[page 150, starting almost halfway down the page]
[in margin] BOND
Know all men by these presents that We
John
Metcalfe of Medfield in the County of
Suffolke Hus-
bandman, Thomas Metcalfe husbandman &
Jonathan Metcalfe Cooper both of Dedham
in the
County afor????? within his Ma^tys
Province of the
Massachusetts Bay in New England are
holden
and stand firmly bound and obliged unto
Will-
iam Stoughton Esq^r Judge of the
Probate of Wills
& granting Admin???? within the s^d
County
of Suffolke in the full sum of Three
hun????
pounds currant money in New England to
be
paid unto ???? William Stoughton his
Successors
in the s^d Office or Assignes ???? ????
payment
whereof We do bind our selves heires
Ex?????
jointly and severally firmly by these
presents.
Sealed ???? ???? Dated the second day
of December
Anno Domini 169? Annoq R.R. Gulielmi
Tertii Angliae ae nono.
The Condition of this present
Obligation is such
that Whereas the above ???? William
Stoughton
Esq^r Judge of Probate &c For that
the Estate in
housing and Lands of John Metcalfe late
of Med-
field afores^d husbandman deceased
could not
be divided to and among all the
Children of the
s^d dece^d without great prejudice to
or apoyling of
[page 151]
the whole. In and by an order or
Decree under his
hand and the seal of the Office of
Probate in the
County of Suffolke aforesaid bearing
even date with
these presents Hath ordered and
assigned the
whole Estate of the s^d dece^d in
Houses and Lands
mentioned in the Return of the
Apprizers of Record
wherein the same are valued at One
hundred
& Eighty pounds, with the members
and appur-
tenances thereunto belonging, unto the
above
bounden John Metcalfe Eldest son of the
dece^d & to
his heires & assignes forever
(Saving unto Mary
Metcalfe late Wife of the dece^d her
Dower ???? Thirds
in the s^d Houses and Lands during the
terme of
her natural life). The s^d John
Metcalfe paying
to his Brethren and Sisters or their
legal Repre-
sentatives the respective sums
hereafter men-
tioned. That is to say To ????
Children of his
Brother Michael Metcalfe dece^d or
their Guardian
the ???? Eighteen pounds, ten shillings
and
eight pence in money. To his sister
???? ????
Ellice the sum of Fifteen pounds
thirteen shillings
& eight pence ????. To his Brother
Joseph Metcalfe
the sum of sixteen pounds ???? ????
eight pence
in money. And to his sister Experience
Wheeler
the sum ???? ???? pounds, nine
shillings &
eight pence in money. Or giving good
???? ????
pay the s^d several amounts his
Brethren & sisters
before named or legal Representatives
as afores^d
within the space of one yeare next in
???? To-
gether with allowance for the same in
the interim
after the rate ???? six pounds pr Cent
pr annum
as by the Act of the General Assembly
???? An
Act for for Setting and Distribution of
the Estates
of Intestates is provided. The s^d
John Metcalfe
also giving good security to pay
further at is
upon the decease of s^d Mary late Wife
of the
intestate as followeth. To the
Children of his s^d
Brother Michael Metcalfe or their
Guardian the
Sum of Fourteen pounds nine shillings
and
ten pence. To his s^d Sister Elizabeth
Ellice, his s^d
Brother Joseph Metcalfe and his s^d
Sister Experience
Wheeler the like Sum of Fourteen pounds
nine
shillings & ten pence each in
money. To his
[page 152]
Sister Hannah Bullen the sum of Two
pound
???? ten shillings and seven pence in
money.
And to his sister Mary Ellice ???? ????
sum
of Eight pounds, seven shillings and
ten pence
money ???? ???? by the s^d Order or
Decree or
Record thereof, reference th ???? ????
will more
fully and at large appear. If
therefore the ???? ????
bounden John Metcalfe his heires
Executors or Admin^s
also ???? do well and truly pay or
cause to be
paid unto the Children of his s^d
Brother Michael
Metcalfe dece^d or their Guardians, and
also unto
his other Brother and Sisters before
named and
each and every one of them or to their
legal Represen-
tatives or Assignes the dull Sum and
Sums to
them respectively allotted as afores^d
in and by the
s^d Order or Decree above mentioned in
currant
money in New England at or before the
time
or times therein set and prefixed for
payment
of the same, Together with Interest
after the rate
of six pounds pr Cent annum, According
to the
true intent and meaning of the afore
recited
order or Decree, and that without
covern fraud
or further delay, Then the within
written Obliga-
tion to be void and of none Effect. Or
else to abide
& remain in full force and virtue
if default
be made in any or either of the said
payments.
Sealed and Delivered
in presence of
John Metcalfe {seal}
Edward Mills
Thomas Metcalfe {seal}
???? Furfrey
Jonathan Metcalfe {seal}
The source citation for the entire probate file is:
Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991, indexed database with digital images,Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), citing Suffolk County [Mass.] Probate Records, 1636-1899, "Probate Records, Vol. 1-2, 1636-1776," Volume 2, pages 146-152 (images 395-398), John Metcalfe of Medfield Estate, 1691.
John Metcalf (1622-1690) died intestate in Medfield, Massachusetts, which was then part of Suffolk county in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. His estate file in the Suffolk county probate records is 7 pages (on four images), containing an account, a summons to the widow, the widow's declining administration, and two bond statements.
The above document is only the final bond statement filed by the heirs after his death. Where information is missing, I have used "????." The court clerk used "mss" or "msg" to indicate missing information. The heirs named included:
* John Metcalf of Medfield, husbandman, eldest son, administrator
* Thomas Metcalf of Dedham, husbandman, bondsman
* Jonathan Metcalf of Dedham, cooper, bondsman
* Mary Metcalf, late wife of John Metcalf, deceased
* Children of Michael Metcalf (brother to John)
* Elizabeth Ellice (sister to John)
* Joseph Metcalf (brother to John)
* Experience Wheeler (sister to John)
* Hannah Bullen (sister to John)
* Mary Ellice (sister to John)
This bond document provides direction to the administrator as to how much money each heir will receive from the administrator, John Metcalf (son of the deceased John Metcalf), who was given the real property in this bond document. This document was probably signed in the Suffolk probate court on 2 December 1697 since the earlier bond was dated 18 December 1696 with the requirement to file the account before 18 December 1697.
John Metcalf (1622-1690) and his wife, Mary (Chickering) Metcalf (1628-1698) are my 9th great-grandparents. I descend through their son, Michael Metcalf (1650-1691), who married Elizabeth Bowers (1654-1724).
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