This week's document for Amanuensis Monday is from the Barnstable County, Massachusetts probate documents for Abigail (Howland) John Young (1628-1692) of Eastham, Massachusetts.
Barnstable County [Mass.] Probate Records, Volume 1, page 63:
The transcription of this record is:
These following declarations concerning
the Estate of widow young of Eastham
deceased was brought to the Court held
at Barnstable April the 19^th 1692 and ordered by
sd Court to be Recorded.
April the 7^th 1692
Joseph young declareth that some time
this spring I being at my mother youngs house my
mother told me that when shee dyed shee
would Leave all the Estate that shee had with
Henry if Robart had that gierl that
there was a discourse about, but if he had her not
I understood that the Estate should be
devided betwix them: that was between Robirt and
Henry: that was with in doors.
The above s^d Joseph young made oath to
the truth of this above writen declaration in
Court April the 19^th 1692 Attest
Joseph Lothrop Clerk
April the 9^th 1692
Nathaniel young declareth that about
three weeks or a month agoe I was att
my mother youngs house my mother young
told me that if Robirt had that gierl
which there was a talke about shee
would not give him a peny: but if he had her not
shee Intended that he should have half
the Estate if henry was willing; A little before
this discourse was: I was at my mothers
house shee not being well shee told me that
shee was troubled that henry and Robirt
was so much hindred about her but shee
would not have them troubled about it
for shee Intended for to Leave all to them
when her head was Laid.
The above Sd Nathaniel young made Oath
to the truth of this declaration above
writt in Court April the 19^th 1692 Attest Joseph Lothrop Clerk
April the 9^th 1692
Sarah young the wife of Joseph young
declareth that about three weeks agoe I
was at the house of my mother young and
up on som discorse my mother young told me
that her daughter Abigail there and
asked her whether shee would not give Each of her
daughters a platter or something else
to Remember her when shee was dead and gon
and shee told her no shee would not
give them any thing unless Lydia an Earthen Jugg
and platter And shee said that shee
would give all the Rest to Henry for shee would not
Leave him an Empty house and then there
would be no Roome for quareling and about
an hour after we having discorse about
many things shee told me that if Robirt
had that gierl which there was a
discourse about shee would give him nothing but if
he had her not: if Henry was willing
shee was willing he should have half her Estate
Taken on oath this 25^th of april 1692
before me John Freeman Asst
All the above declarations examined and
duly Compared with the Originals
and Entered April the 30^th 1692 as
Attest Joseph Lothrop Recorder
Att the County Court at Barnestable
October the 18: 1692
where as Abigail young of Eastham wid
deceased having disposed of her Estate as is
above declared the Court allowed and
Approved of the same there appearing in the
Court at the same time three of the
sons viz John young Joseph young and Henry
young all of them agreeing to the same
in open Court. Attest Joseph Lothrop Clerk
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, Barnstable County, "Vol. 1-3, 1686-1747," Volume 1, page 63, Abigail Young probate papers.
Abigail (Howland) Young died on 7 April 1692 in Eastham, Massachusetts, the widow of John Young (1624-1691). The three declarations above were made on 7 April, 9 April and 25 April, 1692. The conversations of the three declarants with Abigail Young were recent - within a month of her passing. At the time, Henry Young was age 20 and Robert Young was age 24, and neither was married. These records are, in essence, a nuncupative, or oral, will.
I posted Amanuensis Monday -- 1688 Will and Inventory of John Young (1624-1691) of Eastham, Mass. last week. In his will, John Young named his six living sons - Henry, John, Joseph, Nathaniel, David and Robert Young, but did not name his three daughters by name (Mary, Abigail and Lydia). He left everything to his wife during her widowhood, but bequeathed land after her death to his sons. Son Henry was to received all of his housing and a piece of upland.
In these three declarations, two sons and a daughter-in-law declare that Abigail Young, widow of John Young, stated that all the estate she had would go to her son Henry Young, unless son Robert Young "had her not" a "gierl" which, apparently, the family talked about. This causes the reader to question the meaning of "had" - was Robert disqualified if he had had sexual relations with her, or if he kept seeing her? In any event, Abigail stipulated that Henry had to agree to share the estate with his brother if he "had her not."
The other issue was that daughter Abigail (Young) Twining asked for something to remember her mother by, but the mother Abigail declined and specified a platter and jug for daughter Lydia instead. I wonder if Lydia ever received it?
The Court allowed and agreed with the declarations, but the outcome was not entered into the Court records. Henry Young died intestate in 1706 before most of his siblings - I found a letter of administration, an inventory of about £78, and an account for him, but nothing that described his real property.
John and Abigail (Howland) Young are my 8th great-grandparents. I am descended from the eldest son, John Young (1649-1718) who married Ruth Cole (1651-1735) in 1671 in Eastham, Mass.
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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."
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