This week's documents for Amanuensis Monday are from the Bristol County, Massachusetts Probate Court records for Edward Richmond (1632-1696) of Little Compton, Rhode Island:
a) Bristol County (Mass.) Probate Packet 21,447, image 2 of 2:
The transcription of this record is:
Know all men by these presents that we
Edward Richmond of
Little Compton in the County of
Bristoll in the Province of the Masa-
chusett Bay & Jabez Howland of
Bristoll Blacksmith & Joseph Sadie
of said Bristol Mason
Do stand and firmely Bounden and
obliged unto John Saffin Esq^r
in the sum of Six Hundred Pounds
Currant money in New England
to be payd to him the said John Saffin
or to his Successor in
the office of Judge of probate of wills
ect^a within the County
aforesaid to which payment well &
truly to be made we
Bind our selves Either of us by himself
Joyntly & Severally
for and in the whole our & Either &
Every of heires Executors
& Administrators firmely by these
presents sealed with the seals
Dated at Bristoll this Eight Day of
Decemb^r 1696 In the
Eight~ year of his Majesties Reign
ect^a
The Condition of this present
obligation is such that whereas Admini-
stration is Granted unto the above
Bound Edward Richmond upon
the Estat of Cap^t Edward Richmond late
of Little Compton Dec^d Iss therefore y^e
said Edward Richmond Administor shall
with all Convinient Speed
Bring into the Regist^y office of said
County a true & perfect Inventory
of the Estate of the said Dec^d &
shall well & truly Administer upon
& Duely & faithfully dispose
off all & Singular the goods Chattles
Creditts & Estate left by the said
Dec^d unto all & Every person and
persons to whom it Doth of Right
pertained in all Reports as the law
directs and shall Render & Exhibit
a Just & true account of his
Administraton & Doing therein to
the said office at or before the
Tenth Day of January 1697 Then this
obligation to be Null
and voyde or Else to stand abide &
Remaine in full force power
and vertue.
Edward Richmond
Signed sealed & Delivered
in the presence off us Viz.
Christopher Allen
Jabez Howland
signum
Joseph S Sadie
The source citation for this record is:
Bristol County, Massachusetts, Probate case files, Case File 21447 Edward Richmond of Little Compton; "Bristol County (Massachusetts) Probate Records, 1636-1899," digital images, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (http://www.americanancestors.org: accessed 15 April 2018).
b) Bristol County (Mass.) Probate Court Records (Volume 1, pages 175-177):
The transcription of these records is:
[Volume 1, page 175]
An
accompt of debts of my father Capt Edward Richmond which I
have
payde, and stand Engaged to pay Since his Decease.
[NOTE: I did not transcribe the long list of very small debts and estate charges]
The
debts and charges totaled 64 pounds, 0 shillings, 7 pence.
The
Accompt of Edward Richmond Administrator to the Estate of
Cap^t
Edward Richmond late of Little compton Dec^d Exhibbited this
Nineteenth
Day of May 1697 and it is as followeth:
[Volume
1, page 176]
Edward
Richmand Debt^r to said Estate
as
by Inventory 350=06=0
Memorandum
that on the Nineteenth
Day
of May 1697 Edward Richmond
Administ^r
to the Estate of his father
Capt
Edward Richmond late of Little compton
Deceased
Made oath to the truth of y^e
within
written accompt y^e p^r^ticulars
whereof
are written on both sids of this
paper
& Broght to a Ba?? as in y^e
Contra
the day & year above written
Coram
me John Saffin
John
Gary Regis^r
Edward
Richmond Contra ????
By
Debts payd out of the Estate to severall
persons
Claiming for other Necessary
Charges
….............................................. £ 64=00=07
And
for severall parts of y^e s^d Estat
Delivered
to the several Children
the
sum amouting to …............................................ 287=19=10
as
under their hands & seales may
appeare Sum Totall 351=19=10
Inventory
350=06=00
over payd
001=13=10
John
Saffin Esq^r Commissionated by his Ex^cy S^t Wm Philpot Kn^t Capt.
Gen^ll &
Govern^r
in Chieffe in & over his Majesties Province of the Masachusett
Bay in
New
England with the Advise & Consent of the Councell for the
granting of probate
of
will & Letters of Admist^con within the County of Bristoll. To
all to whom these
presents
shall Come Greeting. Know yee That it hath been Made appear before
Me
that Edward Richmond Son to and Administrat^r of all & Singular
the Goods
Chattels
Rights & Credits of his father Cap^t Edward Richmond late of
Little comp-
ton
Dec^d which he had whilest he lived and at the time of his Death that
have
Come
to his hands & Possession of the said Administrator, And hath
made & Render-
ed
a plaine & true accompt of his said Administration upon Oath
Annexed to
these
presents In full of the Inventory of the same by him Exhibitted into
the
Court and Remaineing in the Registry thereof I Do therefore Discharge
the
said
Administ^r from all other Accompts or Reconing in this behalfe to be
Rendered or
Given
so far as it Concerns my office And so far & so long as he shall
Remaine
Inconvirt
of any fraud or Deceit Et Salvo jure ??????? I Do finally Dismiss him
by
these presents. In Testimony whereof I have Caused the seale of the
s^d Court to be
hereunto
affixed. Dated in Bristoll the Nineteenth of Day of may 1697 In the
Ninth
year of his Majestyes Reigne. John Saffin
John
Gary Regist^r
Thus
Entered & Recorded May 19 1697 By John Gary Regist^r.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A
Joynt Agreement of the Divission of Capt. Edward Richmond, late
Deceased
his
Estate among his Children as followeth. Every one fully Satisfied
Contented
therewith
and hereby Joyntly & Severally for our Heires Executors
Administrators
Do
Exonerate acquitt & Discharge each other for ever. In witness
whereof we have
hereunto
sett our hands & seales this Tenth Day of December one Thousand
six
Hundred
Ninety Six 1696.
Edward
Richmond for Lands
......................................................................
36-03-04
for
moveables
..........................................................................
..........................27-16-06
John
Richmond in his own Right & the Right of his Sister Abigail
Remanton lands .. 36-03-04
for
moveables
..........................................................................
..........................27-16-06
William
Palmer for lands
......................................................................
......18-01-08
for
moveables
..........................................................................
..........................13-18-03
John
Palmer for lands
......................................................................
............18-01-08
for
moveables
..........................................................................
.......... ...............13-18-03
[Volume 1,
page 177]
Silvester
Richmond for lands
.............................................................
.........18-01-08
for
moveables
..................................................................
..................................13-18-03
Sarah
Richmond for lands
...............................................................
............18-01-08
for
moveables .........................................................
........ ..................................13-18-03
Thomas
Burge for lands ........................................
...................... ...............18-01-08
for
moveables
..................................................................
..................................13-18-03
-------------
.. 287-19-03
Memorandum
y^t on y^e 19^th Day of may 1697 that
above
written Instrument under y^e hands and Edw^d
Richmond {seal}
Seales
of the persons herein Named (being
all
of them Children of Cap^t Edward Richmond John
Richmond {seal}
Late
of Little compton Deceased) was Exhibitted Signum
into
the Registers Office for y^e County of William W Palmer {seal}
Bristoll
Containeing a Divission of the Estate
of
the s^d Edward Richmond, And p^r^sented John
Palmer {seal}
unto
John Saffin Esq^r Judge of Probates
ect^a
within the County afores^d and by s^d Silvester Richmond {seal}
Judge
Examined was approved and allowed
&
by him ordered to be put upon Record. In Thomas Burge {seal}
Testimon
whereof he hath hereunto Sub- Signum
scribed
In the ninth year of his Majesties Sarah S Richmond {seal}
Reign John Saffin
John
Gary Regist^r.
Thus
Entered & Engrossed May 19^th 1697 By Jn^o Gary Record^r.
The source citation for these records is:
"Probate Records, 1687-1916; Index, 1687-1926 [Bristol County, Massachusetts]", digital microfilm images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 15 April 2018),"Probates, v. 1-4 1687-1723 Vol. 3 ends p. 337 (1710-1716), Lacking 1717-1720. Vol. 4 begins 1721" (US/CAN microfilm 0,461,882)," Volume 1, pages 175-177 (images 96-7 of 745), Edward Richmond administration papers.
Edward Richmond (1632-1696) married (1) Abigail Davis (1637-1682) in 1658 in Newport, and they had eight children born between 1658 and 1672. He married (2) Amy Bull (1632-1696) in 1678, and they had two children. Edward Richmond died in November 1696, and his wife Amy died in December 1696.
It is not known if son Edward Richmond received all of the estate and had to pay all of his siblings their share, or if the real estate and personal estate were sold and Edward divided the proceeds between the children, after paying the debts and charges. Note that Edward made an error in the account and overpaid the heirs by 1 pound, 13 shillings, 10 pence.
The heirs to whom the estate was distributed were: Edward Richmond, John Richmond (who claimed his sister Abigail Remington's portion also), William Palmer (husband of daughter Mary Richmond), John Palmer (husband of daughter Elizabeth Richmond), Silvester Richmond, Thomas Burge[ss] (husband of daughter Esther Richmond), and Sarah Richmond (an unmarried daughter in 1697?). There is no mention of the children, Ann Richmond and Henry Richmond that Edward Richmond had with Amy Bull, although they were living in 1697.
Edward Richmond received a double share of the estate as the oldest son, according to Massachusetts Bay Colony laws. John Richmond received his own share and his sister Abigail (Richmond) Remington share. Why? Perhaps it was because Abigail Richmond had married John Remington (1650-1688) in 1679 and resided in Kingstown, Rhode Island in 1697.
The eldest son, Edward Richmond, was named the administrator of the intestate estate. Apparently, The inventory is not included in any probate record. The bond and letter of administration is in the Bristol County, Mass. probate case file. The list of debts, account, and division of the estate are listed in the Bristol County, Mass. Probate Court clerk volumes.
Edward Richmond was a resident and property owner in Little Compton, now in Bristol County, Rhode Island. In 1697, the Bristol County, Massachusetts probate court handled the Edward Richmond estate, and probably the estates of other Little Compton residents.
Interestingly, these two sets of probate records do not contain the records in the other set. There was no index entry for Edward Richmond for 1697 in the Ancestry.com index (which is not surprising - Ancestry did a poor job of indexing the wills and probate records).
Edward and Abigail (Davis) Richmond are my 9th great-grandparents. I descend through their daughter, Abigail (Richmond) Remington (1656-1744), who married John Remington (1650-1688).
==============================================
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