This week's document for transcription is from the 1851 Surrogate Court papers for the probate of the will of Daniel Seaver of Maryland, Otsego County New York.
* Otsego County, New York Surrogate Court Records - Volume 9, page 185:
* Otsego County, New York Surrogate Court Records - Volume 9, page 186:
The transcription of these pages is:
[Volume 9, page 185, starting on right hand page]:
Be it remembered that heretofore to wit on the thirtieth day of April in the year one thousand eight hundred
and fifty one Daniel H. Seaver executor named in the last will and testament of Daniel Seaver late of the town
of Maryland in the County of Otsego appeared in open court before Hiram Kinne Surrogate of said County
and made application to have the said last will and testament which relates to both real and personal
estate proved and on such application the Surrogate did ascertain by Satisfactory evidence who were the
heirs and next of Kin of the said deceased and their respective residences and some of them appearing to
be minors having no general Guardian a Special Guardian was appointed in due form of law to take
care of their interests in the matter of proving the said will by an order entered for that purpose
by said Surrogate and said Surrogate did thereupon issue a citation in due form of law directed
to the said heirs next of Kin and Special Guardian by their respective names stating their respective
places of residence requiring them to appear before the said Surrogate at his Office in Cooperstown n
said county at ten Oclock in the forenoon of that day to attend the probate of the said will being
the sixteenth day of April June then next. And on the said sixteenth day of June the hearing
of the said matter was continued and held open until the eighteenth day of June then instant
and afterwards to wit on the said eighteenth day of June satisfactory evidence by affidavit
was produced and presented to the Surrogate of the County of Otsego of the service of the said citation
in the mode prescribed by law and on that day no one appearing to oppose the probate of such
will such proceedings were thereupon had afterward that the Surrogate took the proof of said
will herein after set forth on the day last aforesaid and he adjudged the said will to be a valid
will of real and personal estate and the proofs thereof to be sufficient which said last will and
testament and proofs are as follows that is today.
Will
I Daniel Seaver being weak in body but of sound & perfect mind and blessed be Almighty God
for the same do make and publish this my last will and testament. I will and bequeath
to my two sons Zenas Seaver & Daniel H. Seaver all my real and personal property & to their heirs
forever this will is made on condition they pay the sum of one thousand two hundred dollars
to my heirs the real estate is the farm I now live on, a lot in Spencer Patent & the Village too
1st to the heirs of my daughter Hannah two hundred dollars to be paid in five years
after my decease with int after one year from my decease. 2 to my son Richard Seaver
two hundred dollars to be paid in four years after my decease int in and after one year from
my decease. 3 to my daughter Leafy Boardman the sum of five hundred dollars to be paid
three years from my decease with interest after one year from my decease. 4. to Louisa Van
Zant my daughter the sum of two hundred dollars in six years after my decease with inter-
est after one year from my decease. 5 To my son Isaac Seaver's heirs one hundred dollars
to be paid one year after my decease. I hereby appoint Daniel H. Seaver executor to this
my last will and testament. Signed Sealed and delivered in presence of us this 30th
day of February 1851.
Moses Bennett his
Amos H. Brown Daniel Seaver L.S.
mark
In the matter of proving } Otsego County Ss Amos H. Brown and Moses Bennett of the town
the last will and testament } of Maryland in the County of Otsego being duly sworn and exam-
of } ined before Hiram Kinne Surrogate of the County of Otsego do dep-
Daniel Seaver deceased } ose and say that were well acquainted with Daniel Seaver now
[Volume 9, page 186]
deceased that they were present as witnesses and did see the said Daniel Seaver subscribe his name
at the end of the instrument in writing now produced and shown to these deponents bearing date
the 30th day of January in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty one purporting to be
the last will and testament of the said Daniel Seaver deceased. That the said Daniel Seaver at the
time of making the said subscription declared the said instrument to be his last will and testa-
ment and requested these deponents to sign their names as witnesses thereto. Thereupon these de-
ponents accordingly signed the said instrument as witnesses at the end thereof. These deponents
further say that the said Daniel Seaver at the time he so executed the said instrument was
a citizen of the United States of full age of sound mind and memory in all respects competent
to decide real estate and not under restraint.
Sworn before me this A.H. Browne
18th day of June 1851 Moses Bennett
Hiram Kinne Surrogate.
The source citation for this probate record is:
"New York Probate Records, 1629-1971." digital images. FamilySearch. (http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 26 March 2022), Otsego County Surrogate Court Clerk records, "Wills 1849-1854, Vol. 9," pages 185-186 (images 113-144 of 236), Daniel Seaver of Maryland, 1851.
Daniel Seaver (1767-1851) was the son of Norman and Sarah (Read) Seaver of Shrewsbury and Westminster, Massachusetts. He married Sarah Chase (1773-1823) in New York before 1799, and they had eight children between 1799 and 1812 in Otsego County, New York. His will transcribed above names children Zenas, Daniel H., Hannah (deceased), Richard, Leafy, Louisa and Isaac (deceased). It also includes the requirement for a special guardian to be appointed for the minor heirs. These minor heirs are probably the children of daughter Hannah and son Isaac Seaver. a son Norman Seaver (1801-1834) was not mentioned in the will.
Daniel Seaver is my 4th great-granduncle, since Norman and Sarah (Read) Seaver are my 5th great-grandparents. There were several persons named Daniel Seaver in central New York in the 1800 to 1850 time, and some online family trees have been conflated. I wanted to try to clarify relationships for these different Daniel Seaver persons if possible.
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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."
Read other transcriptions for records of my ancestors at Amanuensis Monday Posts.
Copyright (c) 2022, Randall J. Seaver
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