Mehitabel (Grout) Brigham (1726 - 1795)

Born 5 Feb 1726 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Wife of Moses Brigham — married 2 May 1749 in Westborough, Worcester, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 30 Aug 1795 at age 69 in Westborough, Worcester, Massachusetts

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Loren Fay [send private message] and Bob Keniston [send private message]

Biography

Mehitable Grout was born 5 February 1725 in Watertown, Massachusetts Bay[1-3,6], the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Harrington) Grout of Watertown, who went to Westborough, Massachusetts in about 1735.

Mehitable married, at age 24, Moses Brigham (1723-1769) on 2 May 1749 in Westborough[1,4]. He was the son of Nathan and Dinah (Rice) Brigham of Westborough. They had seven children, all born and recorded in Westborough:

• Sarah Brigham (1751-1827), married 1772 Jonathan Forbes (1746-1805).
• Moses Brigham (1753-1814), married (1) 1781 Wealthy Johnson (1757-1790); (2) 1792 Lucinda Tiffany (1761-1819).
• Phinehas Brigham (1755-1802), married (1) 1779 Lydia Batherick (1752-1795); (2) 1796 Hannah Jackson (1754-????).
• Mehitable Brigham (1758-1844), married 1776 John Fay (1748-1837).
• Ebenezer Brigham (1761-1839), married 1782 Judith Hazleton (1761-1852).
• Mary Brigham (1764-1846), married 1793 Amasa Braman (1760-1830).
• Joseph Brigham (1766-1837), married 1795 Sarah Woods (1776-1806).

Moses Brigham died intestate on 3 December 1769 in Westborough, leaving Mehitable with seven children aged 3 to 18.

The widow Mehitable Brigham was granted administration on her husband's estate on 1 January 1770, and posted a bond of 500 pounds with Jonathan Grout (perhaps Mehitable's brother or uncle)[5]. An inventory of the real and personal estate was taken by 15 January 1770, which totaled 783 pounds. Mehitable's widow's thirds included the personal estate after debts were paid, and a portion of the real estate, including one third of the house.

Each child had a guardian or legal representative named for them to protect their interest in their father's estate. Son Moses Brigham's guardian was his uncle, Jonathan Grout. Son Levi and daughter Sarah's guardian was their uncle Levi Brigham. The mother, Mehitable Brigham, was the guardian for the younger children. Daughter Sarah (born 18 April 1751) had attained adulthood by 23 June 1772, and married on 2 July 1772, which may have prompted the account[5].

The account of Mehitable Brigham was allowed on 8 June 1772. She charged herself with the personal estate of £213:7:10 and requested allowances of £42:8:0, leaving a balance of £170:19:10[5].

The court waited until the eldest son, Moses Brigham, turned 21 years old, and then in 1774 ordered the real estate split between the widow and the children. The real estate of Moses Brigham was appraised again on 6 July 1774. The subscribers concluded that the property could not be divided to all of the heirs. Mehitable was given her one-third dower estate, and the eldest son Moses Brigham was given the two-thirds children's share, valued at £400, provided he gave each of his siblings £49:13:9. Mehitable's share included part of the house, barn and homestead land[5].

Mehitable Brigham certainly stayed in the family homestead in Westborough, and raised her children until they married and moved away.

Mehitable Brigham died, at age 70, on 30 August 1795, according to her gravestone in Memorial Cemetery in Westborough[6]. The gravestone inscription says:

"M'rs. Mehetabel Brigham Relict of M'r. Moses Brigham died Aug. 30'th 1795 in the 71'st Year of her age."

Mehitable (Grout) Brigham wrote her will on 24 July 1795 and it was proved in Worcester County Probate Court on 6 October 1795[7].

The will is in the hand of Eli Whitney, one of the witnesses and bond guarantors. Mehitabel Brigham signed it in her own hand. In the Name of God Amen. I Mehitabel Brigham of Westborough

in the County of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts Widow being infirm in body, but of Sound Mind, Memory and Understanding, considering the uncertainty of this transitory life, do make publish and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following Viz.

Firs of all, I give and bequeath to my Daughter Sarah the one third part of my household furniture and wearing Apparel.

Also, I give and bequeath to my Son Moses the one Sixth part of all my real and personal Estate of what kind and nature soever, excepting the house-hold furniture and wearing Apparel.

Item. I give and bequeath to my Son Phinehas the one Sixth part of all my real and personal Estate of what kind and Nature soever excepting the household furniture and wearing Apparel.

Item I give and bequeath to my Daughter Mehitabel one third part of my household furniture and wearing Apparel and also the one sixth part of all the rest and residue of my Estate both real and personal.

Also I give and bequeath to my Son Ebenezer the one sixth part of all my real and personal Estate of what kind and Nature soever, excepting the household furniture and wearing Apparel.

Item I give and bequeath to my Daughter Polly the one third part of my household furniture and wearing Apparel And also the one Sixth part of all the rest and residue of my Estate both real and personal.

Also, I give and bequeath to my Son Joseph the one Sixth part of all my real and personal Estate of what kind and Nature soever, excepting the household furniture and wearing Apparel.

Provided also that the Estate abovementioned other than the furniture and wearing Apparel shall be first subject to the payment of my just Debts and funeral Charges.

I also ordain and appoint my Son Joseph my Sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking any former Will or Wills by me heretofore made.

In Witness whereof I hereunto Set my hand and Seal this Twenty fourth Day of July in the year of our Lord Seventeen hundred and Ninety five.

Signed, Sealed, published and declared by } the said Testatrix as her last Will and Eli Whitney } Mehitabel Brigham Testament in the presence of us, who at James Hawes } her request, in her presence, and in the the } Silas Fay Oct. 6 1795 presence of each other, have hereunto } Her youngest son, Joseph Brigham (born in 1766, so age 29) was named the executor of Mehitabel's will. The only other useful record in the probate packet was the bond ($10,000) and order to settle debts and funeral charges, make an inventory of the estate, distribute the legacies, and submit an account to the court.

After the administration of Moses Brigham was settled in 1774, the eldest son Moses Brigham sold the children's share to Jonathan Forbes, who had married the eldest daughter, Sarah Brigham in 1772. Phinehas Brigham sold his share of his mother's real estate to Jonathan Forbes in 1779, and son Moses Brigham sold his share of his deceased mother's real estate to Jonathan Forbes in 1795. It is likely the other children also sold their shares in their mother's estate to Jonathan Forbes.

SOURCES

1. W. I. Tyler Brigham (Emma E. Brigham, editor), The History of the Brigham Family, A Record of Several Thousand Descendants of Thomas Brigham the Emigrant, 1603-1653 (New York City : The Grafton Press, 1907), page 183, #69 Moses Brigham family sketch.

2. Watertown Records, Comprising the Third Book of Town Proceedings and the Second Book of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, to the End of 1737. etc (Watertown, Mass. : Watertown Historical Society, 1900), "Watertown Births, Marriages and Deaths," page 63 (image 216 of 3991), Mehitable Grout birth record, 5 February 1725.

3. "Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988," indexed database and digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), "Watertown Births, Marriages and Deaths," page 63 (image 216 of 3991), Mehitable Grout birth record, 5 February 1725.

4. Systematic History Fund, Vital Records of Westborough, Massachusetts to the end of year 1849 (Worcester, Mass. : Franklin P. Rice, 1903), Marriages, page 131, Moses Brigham and Mehitable Grout marriage entry, 2 May 1749.

5. Worcester County, Massachusetts, Probate case files, Probate Packet 7407 (32 pages) intestate estate of Moses Brigham of Westborough, 1770; "Worcester County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1731-1881," digital images, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (http://www.AmericanAncestors.org : accessed 15 March 2020).

6. Find A Grave, indexed database and digital image, (http://www.findagrave.com), Memorial Cemetery, Westborough, Mass., Mehetabel Grout Brigham memorial #63339092.

7. Worcester County, Massachusetts, Probate Packet 7402 (6 pages) testate estate of Mehitabel Brigham of Westborough, 1795.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Robert Keniston for creating WikiTree profile Grout-110 through the import of Ed Harrington - Desc2013-09-01.ged on Sep 3, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Robert and others.

• Watertown Records of BMD