Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records
(Hartford District),
Charles W. Mainwaring,
Hartford, 1902,
Vol 3, p 82
MARKHAM, James, Middletown. Invt. £484-00-03. Taken 1st July 1731, by Solomon ADKINS, William WETMORE, and Jonathan BLAKE. Will dated 7 April, 1731.
I, James MARKHAM of Middletown, in the County of Hartford, do make this my last will and testament: I give to my wife Elizabeth (her thirds) during life; also I give to my wife my pasing mare. I give to my son James MARKHAM a double portion of all my estate, both real and personal, accounting whiat I have given him by deed as part of his portion. I give to my son William MARKHAM a single portion of all mye state, both real and persona, acounting what I have given him by deed. I give to my sons John MARKHAM and Nathaniel MARKHAM each of them a singl portion. I give to my daughters, Elizabeth FOSTER and Abigail MARKHAM, a single portion, except £5 to be decucted out of each of their portions. All above named having been helpful to git and keep my estate and living with me. I give to my daughters Mary MARKHAM, Martha and Hannah MARKHAM, each of them, half so much as one of their above named brothers. Further, my will is that the gunn I give my sd. William shall not be reckoned as part of his portion, neither the heafer I gave my daugher Elizabeth FOSTER shall be reckoned as part of her portion. And what my daughter Elizabeth FOSTER had of household stuff shall be reckoned as part of her portion. And I give to my son James MARKHAM so much as to bye a good gunn and not to be reckoned as part of his portion. And the gunn I gave my son John MARKHAM shall not be reckoned as part of his portion. And I order that my son Nathaniel MARKHAM be put out to learn some good trade, and that he shall have a good gunn bought for him and not to be reckoned as part of his portion. Also, to my daughter Martha that is due by her indenture not to be counted as part of her portion. Also to my daughter Hannah her trade or time to learn it, a loom and tackling, not to be accounted as part of her portion. And further, my will is that the lands belonging to me shall be my sons', they paying to their sisters their portions in money or such spetia as they can produce at money prise. I appoint my wife Elizabeth MARKHAM to be my executrix, and James MARKHAM my executor, and desire Rev. William RUSSELL and Mr. Jabez HAMLIN overseers.
James MARKHAM, L.S.
Witness: Jabez HAMLIN,
John FOSTER,
Ebenezer PROUT
Court Record, Page 48 -- 6 July, 1731: Will and invt. exhibited and approved. Hannah MARKHAM, 14 years of age, daughter of James MARKHAM, chose her uncle Benoni HOUGHTON to be her guardian. Recog., £100.
Page 21 (Vol XII) 20 February, 1733-4: Daniel MARKHAM, of Enfield, in the Cournty of Hampshire, and the children of James MARKHAM, late of Middletown, deceased (which children are James MARKHAM, William MARKHAM, and John MARKHAM of Middletown, and Nathaniel MARKHAM of Haddam, the only sons of the deceased James MARKHAM), supposeing they had right to some of the real estate in lands of the deceased by virture of his last will, moved for a distributiont hereof according to one law of the Colony directing the Court ofProbates to appoint freeholders to divide such an estate, and summonined Jonathan CENTER and Martha, his wife, Elizabeth ARNOLD, Martha ARNOLD, Mehetabel ARNOLD, Joshua ARNOLD, Rebeckah ARNOLD, John ARNOLD, Jun., and Ebenezer ARNOLD, to objec if they see cause. The parties accordingly appeared and this Court having heard the pleas, do not see cause to grant the plaintiffs' motion or orde said real estate to be divided by freeholders. Israel MARKHAM, of Windham, one of the grandsons of Dniel MARKHAM, appealed from the judgement of this Court unto the Superior Court, and recognized in £50.
Distribution from File: £ - s - d £ - s - d
To the widow 68-16-08 To Elizabeth FOSTER 34-09-00
To James MARKHAM 173-14-06 To Mary MARKHAM 20-09-00
To William MARKHAM 122-10-04 To Abigail MARKHAM 34-09-00
To John MARKHAM 95-00-00 To Martha MARKHAM 20-09-10
To Nathaniel MARKHAM 43-00-00 To Hannah MARKHAM 20-09-10
We do order that the widow, during her natural life, shall have the use of one-third part of the dwelling house and barn, with convenient yard room, and one acre of land at ye rear of the homelot, with one-third of the fruit that shall grow in the orchard, and two acres and two-thirds of an acre at ye south end of ye eight acres lying at the rear of the home lot, with free liberty to pass from said land to the house and barn. And also two acres of land on the east side of the land by the river, and also one-third of the four acres of boggy meadow.
Middletown,
27 Nov 1733 Pr. Jabez HAMLIN, William ROCKWELL, Distributors
We the subscribers, do hereby allow, ratify and confirm the foregoing distribution. As witness our hands this 28 February, 1733-4
Elizabeth X MARKHAM,
James MARKHAM,
Executors.
Exhibited in Court, 5 June, 1738. Accepted and orderd to be kept on File. Test: Jos: TALCOTT, Jun., Clerk.