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NOTE:- Letters of Administration: When a person died intestate [i.e. leaving no will] the next of kin or a close friend would often have to apply to the probate court for Letters of Administration to enable them to take possession of and distribute the estate. The term 'estate' refers to the chattels, cash, debts and leases of the deceased. The ecclesiastical courts had no jurisdiction over bequests of freehold property. The applicant had to swear that there was no will, that the applicant would pay all funeral expenses and debts, administer truly, and submit a true inventory and account of his/her stewardship. The inventory itemised the estate held by the deceased, including leases, chattels, debts owed and owing, cash, crops, stocks and slaves. No account of real estate (land) was normally taken in estimates and totals. The Court then granted Letters of Administration and might require the administrator to enter into a bond to administer the estate faithfully, in which case a copy of the act was endorsed on the document. A Bond is a binding agreement with a penalty for non performance. A bond deed is in two parts, the Obligation and the Condition. Before 1733 the Obligation, which records the penalty, was written in Latin. The Condition describes what the bonded person has undertaken to do, or otherwise committed himself or herself to (e.g. administer an estate), and was always in English. This is clearly what we have here. My Latin is not good enough to do a proper translation of the first paragraph so I have confined myself to a summary of key facts to help make sense of the document. Words I am unsure of are highlighted in red |
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In Latin - Rough summary of Key facts: --- Doctor Wyatt Prebendary of Fordington ----on the 19th day in the month of June in the 1st year of the reign of Queen Anne of England Scotland France and Ireland in the year of Our Lord 1702
approbation of such Testament being first had and made in the said Court Mary EAMES John EAMES Jonathan EAMES Sealed and delivered in the presence of George FROME senior George FROME junior A True and perfect Inventory of the Goods and Chattels of Jonathan EAMES of ffordington deceased taken and appraised on the 15 day of May 1702 by William SEAGER and James HACKHAM both of Fordington. Impremis [In the first place] in the Kitchen: one tableboard, one settle, one chest and two chairs, one joynstoole, two pails, one butterpump} £0.9s.0d Item: More in the Kitchen: seven pewter dishes, one kettle, & one small kettle, one skillet, four brass pots, two brass skimmers and a latten one} £1. 6s. 0d. Item: in the Kitchen: one pair of iron andirons, one paire of fire tongs, two pot hangers, one paire of pot hooks, two spits, one case & irons, one iron pot, one flesh fork, one frying pan, one iron candlestick, one lantern} £0. 9s. 8d More: two fliches of bacon and a piece with some small lumber £1. 6s. 0d, one furnace pan} £1. 0s. 0d Item: in the Hall: one tableboard, three joined stools, one cupboard, two chairs, four pewter dishes, two pewter candlesticks, one pestle and mortar, two iron dogs with some lumber, (and) one warming pan} £1. 0s. 0d Item: in a little buttery some earthen ware} Item: in the Milk House: one bedstead, one small mashing vat, two trendels,one small cover, one pail, four beer barrels, one pounding tub, one butter tub, seven small cheeses with some other lumber } £1. 0. 0d Item: in the Chamber over the Hall: one bedstead with a fether bed ffurnished, two chests, one coffer, two chairs, one pair of fire dogs, four Cheeses one small trunk} £2. 0. 0d Item: in the Chamber over the Milk House: one bedstead with two flockbeds furnished, one chest, one bad cupboard} £2. 0. 0d Item: in the Chamber over the kitchen one trundle one winsheet and bags with some other lumber} £0. 6s. 0d Item: Corn upon the ground of wheat, barley, oats & fetters: 33½ acres } £33. 10s. 0d Item: in the backside part of a reek of wheat } 02: 10: 00 Item: Five Horses with their harness, a wagon, one dungpot & plow (with) tackle & some other lumber in the backside } £28. 0s. 0d Item: in the backside six 'ruder' cattle and one swine} £11. 0s. 0d Item: debts due on Book }£3. 0s. 0d Item: his wearing apparel, linen and woollen } £1. 10s. 0d Sum Total £90. 16s. 8d
and Chattles of Jonathan EAMES of ffordington Deceased Taken and apraised the 15 day of May 1702 by William SEAGER and James HACKHAM both of ffordington Inprimis [Impremis] in the kitchen one tablebord} one settle one Cheastean: 2 cheyers} one joynstoole:2 pailes one butterpump} 00:09:00 Itim: More in the kitchen:7 putter disshes} one kittle & one small kettle one} skellet: 4 brass potts two brass skimers} and alatten one} 01:06:00 Ittem in the Kittchen one paire of Eyern} And Irons one paire of fire tongs} 2 pott hangers one paire of pothocks 2 spitts one case & Eyrons one Eyron} pott one flesh fforke one ffreying pan one Eyron Candlestick one lantern} 00:09:08 More: 2: ffliches of Bakon and apease} with sume small Lumber} 01:06:00 one ffurnes pan 01:00:00 Ittem In the hall one tablebord: 3 join} stooles one cobbord: 2 chayers: 4 putter} dishes: 2 putter Candlesticks one pesell} and Morter: 2 Eyron doges with some lumber one warming pan} 01:00:00 Ittem In alittle buttery some Earthen ware} Ittem In the Milk House one bed bedstead} one small meashing Vatt: 2 : trendles} one small Covell one paile: 4 Bear} Barrles one poudering tub one} butter tub: 7 small cheases with} sum other lumber 01:00:00 Ittem In the Chamber over the Hall } one Bedstead with a fether bead} ffurnished: 2: Chestes one Coffer} 2: Charres one paire of fire dogges} 4: Cheases one small Trunk} 02:00:00 Ittem In the Chamber over the Milk=} house one beadstead with two} fflockbeads furnished one Chest} one bad cobbord} 02:00:00 Ittem In the Chamber over the kitchen} one trundle one winsheat and} Bages with sum other lumber} 00:06:00 Ittem Corn upon Ground of wheat barly} oats & fethers: 33: akers and half} 33: 10: 00 Ittem In the backside part of a Reek} of wheat } 02: 10: 00 Ittem 5: Horses with the harness a waggon} one dungpott & plow tackling & som other Lumber in the backside } 28:00:00 Ittem In the backside : 6: Ruder cattle and one swine} 11: 00: 00 Ittem debts due on Book } 03: 00: 00 Ittem his wearing Aparill Linen & woollen } 01: 10: 00 Sum 90: 16: 8 Genealogical Notes:- (1). Mary EAMES as shown above was the widow of Jonathan EAMES (1628-1702) a Yeoman of Fordington, and lived until she was 96 years old being buried at St Georges church on 8th July 1733. I have not been able to trace a will or letters of administration. (2). Jonathan would have married Mary circa 1655 and probably had a family when records have not survived following the Civil War. (1640 to 1663 inc) (3). Jonathan was the son of John EAMES (1586/7-1662) a Yeoman and churchwarden of St Georges by his wife Lucy and was baptised there on 14th Sep 1628, and buried there on 6th May 1702. He had at least one older sister Ruth EAMES who was baptised there on 1st Jan 1620/21. (4). His mother Lucy died intestate and was buried at St Georges on 11th May 1665. A transcription of the Letter of Administration issued to her son Jonathan together with a short inventory of her personal effects taken on the death of her husband in 1662 can be reached via this link. (5). His father also died intestate in 1662 and a transcription of the Letter of Administration issued to Jonathan can be reached via this link. (6). John EAMES (1586/7-1662) was the elder brother of Anthony EAMES (1595 –1686) who emigrated to New England and his life is covered in more detail in his brothers biography which can be reached via this link. John was heir to their fathers estate and this wealth descended to him on his fathers death in 1618, then to his son and heir Jonathan at John's death in 1662 and here to Jonathan's widow Mary in 1702. (7). Suprisingly this Letter of Administration is signed not only by Jonathan's widow Mary but also by a John and a Jonathan EAMES as well. These are most likely his surviving older male children. Mark Eames is also likely to be a son of his. See Genealogical Note 35 in the biography of Anthony Eames via the above link. |