First of all, it can clear up family questions like who was married to who, and when, and who was whose child. Of course, it can also raise questions -- going back to my ancestor Richard Waters, whose will was probated in 1725, revealed a son previously unknown to me.
But more than that, these carefully detailed documents tell so much about what life was like at that time, in that place (His Majesty's Province of Massachusetts Bay, in this case). It also tells you that this particular family was doing very well.
Richard Waters was born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1669; he obtained a large amount of land in Sutton, Mass., and moved the family there. He married at a rational age of 28, and proceeded to have eight children. He died at the relatively early age (for my family) of 55. Perhaps he knew he was unwell, because he left a comprehensive will that expressed his wishes.
Here's part of it:
..."I give to my dearly beloved wife Martha my house, household stuff, all my Lands (at my present
dwelling) within fence whether arable, pasture or mowing lands about my house
and all my moveables of cattle, horses, swine, tackling for husbandry, for her
lifetime, save my Mendon* Oxon, iron-bound wheels, timber chain, breaking plow,
reserved for my two eldest sons Richard
and Samuel to be divided in equal
shares between them"
So obviously Martha was trusted to be in charge of the very prosperous farm. (I have been unable to figure out how he's describing the oxen; there is a town of Mendon, Mass, and maybe he bought them there.) Next:
"...ITEM I give to my eldest son Richard (beside that above named to him) one hundred and forty
acres of Land at the South End of my Farm, so that he pay seventy pounds to my
daughter Abigail his sister, twenty
pounds when she is of the age of 21 years, the residue five years after that.
ITEM I give and bequeath to my son Samuel one hundred and forty acres of land lying on my (…) Hill and
upon Oxford road, leading to Sutton besides that which was reserved to him out
of that which I left to his mother, so that he pay to his sister Mercy Twenty pounds at her arriving to
Twenty one years of Age Twenty Pounds; and Fifty pounds more five years after
that.
ITEM
to my Son Ebenezer I give one
hundred and thirty acres of Land upon the above described (…) Hill lying by his
Brothers so that he may pay seventy pounds to his sister Mary, Twenty when she is come to twenty one years of Age, and Fifty
pounds five years after Item the Residue of my Land upon the Farm of my later
Dwelling I give in equal proportion to my three above named Sons and Amos my youngest, to be divided into
four equal shares to serve them all for Timber and Firewood."
This is so interesting. First of all -- what a lot of land! Secondly, I'm not a wills expert, but I've never seen anything like the provision whereby each brother is directed to take care of a sister. I wonder why it was done this way? Were single females not allowed to own land and money outright? Or was it just against convention for them to do so? Anyway, this provided these ladies with very respectable dowries.
And another thing that's interesting just from a family viewpoint -- my ancestors seem to have a very long history with heavy haulage of various types; note the team of oxen, the iron-bound wheels, the
timber chain, and the breaking plow. A few generations later, my great-great-grandfather Tyler Carpenter and his father were
winning an oxen-pull at the annual farming exhibition in Sutton in the 1830s. And my grandfather and his brothers had their own threshing business traveling throughout the midwest during the wheat harvest, and at first a team of large draft horses were used to haul the threshing machines. Soon these teams were replaced by trucks, true; but my grandfather really loved those horses.
The last part is interesting, too:
"...ITEM If my Wife can preserve the Homestead left with her, my will is that my Son Amos inherit it after her, he paying out to my Daughter Lois Twenty Pounds at her coming to Twenty one years of age, and Fifty pounds five years after.
And another thing that's interesting just from a family viewpoint -- my ancestors seem to have a very long history with heavy haulage of various types; note the team of oxen, the iron-bound wheels, the
 |
| A very handsome team of oxen |
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| This is from an actual receipt for feed for my grandfather's horse team |
The last part is interesting, too:
"...ITEM If my Wife can preserve the Homestead left with her, my will is that my Son Amos inherit it after her, he paying out to my Daughter Lois Twenty Pounds at her coming to Twenty one years of age, and Fifty pounds five years after.
ITEM I desire my Wife to pay as soon as she can five pounds
as soon as may be to my Daughter Abigail
as a Consideration to her steady dutifulness and usefulness in the Family
and Twenty shillings apiece to her, with her three Sisters to fulfill a Legacy
from their Elder, and now deceased Sister to them.
ITEM I would have my Executors pay to right after decease
Twelve pounds in money to my Son Richard."
The deceased sister was Hannah, who was born in 1699 but had died by 1725; I suppose her father divided up what would have been her portion between her sisters. And what a nice compliment to Abigail!
They sound like a close, affectionate family, who have worked very hard and succeeded very well.
The Waters farm is still there, a lovingly preserved part of old Sutton, Massachusetts, and various celebrations of local traditions are held there: The Waters Farm
They sound like a close, affectionate family, who have worked very hard and succeeded very well.
The Waters farm is still there, a lovingly preserved part of old Sutton, Massachusetts, and various celebrations of local traditions are held there: The Waters Farm
