"Probate Records. Vol. XI, 1729 to 1732. Page 320-1.
Bunce, John, Hartford. Invt. £538-06-08. Taken by Jonathan Olcott and Jonathan Steele. Will dated 16 July, 1730.
I, John Bunce of Hartford, do make this my last will and testament: I give unto my wife Mary Bunce the use and improvement of all my houseing and lands during life, and all my moveable and personal estate to be at her own dispose as she pleases, to and amongst my children. After my wife's decease I give all my houseing and lands, the moiety or half-part thereof, unto my son James Bunce, and the other moiety or ½ part thereof unto my grandsons, Jacob, John and Isaac Bunce, to be equally divided to them, my sd. son James Bunce 1 part, and my sd. grandsons, Jacob Bunce, John Bunce and Isaac Bunce, the other part, to be to them and their heirs forever. Binding and obliging my sd. grandsons, when they are of lawful age and come into possession of what I have given them, to pay 20 shillings apiece unto their father (my eldest son) John Bunce, Jr., per annum during his natural life. I give unto my sd. son John Bunce 20 shillings besides what I have formerly given him, to be paid him out of my estate. I give unto my three daughters 5 shillings apiece besides what I have formerly given them, to be paid out of my estate.
JOHN BUNCE, LS.
Witness: George Wyllys, John Dod, Elisabeth Wyllys.
And further, I, the above-named John Bunce, do make this codicil to my aforewritten will: that my son John Bunce shall have liberty to dwell in my house, which is now the dwelling house of my son James, in case he shall live to survive me and my wife, during my sd. son John's natural life if he my son John shall desire and require the same. And further, it is my will that my son James and my grandchildren, Jacob, John and Isaac, to whom I have given the 1-2 of my houseing and lands, shall have an equal right in my well to use the water thereof as they have occasion. And further, to explain what is above written wherein it is my will, that he shall have my house which I now dwell in for his property after me and my wife's decease.
JOHN BUNCE, LS.
Witness: Thomas Ensign, Jr., Hezekiah Lane, John Dod, 7 October, 1733."
Court Record, Page 100—6 November, 1733: Will exhibited by Mary Bunce, widow, and James Bunce, son of sd. deceased. There being no executor named in the will, Adms. with the will annexed was granted to the widow and son, and the sd. James Bunce recog. in £300 with Moses Cook.
Page 101—4 December, 1733: Invt. exhibited. Estate insolvent.
Page 108—5 March, 1733-4: James Bunce and Mary Bunce, Adms., exhibited a list of debts due from the estate, £70-13-11; also the account of debts due to sd. estate, amounting to £2-13-00; which account this Court accepts.
Page 14 (Vol. XII) 26 November, 1734: Per act of the General Assembly, 9 May, 1734, directing James and Mary Bunce, Adms., to sell land to the value of £37-03-03 at vandue. Report of sale.
Page 17—2 December, 1734: Land sold to John Skinner, Jr.
Page 1 (Vol. XIII) 1st March, 1736-7: Jacob Bunce, a grandson to John Bunce, showing that by the last will of his grandfather there was given a homested, 1-2 to James Bunce and the other half to Jacob, John and Isaac Bunce, to be divided equally between them; and whereas, there is no person to divide the estate, the sd. Jacob, being now 21 years of age, together with James Bunce, one of the heirs, moves this Court to appoint freeholders to dist. sd. estate. Whereupon this Court do appoint Ensign James Church, Deacon John Edwards and John Skinner, Jr., with the assistance of John Bunce, the father and natural guardian to the sd. John and Isaac Bunce, distributors. If ye sd. John Bunce neglect or refuse to joyn in makeing a division, then the sd. James Church, John Edwards and John Skinner shall make the division.
Page 8—2 June, 1737: Report of the distributors appointed to make division of a certain lott of land, formerly belonging to Mr. John Bunce of Hartford, to Jacob, John and Isaac Bunce, sd. lott of land being the homelott of the testator, bounded north partly upon a highway and partly upon land belonging to the heirs of John Richards, late of Hartford; west on land belonging to Jonathan Steele partly, and partly upon land belonging to Jonathan Mason; east partly upon land belonging to the heirs of John Colwell, and partly upon land belonging to Benjamin Catlin, and partly on land belonging to Jonathan Mason; and south on land belonging to sd. Mason. We have viewed sd. lott of land, and have divided or sett out to Jacob Bunce 1 1-2 acres of sd. land, at the south end of sd. Lott, extending northward from Jonathan Mason's land, the wedth of sd. Lott, 12 rods.
Dated 3 June, 1737. JOHN EDWARDS, JAMES CHURCH, JOHN SKINNER, JR.
Page 20 (Vol. XIV) 5 April, 1743: Isaac Bunce, a minor, 16 years of , son of John Bunce, chose Samuel Flagg of Hartford to be his guardian. Recog., £50. Jared Bunce, age 12 years, and Abigail, age 10 years, this Court appoint their mother Abigail Bunce to be their guardian. Recog., £50. Lucretia Bunce, a minor, 13 years, chose her mother, Abigail Bunce, to be her guardian.
Page 23—24 May, 1743: Application being made to this Court that a dist. of the estate of John Bunce, according to the will of the deceased, be made, this Court do appoint James Church, Joseph Cook and Jonathan Seymour, of Hartford, to divide the estate accordingly.
Page 26—7 June, 1743: Report of the distributors.
Page 20 (Vol. XVI) 4 April, 1751: Whereas, there is a motion made to this Court that dist. be made to the heirs of John Bunce, late of Hartford decd., of 2 lotts of land lying in a tier of lotts west of Cooper Lane in Hartford, whereupon this Court appoint John Skinner, Daniel Steel and Thomas Hopkins to make division of sd. Land.
Page 24—29 May, 1751: Report of the distributors."
