Person:Thomas Seymour (38)

"Capt. Thomas Seymour s of John & Mary (Watson) born Mch 12, 1668-9 (Hartford Town Record) died Aug 30, 1740 ae 72 (Hartford Town Record) bur Center Ch … Capt. Thomas Seymour rec'd 2nd Ch June 27, 1731."

"9. Capt. Thomas³ Seymour (John¹, Richard¹), of Hartford, Conn., born at Hartford 12 Mar. 1668/9, died there 30 Aug. 1740, …

Capt. Thomas Seymour was one of the prominent men of his day in Hartford. Besides holding various town offices, he was a deputy from Hartford to the General Court, 1719-1728, and was chosen ensign of the South Side military company at Hartford in April or May 1713, lieutenant of the same company 24 Nov. 1720, and captain 12 Oct. 1725.

He owned large tracts of land in Hartford, Wethersfield, Waterbury, and elsewhere in Connecticut, which by his will, dated 4 May 1738 but not signed, (The original will was lost after filing with the judge of probate, but by an act of the General Assembly in 1749 a copy of the same was ordered to be recorded in the Probate Court records. Identification of children and husbands of the daughters is afforded by Conn. Col. Records, vol. 9, pp. 367, 435, and Hartford Land Records, vol. 7, p. 329.") he gave to his two sons, Thomas and Bevil, directing that certain of these lands should descend to their eldest male heirs in a right line forever to the end of the world, without liberty to sell or to alter the property thereof. In his will he also named his daughter Mary, who had already received property from her father, his daughter Ruth Seymour, to whom he gave certain lands, part of which lay in common with his brother John Seymour, and his three youngest daughters, Sarah, Alice, and Jerusha, who were to receive his house and homestead in equal proportions, reserving to his wife the use of the north room and northwest cellar during her life. His negro man named Sias he bequeathed to son Thomas, who was also to have the rest of the movable estate, 'for redeeming of his land mortgaged to the Country on account of the New London Society.'"

"Seymour, … Thomas, s. [John], b. Mar. 12, 1668 [FFS:24]"
"Seymour, … Thomas, s. John, b. Mar. 12, 1668/9 [D:18]"
"Seymour, … Thomas, Capt., d. Aug. 30, 1740 [D:33]"
"Seymour, … Tho[mas], Capt., d. Aug. 30, 1740 [FFS:36]"

"Probate Records. Vol. XIII, 1737 to 1742.

Invt. in Vol. XIV, Page 85. Will in Vol. XV, Page 324-5.

Seymour, Capt. Thomas, Hartford. A true invt. of the goods, chattells, credits and all other real estate, apprised by James Ensign and Joseph Holtom.

ITEMS OF REAL ESTATE.

Homestead, 30 acres, with buildings, £800-00s-00d
Lott in the west division, called Easton's lott, 18 acres at £20, 360-00-00
To Shepherd's orchard, 6 acres at £15 per acre, 90-00-00
To his rights in Winchester, £300, 300-00-00
To 115 acres of land in Waterbury, 100-00-00
To his rights in the Old Mills in Hartford, 5-10-00
[SUBTOTAL] £1655-10s-00d

To personal estate, £205-10s-04d [sic]

To cash received from sundry persons as followeth:

From Cyprian Watson, £00-22s-10d
From Timothy Seymour, 1-16-07
From Caleb Benton, 00-17-09
From William Powell, 00-13-09
From Jubert Quenipue, 2-02-01
Thomas Richards, £00-12-04
Jacob Kellogg, 00-12-00
Moses Benton, 1-00-00
Deacon Merrells,2-08-05
Jed: Richards, 1-14-00

WILL DATED 4 MAY, 1738:

I, Thomas Seymour of Hartford, do make this my last will and testament: I give unto my wife Mary the north room of my now dwelling house and the northwest cellar belonging to sd. house; also I give to her the best bed and suitable furniture to sd. bed; also the use of a good cow during her natural life; also I give her £6 per annum, to be paid to her by my two daughters, Sarah and Alice, in consideration of what I shall hereafter mention to be given to them out of my estate, and the £6 to be paid in equal proportion by my two daughters Sarah and Alice aforesd. yearly during their mother's natural life. Further, I give to her 8 bushels of wheat, 16 bushels of Indian corne and 10 cords of wood a year during her natural life, all which shall be paid by my son Bevell Seymour once every year as long as she shall live or continue my widow, which is in consideration of what is hereafter mentioned to be given to him my sd. son Bevell out of my estate, all which is to be the full of her dowry from and of my whole estate. And if she my sd. wife shall not accept of what is hereafter mentioned to be given her in full of sd. dowry, then what is herein given to her before mentioned shall cease and be of no value. I give unto my son Thomas Seymour, besides what I have heretofore given him by deed of gift, all my right, interest and property in the lands called the western lands, formerly granted to the Townships of Hartford and Windsor, in whatever township the same doth or may happen to fall or lye, sd. lands to be to him my son Thomas and to his eldest male heir in a right line forever to the end of the world, without liberty to sell, convey or alter the property thereof. Also, I give unto my sd. son Thomas 10 acres of land on the north side of my lott at Four Mile Hill, called Shepherd's lott, to him, his heirs and assigns forever. Also, I give unto my son Thomas 2 acres of woodland in my Wethersfield lott, sd. two acres to lye upon a square at the south end of Hartford's westermost highway which runs down to Wethersfield bounds, and the western part of sd. two acres to extend west as far as the west side of sd. highway. And my will is that my son Thomas shall not compel his brother Bevell to fence against him in the two acres aforesd. And further, I give unto my son Thomas my negro man named Sias, and to his heirs and assigns forever. I give unto my son Zebulon Seymour all my land in the Parish of Newington within the Township of Wethersfield after that two acres is set out to Thomas aforesd., to him and his heirs and assigns forever. Also, I give to him my lott of land in Hartford bounds adjoining to the Wethersfield land aforesd., called Easton's lott, in quantity about 18 acres. Also, I give to him the remaining part of that lott in Hartford bounds called Shepherd's lott after that my son Thomas has measured out to him 10 acres on the north end thereof. I give to my son Bevell all my lands in the Township of Waterbury, to be to him and to descend to his eldest male heir lawfully begotten in a right line forever to the end of the world, without liberty to sell, convey or alter the property thereof. And in case the sd. Bevell or his male heir aforesd. Shall attempt to sell or alienate the aforementioned lands in Waterbury, that then the same shall become the estate and property of the second son surviving of my son Thomas aforesd. And further, my will is that my son Bevell do punctually pay the above-mentioned legacies of wheat, Indian corn and wood to his mother for her comfortable support during life. I give unto my daughter Mary £20 besides what I have already given her, which shall be paid to her by my two daughters, Sarah and Alice, in equal proportions when they come to the age of 20 and 7 years. I give to my daughter Ruth Seymour all my land in the 2 westermost tiers of lotts next to Farmingtown, as well that which lyeth in common with my brother John Seymour as that which butteth north on Isaac Merrells in the westermost tier of all, the same to be to my sd. daughter Ruth and to her heirs and assigns forever. I give to my three youngest daughters my house and homestead in equal proportions, and to their heirs and assigns forever, that is to say, unto Sarah, Alice and Jerusha, only reserving to my wife the use of the north room and the northwest cellar during her natural life as before mentioned, and ordering that my two daughters Sarah and Alice do pay to their mother £6 per annum, and to my daughter Mary £20, in equal proportion when they shall arrive to the age of 20 and 7 years as aforesd. And further, my will is that when my just debts and funeral expenses are paid, the remainder of my moveable estate shall be and remain to my son Thomas for redeeming of his land mortgaged to the Country on account of the New London Society. I appoint my sd. son Thomas Seymour sole executor.

(Not signed.

Witness: -,)

A true copy, taken out of the original will and examined by me.

_____ ____, ____

Court Record, Page 7—25 December, 1740: Adms. granted to Thomas Seymour, son of the deceased. Recog., £1000, with John Seymour, Jr.

Page 88—5 May, 1741: Mrs. Mary Seymour asks that her dower be set out to her: Whereupon this Court appoint Capt. Daniel Webster, Deacon Isaac Kellogg and Joseph Holcomb to set out to the widow her thirds.

Page 94—7 July, 1741: Report of the distributors.

Page 18 (Vol. XIV) 1st March, 1743: Thomas Seymour, Adms., exhibited an account of his Adms., which account is accepted.

Page 22—3 May, 1743: A further allowance was now made to the Adms., which, together with what was allowed on sd. account 1st March, 1742-3, amounted in debts and charges to the whole sum of £599-07-07. Account. accepted.

Page 43—1st May, 1744: This Court do set out to Mary Seymour, widow, the use of household goods for her necessary use.

Page 59—15 May, 1745 : A further account of Adms. exhibited. Accepted.

Page 106 (Vol. XV) 13 September, 1749: Whereas, Thomas Seymour of Wethersfield and others showing to the General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut in May, A. D. 1749, by their petition, that the last will and testament of Capt. Thomas Seymour, late of Hartford decd., which was dated 4 May, 1738, was by sd. Thomas Seymour, executor, put into the hands of the Honble. Joseph Talcott, Esq., Judge of the Court of Probates, in order for the probate thereof, and that sd. will, by some means unknown, was destroyed and lost, and that having obtained a true copy of sd. will before the loss or destruction thereof, and the sd. copy was exactly transcribed into and recited in sd. petition, and that sd. recital does intirely show the contents of the sd. last will and testament, and that sd. General Assembly did resolve that it was sufficiently proved that the sd. Capt. Thos. Seymour did so make his last will and testament, and that the sd. exhibited writing of the abovesd. form and purport, as also the recital thereof in sd. petition, do respectively contain and are fully and sufficiently proved to contain and make manifest the full and intire and sole contents of sd. original will destroyed or lost as abovesd., and therefore order that George Wyllys, Secretary of this Colony, carefully transmit sd. described writing and recitall to this Court to be recorded. In pursuance of sd. resolve, this Court order that the abovesd. copy and recital be recorded and kept on file.

Page 62—5 April, 1748: Further account of Adms. on the estate of Capt. Thomas Seymour (£338-07-02), arising on the sale of the land of the sd. decd., including the former account. Allowed. Also received former amount, £320-05-00. Which account is allowed. Also, the Adms. now exhibited an account of the sale of the lands of the sd. decd, agreeable to the order of the General Assembly and direction of this Court, which account is allowed and ordered to be kept on file.

Page 66—5 April, 1748: Hartford, 9 April, 1747; Then, pursuant to the resolve of the General Assembly in May, 1745, and by the direction of the Court of Probates of the District of Hartford, I made sale of one parcel of land belonging to the estate of Capt. Thomas Seymour decd., in quantity six acres, called Shepherd's orchard, to Bevel Seymour of Wethersfield for the price of £120-01-00 money, he being the highest bidder for sd. land, which parcel is butted east on a highway, west on land of John Carter, north on land of Moses Seymour, and south on Wethersfield north line. Also, I made sale of one other parcel belonging to the estate of the sd. decd., being about 7 acres in quantity, to Nathaniel Seymour and Ebenezer Benton, Jr., they being the highest bidders for sd. parcel, which 7 acres was a parcel of the homestead of the sd. Thomas Seymour decd., and is butted east on the other part of sd. homestead, west on the river or commons, north on the river or commons, and south on the land of Zach: Seymour, and was sold as aforesd. at the price of £198-02-00 money, the whole amounting to £318-03-00, and was for the payment of £306-18-00 debts due from the estate of the sd. decd, more than the moveable estate and incident charges.

Pr. Thomas Seymour, Administrator.

At a Court of Probate held at Hartford, 5 April, 1748, this report
was allowed and ordered to be recorded and kept on file.

Test; Joseph Talcott, Clerk."