"Probate Records. Vol. XI, 1729 to 1732. Page 194.
Bate, James, Sen., East Haddam. Invt. £1032-19-01. Taken 13 April, 1732, by Daniel Brainard, Timothy Fuller and John Holmes. Will dated 24 December, 1729.
I, James Bate, Sen., of the Township of Haddam, on the east side of the river, in the County of Hartford and Colony of Connecticut, have thought it my duty to make my last will and testament: My will is my wife Mary Bate shall, at my decease, have 1-3 part of my moveable estate wholly at her own dispose, according to her own choice; also, that during her widowhood she shall in joy and have the full profit and benefit of my house, barn, orchard and homelott, as also the benefit of my land lying by the Cove, so far as she may have occasion for it on account of firewood. My will is that my grandchild, Elizabeth Fuller, have £20 out of my estate, and no more, since her mother in her lifetime had sundry things out of my estate which I have taken no particular account of. My will is that all my estate (besides what I have here absolutely disposed of), both real and personal, wheresoever it is to be found, whether in buildings, lands, cattle, or in other things, shall be equally divided among my 7 children, viz., Rebeckah, Ruth, Alis, Mary, Anne, Abigail and Unis. And for as much as there will be found in my Book of Accounts sundry things which some or all of my children have already received, some more and some less, my will is that when each child's part is set out to them that what is found on account shall be considered as so much of their portion already paid. I appoint my wife, Mary Bate, sole executrix.
JEAMES BATE, SEN., LS.
Witness: Stephen Hosmer, Thomas Knowlton, Joseph Spencer.
Court Record, Page 69—6 June, 1732: Will exhibited. Annah Bate, a minor, 16 years of age, Abigail 13 years, and Eunice Bate, age 10 years, chose their mother, Mrs. Mary Bate, as their guardian. Recog., £150.
Page 73—4 July, 1732: The will of James Bate, exhibited last June, being fully proven, John Comstock the 2nd, of Lyme, in right of his wife Rebeckah, daughter of James Bate, moves this Court for a distribution. This Court appoints Deacon Daniel Brainard, Lt. John Holmes and Daniel Cone, distributors.
Dist. File: 15 November, 1732: To Mary Bate, widow; to Rebeckah Comstock, eldest daughter; to Ruth Gibbs, to (Elec) Alice Hall, to Mary Comstock, to Annah Bate, to Abigail Bate, to Eunice Bate and to Elizabeth Fuller (granddaughter), to each of them the sum of £158. By Deacon Daniel Brainard, Lt. John Holmes and Daniel Cone, distributors."
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"Page 51 (Vol. XII) 5 October, 1736: John Bate, a minor son of James Bate, chose his brother Samuel Bate to be his guardian."
Since neither of these sons is mentioned in the will of Lieutenant James Bates, it is highly likely that they were sons of a different James Bates.
