Recently, Randy Seaver wrote about ‘de-cluttering’ in his ‘Rabbit Holes with Randy,’ post. That post caused me to again think about my files and the fact that my nieces and nephew don’t have the space nor desire to ‘inherit’ my mass of genealogy papers.
Thus, as I’m working to update my records for my 3rd great grandfathers, I’m also going back thru the paper copies of records that I’ve yet to digitize. One of the documents in my Hammond file is the will of my 4th great-grandfather, Jason Hammond.
Since my paper copy was difficult to read, I was able to download the images from FamilySearch to create a transcription.
Medina County, Ohio
Probate record Old Wills
Vol. 1818-1835
Film 423849 DGS 5866035page 325
Nov Term 1831Jason Hammond’s Will
Be it remembered that heretofore that is to say at a term
of the Court of Common Pleas begun and held at the Court
house in the town of Medina within and for the County of
Medina on Monday the eleventh day of April, in the year
of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty one
by and before the Hon. Frederick Brown senior [associate] Judge
and the Hon. John Freese and Reuben Smith associate
judges of said county holding said court, then and there
came Theodore Hammond, Lewis Hammond and Horatio
Hammond, executors named in the last will & testament
of Jason Hammond, late of Bath in said county deceased,
by [Van] R. Humphrey their attorney and presented to said
Court the last will and testament of Sd Jason Hammond,
which is in these records and figures following, that is to sayIn the name of God, Amen, I Jason Hammond of Bath in Medina
County and State of Ohio do now make this my last will and testament
in the following manner (vis)
Item 1st I order all my just debts to e paid by my executors
hereinafter named with the legacies that is mentioned in the items.
Item 2d I give and bequeath to my wife Rachel Hammond the
use and improvements one third part of lots NO. 29 & 30 during her
natural life and I also give to her one good yoke of oxen one
good riding horse one good cow & ten sheep and all my household
furniture except good feather beds which is to be divided between
Theodore Hammond Lewis Hammond & Horatio Hammond after
my decease.
Item 3d I give and bequeath to my son Theodore Hammond
Lots No. 24 25 that I had of Thomas Bull which I have given
him a deed of gift of lot No. 25 & part of lot No 14 bounded as follows
south on Highway running East & west to the center road west on Allen
B. Smith north on Sarah Hale Est on Richfield Road about 23
acres more or less
Item 5th I give and bequeath to my son Lewis Hammond
Lots no. 29 & 30 and part of lot No 14 about 8 or 10 acres more
or less bounded South & West on Richfield Road. North on Sarah Hale
East on Theodore Hale — I give and bequeath one third part of the
sawmill for twenty years after my decease and then to be Theodore
Hammonds with his mother Rachel Hammond one third part of
the House & Barn
Item 6th I give and bequeath to my son Horatio Hammond
Lots No. 27, 28 with part of Lot No. 14 about one acre and halfpage 326
Jason Hammond Will
East on Theodore Hale West on Highway – I give and bequeath one
third part of the saw mill for twenty years after my decease and then
to be to be Theodore Hammonds
Item 6th I give and bequeath to my daughter Rachel Farnum four
hundred dollars with what she has had that is on book charged a
gainst her – one half of the beds & bedding – that is remaining not dispose
of in Item No 2. are to be divided between Rachel & Mary equally
between them – and not to be appraised and no Inventory to be
taken of them
Item 7th I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary Cooley four
hundred dollars with what she has had that is on the book charged
against her, one half of the beds & bedding that is remaining not dis
posed of in Item No 2 Rachel& Mary is to be equally between
them & not to be apprised and not inventory to be taken of them
Mary to have the weavers loom and all the apparatus belonging
to it & a right to the north east bed room & the chamber above
in the [?] part of the house with a privilege to the oven well
& sellar so long as she remains in the situation she now is
Item 8th I give my chattles horses sheep & hogs with all my
farming tools my carpenters tools such as two saws cross cut & steel
plate hand say augers chisels two broad axes to my sons Theodore
Theodore Lewis & Horatio Hammonds equally divided between them
amongst themselves all the remaining part of my estate real and
personal to be divided equally between them & my sons Theodore Lewis
& Horatio Hammond they are to pay Rachel & Mary their legacy
Each one to pay equally alike as the same stated in the 6th Item
& 7th Item in [?] chattles horses sheep pork wheat flower & one
fourth part in cash within three years after my decease
Item 9th I do hereby appoint my sons Theodore Hammond
Lewis Hammond & Horatio Hammond to be the executors of this
my last will & testament in witness hereof I have hereunto
set my hands and seal this first day of March 182[6]
Jason Hammond (SS)
Sealed & declared by the Testator
to be his last will and testament in the presence
of us the subscribed who have seen him write
his name and have subscribed hereunto
our names as witness in his presence of
each other
Allen Hammond
Frederick A Sprague
N. B. If these should ever be any thing got from lands on & [Foster]
it shall be divided equally between all five of them
And at the same time of said Court as aforesaid camePage 327
Ohio, Medina County. Old Wills 1818-1835. Film #423849 DGS 5866035. Jason Hammond, 11 April 1831 : page 325 (image 184); digital images, FamilySearch http://www.familysearch.org : viewed online 5 May 2022.
A Sprague one of the subscribing witnesses to said will
who being duly sworn proved said will to the satisfaction
fo this court, as far as the testimony of one witness can prove
a will and it appearing that Allen Hammond, one of
the witnesses of said will resided without this state to wit
in Elbridge, Onandago County in the State of New York
It’s therefore ordered that a commission with the will an
nexed be directed to Sheldon Pardee of Salina in said Onan
dago County to take the deposition of the said Allen Ham
mond, [?] the probate of said will
And afterwards to wit on the nineteenth day of April, in
the year aforesaid a commission with the will annexed was
issued from the office of the clerk of said Court, and directed
to the said Shelden [Pardee} agreeably to the order of said court
and afterwards, to wit at a Term of the said court
begun and held at the Court house in the town of Medina
within and for the County of Medina, on Monday the seventh
day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and thirty one, bu and before th Hon Reuben Woods
President and th Hon Frederick Brown and Reuben Smith
Associate Judges of said county then and there came the said
executors by their said attorney and produced the deposi
tion of Allen Hammond one of the subscribing witnesses of
said will, which with the proof take at the last term of
this court proved the executors of the will by the deceased
to the satisfaction of tis court, which said will with the
proof so taken are fully approved and ordered to be
recorded
