Last Will and Testament of Jonathan Dickinson

Date: 1818 to 1835
Location: Hampshire, Massachusetts, United States

This is the last will and testament of Jonathan Dickinson transcribed to the best of my ability, from the original document found on Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9069/images/007705580_00379?usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&pId=561195).

Point of interest: One of the witnesses to this will is Lucius Boltwood. Could he be the same Lucius Boltwood, author of "Genealogies of Hadley Families" (Metcalf & Co., Northampton, Mass., 1862)?

Last Will and Testament

I Jonathan Dickinson of Amherst in the County of Hampshire & Commonwealth of Massachusetts, being of sound and of disposing mind & memory and calling to mind the mortality of all men, & being desirous of settleing my worldly concerns, do on this Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred & eighteen, make and publish this my last will and testament, in manner following, that is to say, In the first place my will is that after my decease my body have a decent and christian burial & that the charges thereof be paid out of my Estate.

The Estate wherewith the providence of God hath blessed me! I give and bequeath in manner following, To my beloved wife Asubah, I give all my household furniture, to be for her use forever. Also the use and improvement of all my lands & buildings., which I have not conveyed to my son Enos, during her natural life. I also give her one cow, and the privilege of a suitable Horse & carriage for her use, the cow to be taken from my stock, and the horse & carriage to be furnished by my son Enos.

To my son Nathaniel Coleman Dickinson, I give three hundred Dollars, to be paid by my son Enos out of my Estate immediately after my decease & the decease of my said wife. I also give him one half of all the stock & farming tools of which I may die possessed, to be delivered to him immediately after my decease.

To my Daughter Achsah, wife of Jonathan C Warner I give one hundred & fifty dollars. to be paid by my son Enos out of my Estate immediately after my decease and the decease of my wife above named Provided nevertheless, that if I should pay any thing to my son Nathaniel Colman or my Daughter Actehsah in my life time, the same is to be considered as so much paid towards their respective legacies above given.

To my son Enos, I give all my lands and buildings not before deeded to him, wherever the same ma be situated, excepting the term therein given to my Wife: to have and to hold the same to him in fee simple, meaning hereby to give him in fee simple forever all the Real Estate whereof I may die seired, wherever the same may be, & however enlarged changed or varied. I also give him all my other property of every kind nature and description not herein otherwise disposed of, he paying all my just debts, all the legacies above bequeathed, & making the provision above provided for my Wife.

And I do hereby appoint and constitute my sons Nathaniel Coleman & Enos, Executors of this my last will and testament. In testimony whereof i have hereto set my hand and seal, this eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred & eighteen. Signed, Sealed, published & declared to be his last will & testament, by the testator in presence of us, who sign as witnesses in presence of said testator, and of each other.

Lucius Boltwood, Seth Smith, Samuel F. Dickinson

Jon a Dickinson & seal