Hi, fellow Dutton descendants, cousins, and lurkers: I am in the (intermittent) process of transcribing summaries of every DOTON / DUNTON / DUNTING / DUTTEN / DUTTON file in the Middlesex County, Massachusetts Probate Records. Most of this information does not tie in with my DUTTON line but I'd hate to have it go to waste. The following is one of a series of messages giving my findings. Key: Text is summary unless enclosed in "double quotation marks." All spelling, especially of names, is as found. Formatting is for readability, especially lists. I apologize for any error which, although I have worked hard to avoid it, may have crept in. ----- Probate file number, name, date: 6577 James Dutton 1757 Indexed in Folsom and Rogers, Registers of Probate and Insolvency, "Index to the Probate Records of the County of Middlesex, Massachusetts, First Series, From 1648 to 1871" (Cambridge, MA: 1914) as: Dutton, James -- Chelmsford -- 1757 -- Will -- 6577 Family History Center Microfilm # 397047 Summary: --------------- "In the Name of God Amen, the first day of May.1756. I James Dutton of Chelmsford ... husbandman, being in health of body and of perfect mind and memory ... do make and ordain this my last will and testament. ..." "Imprimas I give and bequeath to Ruth my dearly beloved wife the full use and improvement of all my estate both real and personal, till my son Stephen Dutton shall arrive to the age of twenty one years and after that, that she shall have the improvement of one full third part of my estate, so long as she shall continue my widow. Item I give and bequeath to my beloved son Stephen two thirds of my estate when he shall come to be twenty one years of age. Item I give and bequeath to my beloved daughter Abigail the other third part of my sd. estate when my sd. son Stephen shall be twenty one years old. Item It is my will that my beloved wife take the care of my sd. children till they come to be of lawfull age, and I do constitute make and ordain my beloved wife Ruth my sole executrix of this my last will and testament ..." [signed] "John Butterfield Richard King Ephraim Spaulding James Dutton" --------------- "June 15.1757 Ju. Spaulding sworn as usual Richard King afterwards sworn." --------------- Fees were paid "50/ old Tenr. 1st. May 1758" --------------- The will was presented for probate before Judge Samuel Danforth on "the fifteenth Day of June Anno Domini 1757" Oaths were made by "Deacon Ephraim Spaulding, & afterwards, Mr. Richard King" as to their witnessing the making of the will, and that they had signed it with "John Butterfield ... as witnesses" Judge Danforth gave administration "unto Ruth Dutton the therein named Executrix well and faithfully to execute the said will ..." --------------- "Deacon Ephraim Spaulding, Mr. David Spaulding & Mr. James Dunn all of Chelmsford ... are hereby appointed and impowered to take an Inventory of ... all the Estate whereof Mr. James Dutton late of said town died seized ... Given under my hand this thirtieth day of November A.D. 1757" "Dn. Spaulding sworn D Spaulding & James Dunn sworn Decr. 12 1757 [signed] S. Danforth J. Prob." --------------- The inventory was taken "December ye. 12.1757" it included "Item Aboute 14 acrees of land mostly unimproved with a small house thereon Standing Said Land lying in Chelmsford aforesd. 16-0-0 [signed] Ephm. Spaulding David Spaulding James Dunn Comttee." --------------- Transcriber's note: James Dutton, Junior, an ancestor of mine, was killed in action October, 1756, in the vicinity of Lake George (later New York) during the French and Indian War. Darrell Darrell A. Martin formerly of the Dutton District, Springfield, Vermont currently in exile in Addison, Illinois darrellm@sprynet.com