52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2017 WEEK 14:LAWRENCE LEACH OFSALEM, MA. PT 2

Usually I find the wills of ancestors over at AmericanAncestors.org, But in the case of my 9x great grandfather Lawrence Leach it was in the book The Probate Records of Essex County And it's not really a proper will, but rather a statement to witnesses about how he wanted his estate handled:,

Larance Leach Aged 85 years or thereabouts beinge parfitt in memory neer a yeare befoe his death expressed himselfe vnto vs whose names are heervnder written in the disposing of that wch hee had, we beinge vrgent with him to make his will his expressions to vs was this first he said that he did owe thirtie || pounds || for the mill & his will was that his wife should pay his debts and when his debts ware paid that shee should take all hee had. John Porter John Bacheller

Proved in Salem court 25: 4: 1662 by the witnesses and Elizabeth wife of the deceased appointed administratrix. Essex Co. Quarterly Court Files, vol. 8, leaf 33.

Inventory of the estate of Lawrence Leach of Salem, deceased, taken by John Porter and Jacob Barney: His wearing apparell, 3li.; 2 feather bolsters, 1li.; 3 feather pillows, 12s.; 1 Coverlet & 2 Ruggs,1 li. 10s.; 2 blanketts, 1li. 5s.; a Fether bed & 2 flocke beds, 3li.; 2 paire of sheetes, 1li. 10s.; 3 pillow beares, 6s.; 3 small table clothes, 10s.; 1 single sheet, 4s.; a bedsted and a Chest, 1li. 10s.; 5 Chaires, 15s.; 3 barills, a tub & 8 trays, 1li. 5s.; a table, a forme & 3 dishes, 6s.; 3 old brasse kettles & a skillet, a Chafindish & 1 Candlestick, 2 Iron pots & a skillet, 1li. 6s. M. ; 1 Iron kitle & a morter, 2li. 10s.; a spirit & a dripping pan & a frying pan, 10s.; 6 pewter dishes, 1li.5s; a Baskett with other Lumber, 5s.; 2 Cowes, a heyfer & a Calfe, 12li.; 5 small swine, 4li. ; the howse, with 2 acres of land with the orchard, being parte of the said 2 acres, 30li.; a mill, 40li.; 20 acres of land not improved on Ryall side neare John Baeheler, 10li.; 15 acres of meadow neare John Porters farme bought of Mr. Downing, 20li.; a Bible with another Booke, 5s.; total, 138li. 14s. 8d. Essex Co. Quarterly Court Files, vol. 8, leaf 34. pp288-9

The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts: 1635-1664  Essex Institute, Salem, Ma. 1916

I never saw anything like this before now.Usually when one of my ancestors died intestate there were people appointed by the probate judge to take an inventory of the estate and then determine how it would be divided up among the heirs. It seems like all that was skipped over in the case of Lawrence Leach.