or closer (up from 647 last week), and 14 DNA Circles (no change for weeks).  There were no new close matches (3rd cousin or closer).

5)  I have 266 DNA Matches on MyHeritage (up from 261 last week).  There were no new close matches this week.

6)  We managed to write our annual Christmas letter (35 years running), print it, fold it and insert it into envelopes, stamp, return label and affix address label, and mail 80 of them in just three days.  If you want to see what we really did all year, please email me.  Whew. 

7)  I completed my shopping for Linda the easy way.  She received a Blair catalog last week and marked it up for me.  I ordered stuff online and the packages should arrive soon.  I wonder if she would like an updated ancestral family report?  

8)  There were several long sessions working in RootsMagic to update FamilySearch Family Tree profiles for Seaver families and other ancestral families, with occasional additions to the RootsMagic profiles.  I TreeShared almost every night.  There were also several long sessions in Ancestry Hints to add content and source citations for the new RootsMagic profile additions.   I've fallen behind on the Hints with 49,700 waiting to be resolved, but I've done 200 of them three times this past week.  

9)  All in all, it was a fairly quiet week on the genealogy front.

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The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/12/monday-genea-pourri-18-december-2017.html

Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Ancestry Member Trees, Indexing Rules, Cousin Bait, Source Citations and Me

I wrote RootsMagic TreeShare, Ancestry Member Trees, and Source Citations on 31 October 2017, highlighting Marcia Philbrick's observations and conclusions, and added my own conclusions, including:

a)  Sources on an Ancestry Member Tree are divided into "Ancestry Sources" and "Other Sources."

b)  "Ancestry Sources" are created by accepting an Ancestry Hint for a person, attaching an Ancestry Record  to a person profile, or adding a source manually to a person profile, and an event, in your Ancestry Member Tree.

c)  "Other Sources" are created by uploading a GEDCOM file to a new Ancestry Member Tree, or using RootsMagic TreeShare to add a source to an Ancestry Member Tree profile.

d)  "Ancestry Sources" "count" as a source that enables the subject person profile to show up on a search of Ancestry Member Trees.  

e)  "Other Sources" do not "count" as a source for a search for a person in Ancestry Member Trees.

f)  A profile with only "Other Sources" will not show up in a search of Ancestry Member Trees.

1)  Why do I care?  

*  One of the major reasons for putting an Ancestry Member Tree on Ancestry.com is to act as "cousin bait" for other Ancestry.com subscribers - if they search for a person, I want my Ancestry Member Tree to appear on the match list.

*  But Ancestry, because of their indexing rules that "count" only "Ancestry Sources," does not show my matching persons except for those with an attached "Ancestry Source."

2)    For example: My 2017 Ancestry Member Tree has over 90,000 source citations, but has only 37 attached records ("Ancestry Sources") at this time. 

*  All but a few profiles in that tree will not show up in a search for those profiles.  I uploaded this tree back in July 2017 using RootsMagic TreeShare, and continue to update the Ancestry Member Tree almost daily using TreeShare.

*  Some of those profiles in my Ancestry Member Tree have over 20 "Other Sources" - all of them gleaned over thirty years from Ancestry, FamilySearch, MyHeritage, Find A Grave, Findmypast, AmericanAncestors, FHL microfilms, the local recorder or court clerk, and many other record providers.

*  For example, here is the profile for my grandfather, Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942):

*  This profile has zero "Ancestry Sources" but has 53 "Other Sources," and many of them are not available on Ancestry.com.

*  With the current Ancestry Member Tree indexing record rules, it will not appear in a match list for a search of this person.  Should it appear as a search result?  I think it should.

3)  Why do I have only "Other Sources" in this Ancestry Member Tree?  

*  The answer is that "Ancestry.com provides inadequate source citations for attached records, and adds useless or unwanted Events, to the Ancestry Member Tree profile, so I don't use them."  I've blogged about this many times before - I've worked hard on adding quality source citations and really don't want to "crap up" my RootsMagic tree.

*  I try to add Evidence Explained quality source citations to the persons in my RootsMagic family tree database so that readers of my blog and finders of persons in my Ancestry tree can find the record from the source, and also so that readers can judge the quality of my sources for the profile.

4)  Can I overcome this restriction on researchers finding persons in my Ancestry Member Tree?  

*  I can, but only by attaching an Ancestry Hint to each person in my Ancestry Member Tree.  With over 49,000 persons in my tree, if I attached a Hint to 20 persons every day, it would take me 2,450 days (almost 7 years!) to complete the task.  I choose to not waste my time doing this - it's not a productive task.  I would rather spend my research time searching for more records to source and add to my trees.

*  If I did attach a Hint, what record should I attach?  Another Ancestry Member Tree?  Not likely.  A birth record, a death record, a burial record, a census record, or some other record?  I could, but I already have those in my "Other Sources."

*  If I attach a Hint while in Ancestry, I would not have to accept it in RootsMagic using TreeShare.  This is an option, but I have over 49,000 persons to do it for.  The ancestors are the ones I would concentrate on, but it's the siblings of my ancestors that would probably attract a cousin to click on the bait.

5)  The real solution is that Ancestry should index every person, or, at a minimum, every person with ANY source citation - whether "Ancestry Sources" or "Other Sources."

*  I have devoted thousands of hours to create a well documented family tree with quality source citations, and Ancestry's indexing rules prevents other researchers from finding it.  I am sure that there are thousands of other researchers who have done exactly what I have done with source citations and uploaded a GEDCOM to Ancestry thinking that their tree would serve as "cousin bait" for other researchers.

*  We are encouraged to SHARE our work so that other researchers can be helped by our research.  Ancestry.com has discouraged me from doing this as a result of their indexing rules.

*  It's unfair - there are whole trees with profiles that ONLY source other Member Trees and those profiles get indexed.

6)  No other online family tree system has indexing rules like Ancestry.com has used.  Ancestry.com should index every person profile, and "count" every source, in the Ancestry Member Trees, and let researchers find the work of other researchers, while evaluating the quality of those trees and sources.

7)  I'm disappointed in, and disturbed by, this situation.  It needs to be fixed by Ancestry.com.  Will they listen?  Off my soapbox...

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Disclosure:  I have always had a fully paid Ancestry.com subscription since 2000.  Ancestry.com has provided material considerations for travel expenses to meetings, and has hosted events and meals that I have attended in Salt Lake City, in past years.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/12/ancestry-member-trees-indexing-rules.html

Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Amanuensis Monday - 1775 Will of Samuel Haughton (1686-1778) of Eastham, Mass.

This week's documents for Amanuensis Monday are the 1775 will and 1778 letter testamentary in the probate court records for Samuel Haughton (1686-1778), late of Eastham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts:


1)  Volume 20, pages 327-328 (image 697 of 845)

2)  Volume 20, pages 329-330 (image 698 of 845)

The transcription of this record is:

[page 327 - left-hand side of first image]

In the Name of God … Amen.  I Samuel
Haughton of the Town of Eastham Husbandman
being arrived to Old Age but of perfect mind and
memory thanks be given unto God Calling
unto mind the Mortality of my Body and know-
ing that is Appointed for all men once to die Do make
and Ordain this my last will and Testament
that is to say principally and first of all I give
and Recommend my into the Hand of Almighty
God that gave it and my body I reccom-
mend to the Earth to be buried in Decent Christian
Burial at the discretion of my Executor nothing
Doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall
receive the same again by the mighty Power of God
and as touching Such Worldly Estate wherewitj
it hath Pleased God to Bless me in this Life I Give
Devise and dispose of the Same in the following
manner and form.

Item I Give unto my well beloved son Samuel Haughton
and to his Heirs and Assigns forever all my Real
Estate that I now own in the town of Eastham
and all my Building thereon Standing and my wear-
ing aparel and my Scow together with all me
farmers Utensils he paying ^all^ my Just Debts and
funeral charges out of my Real Estate.

Item  I Give my Gun to my Grandson Quishen Haugh-
ton of Samuel Haughton.

Item I Give to the Heirs of my son John Deceas^d and
to the Heirs of my Son Nathaniel Haughton Dec^d and
to the Heirs of my Daughter Hannah Mayo Dec^d and to
the Heirs of Susanna Cole Deceas^d and to the Heirs of my
Daughter Abigail Doane Deceas^d and to the Heirs of my Daughter
Elizabeth Sawour Deceas^d all my Personal Estate not disp-
posed of before Equally to Divided amongst them all.

Lastly I likewise Constitute make and Ordain my

[page 328 - right-hand side of first image]

Son Samuel Haughton my Sole Executor of
this my Last will and Testament and I do hereby utter-
ly Disallow Revoke and Disannul all and every Other
former Testament and Executors by me in any way
before named Ratifying and confirming this and
no other to be my last will and Testament in Witness where-
of I have hereunto Set my Hand and Seal this twenty
Ninth Day of May in the Year of our Lord one Thousand
Seven Hundred and Seventy Five

Signed Sealed Published and                  Samuel Haughton {LS}
Declared by the said Samuel
Haughton as his Last will and
Testament in the Presence of us
who in his presence and in
the Presence of each other
have hereunto Subscribed our
names.
John Doane
Edward Knowles
David Doane                          Com^d Nath^l Freeman Regr

To all People to whom these Presents shall come 
James Otis Esqr Judge of the Probate of wills &c in
the County of Barnstable within the State of the
Massachusetts Bay in New England Sendeth
Greeting.

Know ye that on the first day of April Anno Domini
1778 the Instrument hereunto annexed (purporting
the last will and Testament of Samuel Haughton late of
Eastham in Said county Husbandman Deceased) was presented
for Probate by Samuel Haughton the Executor therein
named; then present Edw^d Knoweles & David Doane
Witnesses thereto Subscribed who made oath that they
Saw the said Testator Sign Seal and heard him
Declare the said Instrument to be his last will and
Testament and that they with John Doane
Subscribed their Names together as Witnesses to the
Execution thereof in the Said Testators Presence

[page 329 - left-hand side of second image]

and That He was then of their Judgment of Sound
and Disposing mind.  I Do Prove Approve and
And Allow of the Said Instrument as the Last
will and Testament of the beforenamed Deceas^d and
commit the Administration thereof  in all matters the
Same concerning and of his Estate whereof he died Seiz-
ed in said county unto Samuel Haughton the before-
named Executor well and faithfully to Execute
the Said Will and to Administer the Estate of the said
Deceas^d according thereto who accepted of his Said and
to Exhibit an Invy thereof according and He Shall
render an account (upon Oath of their Proceedings
where thereunto Lawfully required).  I Testimony whereof
I have hereunto Set my Hand and Seal of Office the
Day and Year above written.         James Otis
By Order of the Honb^le Judge
                      N. Freeman Register

                                                   Comp^d Nath^l Freeman Regr

The source citation for this record is:

"Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991," indexed database with digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com, accessed 14 December 2017), Barnstable County > Probate and Guardianship Records, Volumes 17-20, 1769-1809, Volume 20, pages 327-329, Samuel Haughton will and letter testamentary, will written 29 May 1775, proved 1 April 1778.

In this will, Samuel Haughton (also known as Horton in town records) bequeaths all of his real estate, plus his wearing apparel and his farmer's utensils to his son, Samuel Haughton.  His grandson "Quishen" [Cushing] Horton received a gun.   He does not provide anything for a surviving wife, and I don't think there was one.  The remainder of the personal estate went to the heirs of his deceased children, naming them as:

*  deceased son John Haughton

*  deceased son Nathaniel Haughton

*  deceased daughter Hannah Mayo

*  deceased daughter Susanna Cole

*  deceased daughter Abigail Doane

*  deceased daughter Elizabeth Sawour [Sawyer]

Samuel Horton (1686-1778) married Hannah Atwood (1686-1771) in 1714 in Eastham, Massachusetts, and they had eight children, all of whose births were recorded in the Eastham town records with the surname Horton.  The child not listed as an heir was James Horton, born in 1731, who may have died without having heirs before Samuel Haughton wrote this will.  There is a record of a Samuel Horton marrying widow Tabitha (Snow) Mayo in  1771 in Eastham, Mass., but it may be another Samuel Horton.

Samuel and Hannah (Atwood) Horton are my 6th great-grandparents, through his son, Nathaniel Horton (1721-1771) who married Eunice Snow in 1742.  

We will look at the inventory of the estate of Samuel Horton in the next Amanuensis Monday post.

==============================================

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: http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/12/amanuensis-monday-1775-will-of-samuel.html

Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver

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