Amanuensis Monday - Will of Sarah Clayton 1800

On his TransylvanianDutch blog, John Newmark defines an amanuensis as “a person employed to write out what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.” For more information about this daily blogging prompt, see John’s post Amanuensis – Why?.

I have amassed quite a collection of scans of handwritten documents related to my ancestors—primarily marriage records, deeds, and wills. As I have been transcribing these documents, it occurred to me that most of these documents were not actually written by my ancestors, but rather dictated to someone else, and then transcribed by a clerk into official records.


Last week I posted the 1786 will of George Clayton, one of my 5th great-grandfathers. This week I am posting the 1800 will of his wife, Sarah Clayton.

In the name of god amen
I Sarah Clayton of Iredell County in the
state of North Carolina being in a bad state
of health but thanks be to God am in sound
Minde and memory do make this my last will and
Testament and first I resign my soul unto God
Who gave it me and my Body I recommend to the
Dust thare to be Buried in a Christien and desent
Manner at the discretion of my Exrs
And as touching my worldly Estate I give and
Bequeath as follows viz
I leave and bequeath unto my son George Clayton
one armd Chare I leave to my son Lambert Clayton
one pare stilyards I leave to my Daughter Henrietta
Davidson one spice morter I leave to my Daughter
Hannah Hull one coffey pot I leave to my Daughter
Ann Cook one puter Dish I leave to my daughter
Margret Neill one set silver tea spoons
I leave to my Grandson Lamberth Oliphant one
bed [?] homespun tick with the furniture
belonging to it I leave to my Grand Daughters
Ann and Betsey Neill all my Gees
I leave to my grand Daughter Sarah Scott Neill
one feather Bed and furniture Likewise five pounds
in cash I leave to my Grand Daughter
Sarah Clayton half dozen Delf plates
The Remainder of my estate I leave to
My Daughter Margret Neill after
paying all my just Debts and funeral
Charges.
And I Likewise constitute my sonnenlaw
Alexander Davidson and Wm Hall Exrs,
of this my Last will and Testament
hereby [stricken word] publishing this and no
other to be my last will and testament
In witness whareof the said Sarah Clayton
Hath hereunto set her hand and seal this 30th
Day of October 1800
                        Sarah ^her Clayton
                                ^mark
 
Witness present
James Orten
Anguish Mel[?] jurat

[Source: Iredell County, North Carolina, Will Book 1, page 80, will 50, Sarah Clayton 1800, FHL microfilm 1571950, Original wills Beaver, Moses - Kilpatrick, Andrew; Family History Library, Salt Lake City.]

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Amanuensis Monday - Will of George Clayton 1786

On his TransylvanianDutch blog, John Newmark defines an amanuensis as “a person employed to write out what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.” For more information about this daily blogging prompt, see John’s post Amanuensis – Why?.

I have amassed quite a collection of scans of handwritten documents related to my ancestors—primarily marriage records, deeds, and wills. As I have been transcribing these documents, it occurred to me that most of these documents were not actually written by my ancestors, but rather dictated to someone else, and then transcribed by a clerk into official records.


This is a transcription of the 1786 will of George Clayton of Rowan County, North Carolina, one of my maternal 5th great-grandfathers, with scanned images following:


In the name of God Amen, I George
Clayton of Rowan County State of North Carolina
being in a sick and low condition but thanks be to
God being in perfect mind and memory do
make this my last Will and Testament, and first
of all I Recommend my body to the Dust there to be
buried in a Christian manner at the discreton of
my Executors and my soul I Recommend to God
who gave it me nothing doubting but they shall
united again by the mighty power of God, And as
touching such worldly substance as it has pleased
God to bless me with in this world I leave and bequeath
as follows viz___Item I leave and bequeath to my
beloved wife Sarah all my moveable property
except what I may hereafter bequeath during
her Widowhood, also her living of one third of my land
during her life or Widowhood__Item I leave and bequeath
to my son George All my land on the north side of the Creek
(viz) Lamboths[?] creek Item I leave and bequeath to my
beloved Son Lambert all my land on the south side of
said Creek the Creek to be the line between them___
Item I leave to my beloved daughter Rachel five shillings.
Item I leave to my beloved daughter Hannah five shillings
Item I leave to my beloved daughter Henrietta five shillings
Item I leave and bequeath to my beloved daughter
Ann five shillings Item I leave to my beloved daugh-
-ter Margaret five shillings And Lastly I consti-
-tute and appoint my beloved Wife Sarah Clayton
and my beloved son in law Alexander Davison
to be the Executors of this my last will and
Testament, Signed & Sealed in presence of us
                                                 mark
Ja Kerr                            George X Clayton
Lambert Clayton                         his

[Source: Rowan County, North Carolina, Wills, C: 95-96, George Clayton; Family History Library microfilm 19,736.]

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Descended from Revolutionaries

A search of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) patriot database identifies five of my ancestors as patriots during the Revolutionary War:

• Luther Cary (maternal 4^th great-grandfather)
• George Clayton (maternal 5^th great-grandfather)
• Thomas Cook (maternal 4^th great-grandfather)
• William Justice (maternal 5^th great-grandfather)
• James Reeves (paternal 4^th great-grandfather)

Recognition as a patriot by the DAR does not require active military duty. In fact, only one of these five, Luther Cary, served in a military unit. The others provided provisions or supplies for the army.

Only those individuals who have had patriotic service documented by a DAR member are found in the database. There are probably other patriots in our family whose service has not yet been recognized in this way.

Our roots are long and strong in the history of the United States of America. Truly we are descended from revolutionaries!

© 2011 Denise Spurlock