Last Will & Testament of Asa Sparks (1745-1814)
Transcribed by Michele
(Patterson) Valenzano
I, Asa Sparks of Sheffield in the County of Berkshire and
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, yeomen, infirm of body and conceiving myself
threatened with death, tho thro the mercy of God of
sound mind and memory desire to give up my spirit to God who gave it, and my
body to be at his disposal, believing the same will be raised thro the power of
Christ, at the General Resurrection, and concerning the estate and property
which God has given me, I do make and declare and publish this my last will and
testament, revoking and annulling hereby all other and former wills and
devises.
In the first place
I do give and devise to my dear and beloved wife, Abigail Sparks, one third
part of all my personal goods and estate to her use and behoof
forever and also the use and improvement of one third part in quantity and
quality of the house land and tenement in said Sheffield, on which I now live,
being the same purchased from - William Mason, and containing one hundred and
fifty acres, for and during her natural life.
Item, I give and
devise to my beloved son William Sparks and sum of fifty dollars. To my beloved
son, Lemuel Sparks the sum of ten dollars. To my beloved daughter Sabra Smith wife
of Merritt Smith the sum of one hundred dollars. To Matilda Chapin, wife
of Moses Chapin, who is also a beloved daughter, one hundred dollars.
I furthermore devise to my beloved sons Comfort Sparks and Talbot Sparks the
farm of land on Mount Washington which I purchased of William Fellows
containing about three hundred acres, excepting however there from a small
parcel thereof already bargained to be conveyed to David Coon and Adam Tihre to have and to hold them, their heirs and assigns
forever, as tenants in common, also I devise to my beloved son Joseph Sparks,
the sum of five hundred dollars to be paid to him by my executor hereinafter to
be named in five annual payments of one hundred dollars each. To my beloved
daughter, Luanna, wife of Fairchild Stevens and
Clara, wife of John More, I give and devise the sum of fifty dollars each. Also
to my beloved son Benjamin I give and devise the residue and remainder of all
my personal and real estate of what kind and nature corner which is not herein
before devised and particularly the following tracts and parcels viz: one tract lying in Salisbury in the county of
Litchfield purchased from Calvin Loring and Jonathan Scovell supposed to contain fifty five acres also the farm
of land lying on Mount Washington which I purchased of Joseph Webb supposed to
contain two hundred and fifty acres. Also the farm or homestead in said
Sheffield whereon I now live, excepting there from the use and improvement of
one third part thereof, already devised to my wife Abigail Sparks, one tract of
land containing about eighty acres lying in Sheffield and adjoining the
homestead, which I purchased the Commonwealth. Also on tract or parcel of land
lying on
And I hereby
appoint my aforesaid son Benjamin to be the executor of this my last will and
testament. And it is my will that the said executor shall pay all my just and
physicians bill and funeral charges, and also all the specific legacies before
mentioned out of the personal property have devised unto him. And in testimony
to this as my true will and last testament thereunto set my hand and seal this
fourth day of July and in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
thirteen.
Last Will & Testament
signature of Asa Sparks
Signed, sealed, published & declared to be the testators
last will and testament in presence and hearing of three witnesses, viz;
Zacheus Cande
Wyllys Bartholomew
Pursuant to a
warrant to us directed by the Hon. William Walker, Esq. Judge of the court of
probate for the
We, the
subscribers having been first sworn as the said warrant directs,, have appraised upon oath all the real estate whereof Asa Sparks late of
Lot No. 1st being
that farm of land called the homestead lying on both sides of the highway with
the buildings thereon standing that is to say one newish
dewlling house, one newish
barn, one old, one corn house containing one hundred and twenty nine acres of
land appraised in the whole at two thousand eight hundred and eighty six
dollars.
Lot No. 3rd, being
a piece of land adjoining the homestead at the southwest corner thereof
containing nineteen acres and forty rods of land appraised at sixty eight
dollars and fifty cents.
Lot No. 4th, is a lot of land lying in the town of
Lot No. 5th, is a
lot of land lying in said town of Mount Washington known by Lot No. 10
containing one hundred and sixty acres of land and appraised at four hundred dollars
amounting in the whole to four thousand one hundred and sixty dollars.
Having done this
we proceeded to set off to the children of Daniel Sparks late of said Sheffield
deceased son of said testator as follows, viz: to
Abigail Schutt, wife of Chester Schutt
one forty eight part which is eighty six dollars and sixty six cents in lands.
One piece of land off from the westerly part of the homestead described and
bounded as follows, to wit: beginning at a heep of
stones lying in the north line of the highway leading from said Sheffield to
Mount Washington and on the west line of widow Hannah Austin's wood land from
thence runing North 6deg 30" east750 links to a
chestnut tree and stones then south 80 deg east to a heep
of stones on said widow Austin's North line then North 14 deg east 20 chains to
a heep of stones on the north line of the homestead
then north 78 deg west 226 links to a heep of stones
being the northeast corner bounds of land hereafter set to Mariah Sparks, then
south 14 deg west 2350 links to a heep of stones in
the north line of the above mentioned highway then along said link of highway
to the first bounds containing five acres and twenty rods of land at sixty five
dollars and sixty seven cents. We also set to the said Abigail Schutt one more piece of land lying in the town of Mount
Washington off from lot known by the name of Lot No. 10 at the north end of
said lot described and bounded as follows to wit: beginning at the north east
corner of said lot and southeast corner of lot No. 11 being a hemlock tree
marked then along the south line of Lot No. 11 n. 83 deg 15" west 2460
links to a heep of stones which is the northwest
corner of said lot No. 10 then along the west line of said Lot No. 10 south 2
deg west 205 links to a heep of stones then south 83
deg east 2460 links to a heep of stones then north 4
deg 30" east 205 links to the first bounds containing five acres of land
set at twenty one dollars which makes her full share of said estate.
We set to Mariah Sparks one forty eight part of said testators estate in
lands described and bounded as follows. To wit: the first piece is off from the
westerly part of said testator's homestead beginning at the southwest corner of
Abigail Schutt's share of the homestead a heep of stones in the north line of highway from thence runing north 14 deg east 2350 links to a heep of stones said Abigails
northwest corner then north 78 deg west 280 links to a heep
of stones then south 14 deg west 2250 links to a heep
of stones in the north line of the aforementioned highway then along the said
north line of highway to the first mentioned bounds containing six acres of
land set at sixty five dollars and sixty seven cents. We also set to the said
Mariah a piece of land off from the lot called lot No. 10 lying and being in
the town of Mount Washington described and bounded as follows, to wit:
beginning at a heep of stones being the southeast
corner of land heretofore set to Abigail Schutt then
North 83 deg 15" west in the line of said Abigail's land 2460 links to a heep of stones lying on the west line of said lot No 10
then south 2 deg west 205 links to a heep of stones
then south 83 deg 15" east 2460 links to a heep
of stones on the east line of said lot No. 10 then N. 4 deg 30" east 205
links to the first bounds containing five acres of land set at twenty one
dollars which makes said Mariah's full share twenty one dollars. We set to the Angeline Sparks one forty eight part of said testators
estate in lands described and bounded as follows, to wit: the first piece
begins at the southwest corner of land heretofore set to Mariah Sparks which
corner is a heep of stones on the north line of the
highway leading from Sheffield to Mount Washington from thence runing North 14 deg east 2150 links to the northwest corner
of said Mariah's land and then North 78 deg west 308 links to a heep of stones on the town line between Sheffield and the
Town of Mount Washington then south 14 deg west in said town line 2115 links to
a heep of stones in the north line of said highway
then along said highway to the first bounds containing six acres and eighty
rods of land set at sixty five dollars and sixty seven cents. We set also to
the said Angeline one other piece of land lying in
the Town of Mount Washington described and bounded as follows, to wit:
beginning at the southwest corner bounds of land heretofore set to Mariah
Sparks being a heep of stones on the east line of Lot
No. 10 from thence running North 83 deg 15" west 2460 links to a heep of stones said Mariah's southwest bounds then south 2
deg west 205 links to a heep of stones on the west
line of said lot then south 83 deg 15" east 2460 links to a heep of stones on the east line of said lot then North 4
deg 30" east 205 links to the first bounds containing five acres of land
set at twenty one dollars. Which makes said Angeline's
full share of said testator's estate. The foregoing share set to the children
and legal representatives of said Daniel Sparks deceased are set to them and to
their heirs forever under the subjection of dower right to the said testator's
widow Mrs. Abigail Sparks. We then proceeded to set off the children and legal
representatives of Abigail deceased late wife of David Chapin late of Salisbury
in the state of Connecticut deceased and daughter of said testator, to wit: to
Martin C Chapin first to him and his heirs one twenty fourth part of said
testator's estate in lands to be subject to the right of dower to the widow of
said testator Mrs. Abigail Sparks described and bounded as follows, to wit:
beginning at the southwest corner of that part of he homestead lying on the
east side of the highway from thence runing south 83
deg east 650 links then south 7 deg west 85 links to the north west corner of
widow Hannah Austin's land then along the north line of said widows land south
83 deg east 3330 links to a stake marked on the west bank of casnoph brook then along the west bank of said brook
northerly one chain and sixty links to a stake marked then westerly to a heep of stones in the east line of highway then southerly
in the line of highway 406 links to the first mentioned corner containing
twelve acres and three rodes of land set at one
hundred thirty dollars thirty five cents.One other
piece of land set to the said Martin C lying in Mount Washington described and bounded
as follows, to wit: beginning at the south east corner bounds of land
heretofore set to Angeline Sparks in the east line of
Lot No. 10 then north 83 deg 15" west 2460 links to a heep
of stones in the west line of said lot No. 10 then south 83 deg 15 east 2360
links to a heep of stones on said east line then
north 4 deg 30" east 457 links to the first mentioned corner contain
eleven acres of land set at forty two dollars which makes said Martin C
Chapin's full share of said estate. We then set to Abigail Chapin also twenty
fourth part of said testator's estate in lands under the same incumberance as the foregoing share to the first piece of
land begins at the northwest corner bounds of Martin C. Chapin said bounds is
in the west line of that part of the homestead lying on the east side of the
highway from thence easterly along the north line of said Martin's land to the
brook then along the west bank of the brook 2 chains to a stake marked, then N
75 deg west 3860 links to the aforesaid highway then along the east line of
said highway southerly 370 links to the first mentioned bounds containing
eleven acres and twenty one rods of land set at one hundred thirty one dollars
thirty five cents, also a one other piece of land lying in the Town of Mount
Washington described and bounded as follows, to wit: beginning at the southeast
corner of land we have set to Martin C Chapin then North 83 deg 15" west
2460 links to a heep of stones, the southwest corner
of said Martin C.'s then south 2 deg west 504 to a heep of stones on the west line of lot No. 10 then south 81
deg 03" east 2460 links to a heep of stones,
then north 4 deg 30 east 6 chains to the first mentioned bounds containing
thirteen acres of land set at forty two dollars which makes the said Abigail
Chapin's full share of said testator's estate.
Given under our hands this 7th day of June 1820
John Wars, Mr Andrews, Jesse
Coe
Source: Sheffield Historical Society,