Person:James Stratton (13)

In the name of God, Amen, this fifteenth day of March A. D. 1774[/75?] I, James Stratton of Athol in ye County of Worcester & Province of ye Massachusetts Bay in New England cordwainer, calling to mind my frailty & mortality & knowing that it is appointed to all men once to die, do make & ordain this my last will & testament in manner following that is to say,

First of all, I give & recommend my soul to the tender mercy of God through ye merits of my only Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and my body I commit to ye earth to be decently buried at ye discretion of my executor hereafter named, and touching such worldly goods and estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life,

Imprimis my will is that after ye payment of my just debts and funeral charges and I do hereby give sons James Stratton, William Stratton, Stephen Stratton and Peleg Stratton part & part alike in all my estate, two parts to my daughters an[d] including what they have already received from me as part of their portion as may appear on my book of accompts excepting thirteen pounds six shillings and eight pence that my son James Stratton hath received is not to be reckoned as part of his equal portion of my estate with his brethren, it being so much that I have given him more than I have given his brethren because he is my old son.

Item, I give to my daughters Abigail Chase Deborah Kendall Elizabeth Townsend part and part alike in all my estate half as much as my sons including what they have respectively received as part of their portion as may appear on my book of accompts. Item, I give to Mary Rand daughter of my daughter Mary Rand deceased half as much in all my estate as one of my daughters including one half of what her mother Mary Rand, received of my estate as part of her portion of my estate as may appear on my Book of accompts.

Item, I give to the heirs of my Grandson John Rand one half part as much in all my estate as one of my daughters including one half of what my daughter Mary Rand received of her portion out of my estate as may appear on my book of accompts.

Item, My will further is, That whereas my daughters Deborah Kendall & Elizabeth Townsend lived at my house some time after they were eighteen years old, so that I acknowledge myself indebted to each of them eight pounds, I do hereby order my executor hereafter named to pay each of them eight pounds out of my estate before there be any division of my estate for their service as aforesaid.

Item, I do constitute & appoint my well beloved son James Stratton of Athol aforesaid the sole executor of this my last will & testament, renouncing and forever revoking all other & former wills, ratifying & confirming this and this only as my last will.

[signature & seal]

Signed, sealed, published & declared by the testator to be his last will in presence of us have set our hands as witnesses ye day & date above. Jno. Haven, Stephen Batchelor, Reuben Graves.

Will allowed Nov. 6th, 1775.

1. ↑ Historical Society of Watertown (Massachusetts). Watertown Records. (Watertown, Mass.: Press of Fred Barker, 1894-1939)
   2:15.

   James stratten son of Thomas & Darcost stratten was born : June : 27 : day : 1700.

2. ↑ Athol, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. Vital records of Athol, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. (Worcester, Massachusetts: Franklin P. Rice, 1910)
   222.

   Straten, Mr. James, [died] Oct. 22, 1775. CR

3.   Stratton, Harriet Russell. A Book of Strattons : Being a Collection of Stratton Records from England and Scotland, and a Genealogical History of the Early Colonial Strattons in America, with Five Generations of Their Descendants. (New York, New York: Grafton Press, 1908, 1918)
   188.

   James Stratton, s/o Thomas Stratton and Dorcas Maxwell, b. Watertown 29 Jun 1700, d. 22 Oct 1776 [sic, states will dated 15 Mar 1774, probated 6 Nov 1776, but on p. 190 says "Will allowed Nov. 6th, 1775"!], m. Deborah Rand, d/o William Rand and Persis Pierce.