 | |
| Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. Case66 Page 1 |
I found the probate file for my 8x great grandfather John Abbott over at AmericanAncestors.org.
As you can see from the image, it's about a page and a half of small cramped handwriting.
Luckily for me, I also found Charlotte Helen Abbott's four paged typewritten transcription, which was over on the Andover Memorial Hall Library's website in the Abbott Genealogies collection.
I double-checked her work and was surprised to see she had changed the spelling on some words and in some cases changed an entire word. Still, it helped me do my own transcription.
I'm posting it here in two parts. Part 1 is from about half of this first page of the will:
 | |||
|
In the name of God Amen. This sixteenth day of May in ye year of our Lord 1716
I John Abbott of Andover in County of Essex in New England being weake
in body but of perfect mind and memory blessed be God for itt therefore calling
to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for me once to dye
doe make and ordaine this my last will and Testament (That is to say) principally and
first of all I give and recommend my soul into ye hands of God yt gave itt hoping through ye
death passion and meritts of my Saviour Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon
and forgiveness of all my sins and to inherit eternal life and my body I committ to ye
earth to be decently buryed att ye discretion of my executor hereafter named noth-
ing doubting but at ye general resurrection I shall receive ye same againe by ye mighty
power of God and as touching worldly estate whear with it hath pleased the
Lord to bless me in this life, I give devise and dispose of the same in ye following man
or and for me that is to say: First- I will yt all those debts and dues yt I owe in wright
or concciance to any manner of person or persons whasoever shall be well and truly
payed in a convenient time after my decease by my executors hereafter
named.
I give to my well beloved wife Sarah Abbot ten pounds in money and all my household move
ables during her naturall life and when ye Lord shall see good to remove her by death y
then my moveables to be divided between my daughters Sarah Chandler and Priscillah
Abbott By moveables I mean my bedding linen, woolens, pewter, brass, iron,tin and all
wooden ware excepting baoles but it must be unders tood that what my daughter
Sarah Chandler hath received be accounted for when the divishon is made.
Item I give to my beloved son John Abbott one part of my whomestead bounded on ye north
by a stake st at ye highway side and so running to ye end of ye orchard to a white oke
tree marked as ye fence now stands then to a white oake tree marked standing near the fence
to south east att the westerly end of my whomestead with all my housing orchard and fences
and all upon it also my loome with all my weaver takoling and half my meadow att
Beaver Dam lying between Billerica and Oborn also a parcell of land laid out to me on the left
hand of the way goe ing to William Lovejoy Junor containing a bout 4 acres and
a half be it more or less Bouned as on Record: also I give him six common wrights and a half according to my state ment was in ye first divishon or the same proportion
by any way of statement for paying what I shall order him to pay.
Item- I give to my beloved son Joseph Abbott the other part of my whomstead bound
att the stake above named then running to a whit oke att the end of the orchard as the
fence now stands then to a whit oke stand ing near the fence souest marked : all
this esterly end with the barn orchard and fence and all upon itt also a pece of land on the
west side of the way near his barn as it is now fenced: also a pece of mowing ground
ly ing upon Roger brook and joyning to good man Ballards land as it is now fenced
and half my bevor dam meadow as it is butted and bounded also a pece of land lying
near the parsonage laid out to mee for three acres be it more or less and bounded as
on record. Also I give him five acers and a half of my com mon wright: as my
statement was in the first division of the same proportion by any other way of
statement be pay ing what I shall order him to pay
To be continued
No comments:
Post a Comment