RootsTech 2019 SLC Opens for Registration

I received this information from FamilySearch and RootsTech today:

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RootsTech 2019 SLC Opens for Registration

Salt Lake City, Utah (20 September 2018), FamilySearch International has announced that registration for RootsTech 2019 Salt Lake City is now open. RootsTech is a popular 4-day annual family history and technology conference where individuals and families are inspired to discover, share, and preserve their family roots, heritage, and stories. The 2019 conference will be held February 27–March 2, 2019, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information, visit RootsTech.org.

In 2018, the event attracted more than 27,000 attendees from all 50 U.S. states and 47 different countries.

RootsTech 2019 will offer attendees a full lineup of inspiring and well-known keynote speakers; over 300 informative sessions, including hands-on computer lab classes taught by industry professionals; interactive activities and helpful exhibitors in the expo hall; and entertaining evening events—all designed to inspire and empower personal family discoveries.

Updates to the Conference Format

RootsTech 2019 officially begins on Wednesday, February 27, with class sessions beginning at 9:30 a.m. The Wednesday general session will begin on the main stage at 4:30 p.m. Steve Rockwood, CEO of FamilySearch International, will be the keynote speaker. Following Rockwood’s address will be the opening event. Following the opening event, the expo hall will open from 6–8 p.m. to allow attendees uninterrupted time in the expo hall to meet with vendors.

A fifth class session time is also being added to the RootsTech schedule. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, “power hour” classes will be held from 8–9 a.m. Power hour classes will feature three different presenters in each room who will teach about similar topics for 20 minutes each. These sessions are designed to allow attendees to learn a new skill, method, or application that can be applied to their own family history efforts.

General keynote sessions on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will begin on the main stage at 11 a.m. instead of 8:30 a.m. as in years past. These general sessions will lead directly into the lunch hour.

In an effort to reduce the amount of time spent standing in lines, RootsTech has announced a number of logistical updates to the conference including: no badge scanning at classroom doors, adjustments to classroom sizes, and a new area for check-in. Read more about these updates here.

Pricing

Early bird discount pricing is available for a limited time on 4-day passes at just $189 (a $110 discount on regularly priced passes). Single day RootsTech passes are also available for $99. Both one-day and full conference passes include access to the popular expo hall and keynote sessions. Early bird pricing ends October 12, 2018.

Family Discovery Day

Registration for Family Discovery Day is also now open. The event takes place on Saturday, March 2, 2019, and is designed for families and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This free 1-day event includes inspiring messages from Church leaders; engaging classes for families, youth, and young single adults; and evening entertainment to inspire and help families make family history connections. Family Discovery Day attendees will also have access to all the interactive activities and exhibitors found in the RootsTech expo hall. Event details, including speakers and class sessions, will be made available soon at RootsTech.org. Registration is required.

Find and share this announcement online in the FamilySearch Newsroom. 

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About RootsTech

RootsTech, hosted by FamilySearch, is a global conference celebrating families across generations, where people of all ages are inspired to discover and share their memories and connections. This annual event has become the largest of its kind in the world, attracting tens of thousands of participants worldwide.

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Disclosure:  I am a RootsTech 2019 Ambassador, and receive a complimentary registration for the conference in return for publicizing and reporting on the conference.  I will be offering a free registration for RootsTech 2019 on my blog in the near future.

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2018/09/rootstech-2019-slc-opens-for.html

Copyright (c) 2018, 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.

1701 Birth of Joseph Ladd in Little Compton, R.I. - Post 430 for 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 1701 birth record of Joseph Ladd in the Little Compton, Rhode Island  Town Records:

The birth record is near the bottom of the page.  Here are the children of William and Elizabeth (Tompkins) Ladd of Little Compton:

The transcription of the birth record for Joseph Ladd is:

"LADD, Joseph, [of William and Elizabeth]       Oct. 19, 1701"

The source citation for this record is:

"Rhode Island, Vital Records Extracts, 1636-1899," indexed database and digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 June 2014), Volume 4, Newport County Vital Records, "Little Compton - Births and Deaths," page 133 (image 500 of 691), Joseph Ladd birth entry.

This record is a derivative source record for the birth of Joseph Ladd.   The original record is in the Little Compton town record books, which are on the Family History Library US/CAN microfilm 946838 (available at the local FamilySearch Center).  The information is also published in the book by Benjamin Franklin Wilbour, Little Compton Families ( Little Compton, R.I.: Little Compton Historical Society, 1967), on pages 389-391, Ladd Family sketches.

Joseph Ladd (1701-1748) was the son of William Ladd and Elizabeth Tompkins.  He married Lydia Gray (1707-????), the daughter of Samuel Gray and Deborah Church of Little Compton.  

Joseph Ladd and Lydia Gray are my  6th great-grandparents, through their daughter Elizabeth Ladd (1735-1814) who married  Benedict Oatley (1732-1821).

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2018/09/1701-birth-of-joseph-ladd-in-little.html

Copyright (c) 2018, 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.

19 October 2018 is BCG Free Day of Quality Genealogy Education

I received this recently from the Board for Certification of Genealogists:

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FREE Day of Quality Genealogy Education Offered by Board for Certification of Genealogists and Legacy Family Tree

Top genealogists Jeanne Larzalere Bloom, Elissa Scalise Powell, Rebecca Whitman Koford, Thomas W. Jones, and Judy G. Russell will present five one-hour lectures held at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City Friday, 19 October 2018 between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Mountain U.S. time. The lectures are free and open to the public (registration is not required), and sponsored by the Board for Certification of Genealogists. All will be broadcast online (free registration is required, see below). 

The board is an independent certifying body and author of the updated 2014 Genealogy Standards.

Times (Mountain U.S. Time), topics, and speakers:

9:00 AM – “Past Conflict Repatriation: The Role of Genealogists and Methodology in Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise” Jeanne Larzalere Bloom, CG

10:30 AM – “Deeper Analysis: Techniques for Successful Problem Solving” Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL

1:00 PM – “John Jacob Kramer: Case Study of Mistaken Identity among Revolutionary War Soldiers” Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG, CGL

2:15 PM – “Using Indirect and Negative Evidence to Prove Unrecorded Events” Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL

3:30 PM – “The Discriminating Genealogist: Telling Good Evidence from Bad” Judy G. Russell, CG, CGL

“Every October BCG presents a series of lectures at the Family History Library given by some of the most distinguished genealogists in our field,” said President Rick Sayre, CG, CGL. “This year they are also available online. We do this to educate genealogists at all levels and to promote uniform standards of competence and ethics.”

For questions or more information contact office@BCGcertification.org.

Register for the Online Broadcasts

All five classes will be broadcast online by BCG’s webinar partner, Legacy Family Tree Webinars. Visit www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com/BCG to sign up individually (free),

Certified Genealogist is a trademark and CG is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board-certified associates after periodic competency evaluations.

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2018/09/19-october-2018-is-bcg-free-day-of.html

Copyright (c) 2018, 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's First Ancestral Home - Post 533 of (Not So) Wordless Wednesday

I discovered an envelope of small photographs saved when my mother died in 2002 - it was hiding in plain sight in the Genea-Cave!  The Bass Lake postcards from the last two weeks were in this envelope also.

My parents, Frederick and Betty (Carringer) Seaver, were married on 14 July 1942.  After their marriage, they worked at Rohr Aircraft in Chula Vista during World War II.  At some point, they rented a house on 577 Twin Oaks Avenue in Chula Vista.  When I was born in October 1943, this is the house that I first lived in - my first ancestral home!

And a closeup of Fred and Betty:

Since Betty is not obviously pregnant, I think this was probably taken in early 1943.

This house looks like a new building.  The yard is without plants or trees.  There was a big building boom in Chula Vista during World War II to provide housing for Rohr employees and U.S. Navy personnel stationed in the San Diego area.

I have no memories of this house, of course, and I don't think I ever asked my mother about the circumstances of residing there.  Those memories are lost now.

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2018/09/randys-first-ancestral-home-post-533-of.html

Copyright (c) 2018, 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 - 18 September 2018

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

1)  News Articles:

*  Reclaim The Records Wins Again and Freely Publishes the New York State Birth Index, 1881-1942

*  BCG Free Day of Quality Genealogy Education – October 19th, 2018

*  2nd Annual Scottish Genealogy Virtual Conference

*  FGS announces leadership changes

2)  New or Updated Record Databases:

*  Added or Updated Ancestry.com Record Collections - Week of 9 to 15 September 2018

*  Added or Updated Record Collections at FamilySearch.org - Week of 9 to 15 September 2018

*  New Records Available To Search This Findmypast Friday, 14 September 2018

*  TheGenealogist adds 1910 Valuation Office Survey of Brent

3)  Genealogy Education:

*  GeneaWebinars Calendar

*  ISBGFH announces fall line-up of free genealogy webinars

*  Free Family History Classes and Webinars for September 2018

*  Upcoming Family Tree Webinars - Tuesday, 18 September, 5 p.m. PDT:  Using Lists to Find Proof, by Cari Taplin

*  Upcoming Family Tree Webinars - Wednesday, 19 September, 11 a.m. PDT: 25 Simple Research Hacks Every Genealogist Should Know, by Lisa Alzo

*  Archived Family Tree Webinars:  Challenges with Irish Genetic Genealogy, by Maurice Gleeson

*  Archived Family Tree Webinars:  Genealogy and the Little Ice Age, by Wayne Shepheard

*  Archived Family Tree Webinars:  Newspapers, Gravestones and Probate Records, by Maurice Gleeson

*  Archived Family Tree Webinars:  Navigating Irish Birth, Marriage and Death Records, by Maurice Gleeson

*  Archived Family Tree Webinars:  Tracing Your Immigrant Ancestor to Ireland, by Maurice Gleeson

*  Research Like a Pro Podcast:  RLP 10: George W. Dillard Case Study

*  Extreme Genes Podcast/Radio Show:  Episode 251 – What’s Ahead For FamilySearch? / Researching Descendants And Learning About Ancestors

*  Fisher’s Top Tips Podcast:  #002 – You’ve All Got The Old Pix- What’s The First Thing You Do?!

*  African Roots Podcast:  Episode #430 September 14, 2018

*  Family History Fanatics YouTube:  A Nose for News - Interview with Melanie McComb

*  Family History Fanatics YouTube:  DNA Over 4 Generations - A Segment of DNA

*  NextGen Genealogy Network YouTube:  Faces of NextGen Live - Katherine Schober

*  NextGen Genealogy Network YouTube:  Can we stop judging everything?

*  Jennifer Holik YouTube:  History, Our Lives & Choices are not Black and White

*  Ancestral Findings YouTube:  AF-196: The Do’s and Don’ts of Genealogy Research

*  Legacy Family Tree YouTube:  MyHeritage Live 2018

4)  Bargains:

*  Genealogy Bargains for Tuesday, September 18,  2018

5)  DNA Success Stories:

*   23andMe test introduces Johnson City family to long-lost sister, adopted in 1950s

*  I Found My Indigenous Roots — and Reassurance — in an Ancestry.com DNA Test

6)  Did you miss the last Genealogy News Bytes - 14 September 2018?

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2018/09/genealogy-news-bytes-18-september-2018.html

Copyright (c) 2018, 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 -- Lyle L. Carringer U.S. Marines Muster Roll Card - July 1918

 Today's Treasure Chest document is the July 1918 U.S. Marines muster roll entry for Lyle L. Carringer in San Diego, California:

The entry for Lyle L. Carringer is near the bottom of the top page of the image:

The transcription of the record is:

"[No.] 6   Carringer, Lyle L.  [Enlisted] 7 May [19]17   [Remarks]  SD Salesman PE."

The source citation for this muster roll is:

"U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798-1958," indexed database and digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 September 2018), T977 > US Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1893-1958 > Roll 0144, Sheet No. 5 (image 279 of 434), Lyle L. Carringer entry; original data in U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1893-1958. Microfilm Publication T977, 460 rolls. ARC ID: 922159. Records of the U.S. Marine Corps, Record Group 127; National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Lyle L. Carringer enlisted in the United States Marines Reserve on 7 May 1917 at the Marine Barracks in San Diego, California as a Private in MCRs Class 4.  There are 24 muster cards like this one from May 1917 to December 1921 with some cards missing.  He served throughout his enlistment in San Diego.

From July 1917 through September 1918, the "Remarks" for his service were similar - "SD Salesman PE."  I finally figured out that this meant that he was a salesman in the San Diego Post Exchange, which I believe was in Balboa Park in San Diego.  The family story is that he served in the "PX," essentially a store for Marine personnel.  I found two other men who served in the Post Exchange - one with a Salesman job and the other with a Clerk job

I don't know how much time these Reserves had to put in each day or week - perhaps it was a full-time job.  Lyle was married in June 1918 and I believe that he commuted to this job in Balboa Park - probably on the streetcar (down 30th street to downtown San Diego), and then up the Balboa Park streetcar line to the Marine encampment.

From what I can tell, everyone on these Muster Rolls for San Diego in the 1917 to 1921 time frame were in the Reserves, serving in non-combatant positions so that the active service men could be on or supporting the war front.  Other "Remarks" note that the Privates served at the Post QuarterMaster office, the Radio Station, the Navy Fuel Depot, as a cook, as a messman, a plumber, a truck driver, a painter, a motorocycle driver, a post librarian, rifle range, a clerk, etc.  If someone was in the hospital, that was noted.  

Lyle was very proud to have served his country.  Here he is in his Marine uniform:

Lyle L. Carringer (1891-1976) is my maternal grandfather, who married Emily Kemp Auble (1899-1977) on 19 June 1918 in San Diego.

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2018/09/treasure-chest-tuesday-lyle-l-carringer_18.html

Copyright (c) 2018, 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 - 17 September 2018

Here are some of my family history and genealogy related activities over the past week:

1)  Moderated the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group meeting on Wednesday, 12 September, with 14 in attendance.  I discussed the updated improved AncestryDNA ethnicity estimate, the updated FamilySearch Family Tree profiles, and how I use Web Hints to add content and sources to my RootsMagic family tree database.  The attendees discussed their research, family history and DNA efforts over the past month.

2) Did a final edit on the WDYTYA project presentation researching the ancestry of a local personality, which I will present at the CVGS Family History Day on 29 September with him and his family in attendance.  I worked on this RootsMagic family tree during the week, which now has 590 persons with 1,649 citations.  I TreeShared it once, and resolved several pages of Ancestry Hints.  I also created the syllabus for this presentation.

3)  Did a final edit of the DNA Overview presentation and syllabus to be given on 29 September at the CVGS Family History Day.

4)  Watched the "Examining Migration & Researching Migrants in the British Isles" webinar by Julie Goucher on Family Tree Webinars.  This was about immigration to the British Isles rather than emigration from the British Isles.

5) There were several sessions working in RootsMagic to update FamilySearch Family Tree profiles for Seaver families and other database families, with occasional additions to the RootsMagic profiles. I have matched 26,017 of my persons with FSFT.  I continue to use Web Hints from Ancestry, MyHeritage, Findmypast and FamilySearch to add content and sources to my RootsMagic profiles.  I now have 50,779 persons in my RootsMagic file, and 96,071 source citations.   I TreeShared twice during the last week, and resolved over 400 Ancestry Hints.  I've fallen behind on the Ancestry Record Hints with 76,151 waiting to be resolved, but I work on them occasionally.

6)  Have 307 Shared Ancestors on my AncestryDNA list (I had 303 last week), 981 4th cousins or closer (I had 973 last week), and 890 pages (over 44,450 matches with at least 6 cM) (was 883 pages last week) of  matches.  I have 23 DNA Circles (was 23 last week).  I have 16 matches that are third cousins or closer, and 103 matches with 34 cM (0.5%) or more (was 103 last week).  My highest match has 779 cM (11.5%), and is one of my first cousins.  

7)  Have 4,534 DNA Matches on MyHeritage (up from 4,464 last week) with at least 8 cM (0.12%), with 27 matches with more than 34 cM (0.5%) or more (was 26 last week).  I have three close relatives, including a first cousin once removed, and two first cousins twice removed.  The highest DNA match is 512 cM (7.1%).

8)  Have 990 DNA Relatives on 23andMe (I had 992 last week) who share at least 0.10% (7 cM) with me.  The two closest relatives are third cousins.  Of these, only 3 share 1.0% or more, and 48 share 0.50% or more (was 48 last week), with the highest match being 1.54%. My highest match is an adoptee.  I struggle to find out anything about most of these testers.

9)  Have 2,781 autosomal DNA Matches on FamilyTreeDNA (up from 2,768 last week) who share 0.25% (18 cM) or more, with the highest match being 96 cM (1.42%).  I have 12 who share at least 1.0% (68 cM) with me, and 1,499 who share at least 0.50% (34 cM) or more (was 1,492 last  week) with me.

10) Wrote 16 Genea-Musings blog posts last week, of which two were press releases.  The most popular post last week was "AncestryDNA Updates Ethnicity Estimates for Everybody, But ...My Wish List" with over 295 views.  

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2018/09/monday-genea-pourri-17-september-2018.html

Copyright (c) 2018, 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.

New Records Available To Search This Findmypast Friday, 14 September 2018

I received this information from Findmypast yesterday:

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New Records Available To Search This Findmypast Friday

There are over 53 million new records and newspaper articles available to search this Findmypast Friday, including;

England & Wales Electoral Registers 1920-1932

Over 53 million indexed England and Wales Electoral Registers covering the 1920s and early 1930s are now available to search. Improved access to these important documents will enable you to bridge the vital gap left by the destruction of the 1931 census of England & Wales. Combined with the 1911 Census and 1939 Register, today's release means that Findmypast is now able provide you with unrivalled record coverage for early 20th century Britain, helping you to trace ancestors across a period of history that has traditionally been problematic for many researchers.

The new collection, England & Wales Electoral Registers 1920-1932, has been created by reprocessing the original documents in order to improve image quality. Findmypast has also developed a new process for picking out individual names, allowing this vast bank of records to be searched with greater accuracy than ever before, in a similar way to other indexed collections currently available on the Findmypast. Searches now also cover all of England and Wales and matching records from the registers will feed into hints for anyone with a Findmypast Family tree.

Electoral Registers are listings of all those registered to vote in a particular area. The lists were created annually to record the names of eligible voters and their reason for eligibility, such as their residence or ownership of a property. Registration for voters in England has been required since 1832 and registers were typically published annually, making electoral registers and excellent resource for tracking ancestors between the census years or for uncovering the history of your home or local area. These newly indexed records were taken from Findmypast's wider collection of British Library Electoral Registers, over 220 million of which are also available to search in PDF format.

Jersey, German Occupation Identity Cards 1940-1945

Did any of your relatives live on the island of Jersey during the Second World War German occupation? Discover details of their identity and life with this collection of over 62,000 transcripts taken from originals documents housed at Jersey Archives. These records were created under instruction from the German occupying authorities, through the Registration and Identification of Persons (Jersey) Order, 1940. This instruction decreed that all over the age of 14 must be registered and issued with an identity card to be kept with them at all times. An official index to these cards was kept, and is now housed at Jersey Archives. With no 1939 identity register taken in the Channel Islands, this collection forms the most comprehensive census substitute available to a family historian.

These records have two forms, a comprehensive sheet of information that includes physical descriptions, military service and any known disabilities, and a card that usually contains a photograph of the individual. The original images of these records, which contain more information, are available through the accompanying link with each record.

Jersey, German Occupation Prosecutions 1940-1945

Did any of your relatives fall foul of the harsh German occupation authority during the wartime occupation of Jersey? Discover details of their accused crimes and sentences in this collection of more than 800 transcriptions from original court documentation.

The Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles to be occupied by Nazi forces during World War Two. During this occupation, an increasingly strict set of laws and decrees was passed to regulate the life of islanders. These records were transcribed from original documents housed at Jersey Archives. Punishment varied and was undertaken by the German military authorities. Many who were given long sentences were deported to the continent, some of these people never returned.

British Newspaper Update

This week we have added 24,516 new pages to our British Newspaper Collection. We have augmented our holdings of the Liverpool Echo by adding further pages from the 1960s.

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Disclosure:  I have a complimentary subscription to Findmypast, and have accepted meals and services from Findmypast, as a Findmypast Ambassador.  This has not affected my objectivity relative to Findmypast and its products.

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2018/09/new-records-available-to-search-this_17.html

Copyright (c) 2018, 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 - 1755 Will of Jonathan Oatly (1689-1755) of South Kingstown, Rhode Island

This week's document for Amanuensis Monday is the 1755 will of Jonathan Oatly of South Kingstown, Rhode Island in the South Kingstown town council records:

[Volume 5, page 25]

[Volume 5, page 26]

 [Volume 5, page 27]

The transcription of this will is:

[Volume 5, page 25]

In the Name of God amen, I, Jonathan Oatly of South 
Kingstown in ye County of Kings County in ye Colony of Rhode 
Island &c. yeoman Being sick & weak of  Body but of a 
Sound mind & in perfect memory Do make and ordain 
this my last Will & Testament That is to say principally & 
first of all I commend my soul into ye Hand of God who 
gave & my Body to ye Earth to buried in decent Christian 
manner according to the Discretion of my Executor herein 
after named my just Debts & funeral charges 
being first paid by my said Executor, I give devise and bequeath 
of my Worldly Estate in ye following manner & Form.

Imprimis - I give & bequeath unto my well beloved wife 
Mary Oatly, my large black Chest and all that part of my 
Household Stuff which she brought with her to me together 
with all my stock without Doors & any part of my House 
she shall incline to Improve for and During ye Time of her 
widowhood.  I likewise give her ye sum of Fifty Pounds 
in Bills of publick Credit to be paid her by my sd Executor 
in Two years after my decease.

Item - I give & bequeath to my beloved son Samuel Oatley ye sum 
of Five Pounds in Bills of Credit to be paid by my said Executor 
or within two years after my decease.

Item - I give & Devise unto my beloved son Benedict 
Oatly all my Housing & Homestead Bounded Northerly on an 
Highway Easterly & Southerly on Land of Joseph Torry & 
Westerly on land of James Willson. To him his heirs and 
Assigns forever, He paying to his mother in Law & his 
Brother Samuel the legacies before mentioned and given, and 
all my Just Debts also I bequeath to him my great Bible.

Item - I give & bequeath unto my beloved Daughter 
Rebecca Champlin ye one half of all my Household goods not 
herein disposed of to her mother, to her, Her Heirs and assigns for 
ever I likewise give her ye use & improvement of ye other 

[Volume 5, page 26]

half Solong as Ephraim Drake (my daughter Rhoda's 
Husband shall live) at whose decease the one Half as aforesaid 
I give & bequeath unto my beloved Daughter Rhoda 
Drake her Heirs & assigns.  
But it is to be understood & my will is that my daughter 
Rebecca (before any Division is to be made) shall have one 
Feather Bed & Beding.

Item - I give and bequeath unto my two sons Samuel and 
Benedict all my wearing apparel and what Cloath is in ye 
House not made into any garment to be Equally divided 
Between Them -- and my Will is that all my Books 
not herein before disposed of be equally divided between 
my said Wife and my said son Benedict.


"Lastly, I do hereby constitute, ordain & appoint my 
Beloved son Benedict Oatly Sole Executor of this my Last 
Will and Testament Revoking and disanulling all former 
Wills and Testaments by me heretofore made Ratifying and 
Confirming this and this only to be my Last.  In Witness 
Whereof I have hereunto set my Hand & Seal ye Twentyeth 
Day of July Anno que Domini one Thousand Seven 
Hundred and Fifty five.

Signed, sealed, published, 
pronounced, & declared by ye said 
Jonathan Oatly to be his Last 
Will & Testament in Presence 
of us ye subscribers.
................................................................................... Jonathan Oatly  {seal}
Latham Clarke
Martha Clarke
William Steward.

                                       South Kingstown September
                                        the 8th 1755 Mr. William Clark and[Volume 5, page 27]
  
and Mrs. Martha Clarke personally appeared ye day and year
aforesaid and did declair on their Solemn Engagement before
ye Town Council of South Kingstown aforesd that they saw ye above
Named and Subscriber Jonathan Oatley late of said Town
aforesd deceased Sign Seal and declair ye above & within written
Instrument to be his Last will and Testament and that in his
Presence you set your hands as witnesses hereunto and that you
see William Steward Jr sign as a Witness at ye same Time
and that ye said Testator was in his perfect mind & memory
at ye same time.

The aforesaid Will being thus proved it is approved of
by ye Town Council of said South Kingstown aforesd.
                                                       Test Wm Robinson Council Clerk for ye day
Recorded Septr
ye 15th 1755
by W.P. C.C.

he source citation for this estate file is:

South Kingston (R.I.) Town Clerk, "Town Council Records, 1704-1943," (South Kingston, R.I.), Family History Library (Salt Lake City, Utah :  accessed 3 February 2007), on 8 microfilm reels, Volume 5, Pages 25-27, Jonathan Oatly estate papers, on FHL Microfilm 0,931,834.
Jonathan Oatley had four children by his first wife, Deliverance --?-- (????-1734):  Samuel Oatley (1726-1794); Rebecca Oatley (1728-????); Rhoda Oatley (1730-1757); Benedict Oatley (1732-1821).  By his second wife, Mary --?-- (1702-1786), he had two children:  Jonathan Oatley (1737-????); Joseph Oatley (1739-????).  All children were born in South Kingstown.

In his will, Jonathan provided for his current wife, Mary, and for his first four children - Rebecca (Oatley) Champlin, Rhode (Oatley) Drake, Samuel Oatley and Benedict Oatley.  He did not mention his two younger sons by his second wife - perhaps they did not survive to adulthood.

Jonathan and Deliverance (--?--) Oatley are my 6th great-grandparents.  I am descended through their son, Benedict Oatley who married Elizabwth Ladd (1735-1814).

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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."

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2018/09/amanuensis-monday-1755-will-of-jonathan.html

Copyright (c) 2018, Randall J. Seaver

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