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 subject today is the third (and last) part of the 1912 Probate Record of James Richmond (1821-1912) of Putnam, Connecticut:
The transcription of the record is (all handwritten):
[page 568, middle of page]
To the Probate Court for the District
of Putnam
Estate of James Richmond late of Putnam
in said district
deceased.
Know
all men by these Presents:
That, whereas the undersigned
Thomas Richmond, Louisa Richmond,
Charles E. Richmond,
James Richmond, Emma Fitts, Elizabeth
A. Prentice, John H.
Richmond are all the persons
interested, as heirs-at-law and
next of kin and distributees in the
Estate of said James
Richmond deceased who left certain real
estate to be divided
among them, in accordance with the laws
of this State for the
distribution of intestate estates, and
whereas, after the payment
of all claims against the estate of
said James Richmond and
the expense of settlement, there
remains the property real
hereinafter described.
Now, therefore, know ye that we, the
said Thomas Richmond,
Louisa Richmond, Charles E. Richmond,
James Richmond, Emma Fitts,
Elizabeth A. Prentice, John H.
Richmond, all being legally capable
to act, do hereby mutually agree to
divide, apportion and
distribute the said property among
ourselves in the manner
following:
Said John H. Richmond shall take and
have the following
described Real estate to wit:
One certain tract of land with a
dwelling house and all
the buildings thereon standing situated
in said Putnam
containing about eight acres more or
less and is the same
land and buildings which Nathaniel
Battey late of Putnam
deceased, purchased by deed from
Waterman's Grant, dated
[page 569]
19th day of November 1869
and duly recorded, and also by deed
from Henry R. Dexter dated the 18th
day of April 1869 and
duly accorded reference is had to said
deeds and the records
for am ore particular description of
the boundaries etc.
the same premises conveyed to Adah
Battey by Quit Claims
deed from the heirs of Nathaniel Battey
by deed dated the
29th of March 1875 and duly
recorded reference is had thereto,
and also Adah Battey derived title to
the same by the last
will and testament of said Nathaniel
Battey duly probated
reference is had to the same.
The same being subject to two mortgages
one for $1000 to Wm.
Rich and one for $300 to Elizabeth A.
Prentice.
To Have and to Hold to each of the
parties hereto, and his or her
heirs and assigns forever, the
property real and personal herein before
assigned to said parties respectively
so that neither of us, nor any
one claiming under either of us, shall
hereafter have any claims
right or title, in or to the premises
or property or any part hereof
herein before assigned to the others,
but each of us is from the
premises as assigned to the others,
forever barred and secluded.
In Witness Whereof, we have hereunto
set our hands and
seals this day of Oct in the year of
our Lord nineteen hundred
and thirteen.
Thomas Richmond L.S.
James Richmond L.S.
Louisa Richmond L. S.
Elizabeth A. Prentice
Emma Fitts
John Richmond
Charles E. Richmond
Witnesses
Jorie A. Sullivan
Clinton W. Cowles
Personally appeared Thomas Richmond,
Louisa Richmond,
Elizabeth A. Prentice, Emma Fitts, John
Richmond, Signers and sealers
of the foregoing instrument and
acknowledged the same to be their
free act and deed before me.
Seal
Attest Edward G. Wright Judge of Probate
State of Connecticut }
County of Hartford } ss. Manchester
Oct 17th A.D. 1913
Personally appeared Charles E. Richmond
Signer and Sealer of the foregoing
Instrument, and acknow-
ledged the same to be his free act and
deed before me.
Clinton W. Cowles, Notary Public Seal
State of Connecticut }
County of Fairfield } Bridgeport
Oct. 18th 1913
[page 570]
Personally appeared James Richmond one
of the signers or the foregoing
instrument and acknowledged the same to
be his free act and deed
before me. George E. Curtis
Notary Public for State of Connecticut
Seal.
The above and foregoing is a true copy
of the Mutual Distribution of
said estate.
Attest Edward G. Wright Judge
The source citation for this document is:
Putnam District, Connecticut, Probate Records, 1856-1920, Volume 11, Pages 568-570, Distribution of James Richmond real estate; FHL microfilm US/CAN 1,376,328.
In this record, the heirs of James Richmond distributed the 80 acres of real estate to John H. Rivhmond, subject to him paying the two mortgages. No description of the land was included, except that it was first awarded in Waterman's Grants, sold to Nathaniel Battey by deed in 1869, and passed to his widow Adah Battey in 1875 by deeds and heirship. No date of acquisition of the land by James Richmond is mentioned and no deed is referenced for some reason.
Information I have about this family is that this land was a dairy farm James Richmond in the western part of Putnam, Connecticut. John H. Richmond and his wife, and John's sister, Louisa, resided on the dairy farm at the time of the death of James Richmond's death. Perhaps the other children of James Richmond had received their portions by gift or deed in earlier years. All but one (Louisa) had married and had families at the time of the death of their father.
James Richmond (1821-1912) is my second great-grandfather, and the father of my great-grandfather, Thomas Richmond (1848-1917).
I found this probate record on microfilm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City on 11 February 2015.
Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver
