The
Edward Deming Andrews
Memorial Shaker Collection
Henry Francis du Pont
5105 Kennett Pike,
302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883
OVERVIEW OF
THE COLLECTION
Creator: Shakers.
Title: Collection of wills and estate inventories.
Dates: 1737-1836.
Call No.: ASC 737
Acc. No.: [various – see detailed
description]
Quantity: about 30 items
Location: 29 E 4
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
Wills and estate inventories of Shakers living in
the Hancock,
ORGANIZATION
In accession number order.
LANGUAGE OF
MATERIALS
The materials are in English.
RESTRICTIONS
ON ACCESS
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.
PROVENANCE
Gift of Mrs. Edward D. Andrews.
ACCESS POINTS
Topics:
Shakers.
Shakers -
Shakers -
Shakers -
Religious communities -
Religious
communities -
Religious communities -
Wills -
Wills -
Wills -
Inventories of decedents estates -
Inventories of
decedents estates -
Inventories of
decedents estates -
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 29 E 4 (legal size files)
SA 953 endorsed: Will;
will of
Richard Raven, late of New York City, and now resident in family of Josiah Rude
of Hancock, Mass.; leaves his property in Becket, Mass., to the Shaker family;
appoints Daniel Hawkins and Amos Bishop of New Lebanon as executors, witnessed
by Amos Stower, John Mantle, and Benjamin Stow, July 7, 1836
SA 954 endorsed: Olive
Blake’s will, March 1826;
Olive
Blake, widow of Jacob Blake, of
[Note: for
additional Blake family material see ASC 734]
SA 955.1 endorsed: Joseph
Bennets Will;
Joseph
Bennet of Canaan, New York, gives one third of any property he has to Lucy
Bennet, and gives cash to daughters Eunice, Mary, and Anne, but the rest to go
to the Shakers; appoints David Meacham, Jonathan Walker, and David Osborn as
executors; witnessed by John Teyon[?], Peter Cottle, and Stephen Hall; June 6,
1798;
With notes
about recording of will, October 7, 1799;
Note: paper parting along fold lines –
handle with care
SA 955.2 endorsed: copy of
the inventory of the estate of Joseph Bennet, surrogates fee 2/ paid,
[signature illegible];
Value of
real and personal estate of Joseph Bennet, not dated; includes half of a piece
of land “lying in the patten [sic] granted to Cornelius Van Scaach & others
being forfeited by William and Robert Bayards and Isaac Vanderpool, conveyed to
Joseph Bennet & Richard Spier; notes and indentures on a number of people
[see document for names], “besides his waring apparel,” which is not valued
SA 956.1 endorsed:
Hezekiah Phelps’s will;
Hezekiah
Phelps of New Lebanon, part of Canaan, New York, joined the Shakers in 1788; he
confirms his previous donation of his real and personal property to the
Shakers, and gives any additional interests he has to David Meacham, Jonathan
Walker, and David Osborn or to their successors as deacons; witnessed by John
Teyon[?], Caleb B. Gardner, and Adam Gardner, March 3, 1798
SA 956.2 endorsed: William
Saffords will;
William
Safford of New Lebanon, part of Canaan, New York, joined the Shakers in 1788; he
confirms his previous donation of his real and personal property to the
Shakers, and gives any additional interests he has to David Meacham, Jonathan
Walker, and David Osborn or to their successors as deacons; witnessed by John
Teyon[?], Elisha Parker, and Hezekiah Morey, March 3, 1798
SA 956.3 endorsed: Nathan
Kendals will;
Nathan
Kendal of
SA 956.4 endorsed: Hannah
Warrens will;
Hannah
Warren (who signed with her mark) of Canaan, New York, leaves her property to
Jonathan Walker and David Osborn or to their successors as deacons; appoints
Walker and Osborn as executors, witnessed by John Whiting, Milan Warner, and D.
Whiting, September 15, 1798
SA 956.5 endorsed: David
Darrow will;
David
Darrow of
SA 956.6 endorsed: Ruth
Ruth
[see SA
957 for another will by this woman]
SA 956.7 endorsed: Joseph
Greens will;
Joseph
Green of
SA 956.8 endorsed: Ruth
Hammond will;
Ruth
Hammond of New Lebanon, part of Canaan, New York, joined the Shakers in 1788; she
confirms her previous donation of her real and personal property to the
Shakers, and gives any additional interests she has to David Meacham, Jonathan
Walker, and David Osborn or to their successors as deacons; witnessed by D. Whiting,
Nathan Whiting, and Ferrand Strananhan, December 31, 1798
SA 956.9 endorsed: Azubah
Tiffany will;
Azubah
Tiffany of
SA 956.10 endorsed: Mary
Chace will;
Mary Chace
(who signs with her mark) of Canaan, New York, leaves her property to Noah
Wheaton and John Shapley or to their successors as deacons; also appoints them
as executors; witnessed by Stephen Hall, Lucy Hall, and Levi Callender, May 10,
1800
SA 956.11 endorsed: Prudence
Smith’s will;
Prudence
Smith of Canaan, New York, leaves her property to Valentine Rathbun and John
Shapley or to their successors as deacons; also appoints them as executors;
witnessed by Anson Pratt, Ed.[?] Cade[?], and Daniel Benjamin, May 28, 1800
SA 956.12 endorsed: Jeremiah
Goodrich’s will;
Jeremiah
Goodrich of
SA 956.13 endorsed: Gideon
Turners will;
Gideon
Turner of Canaan, New York, leaves most of his property to David Osborn and
Noah Wheaton [here spelled Wheeton] or to their successors as deacons; also
leaves some money to his children Jethro Gideon [that might be two people],
Joel, Samuel, and Hannah, and some property to his widow Mary Turner for her
lifetime; appoints Osborn and Wheaton as executors; witnessed by Eleazer Grant,
Stephen Hall, and Peter Cottle, May 13, 1800
SA 956.14 endorsed: Sarah
Kendal will;
Sarah
Kendel of Canaan, New York, leaves most of her property to Richard Spier and
Noah Wheaton or to their successors as deacons; also appoints them as
executors; however, she left some money to her children Sarah, Nathan, Hannah,
Unice [sic, i.e. Eunice], and Paul; witnessed by John B. Ely, Josiah Perry, and
Robinson [illegible], August 23, 1800
[see SA
956.19 for another will for Sarah Kendel]
SA 956.15 endorsed: Aaron
Frizel will;
Aaron Frizzel
of
SA 956.16 endorsed: Electa
Hamblin’s will;
Electa
Hamblin of
SA 956.17 endorsed: Martha
Robisons will;
Martha
Robinson of
SA 956.18 endorsed: Isaac
Harlow’s will;
Isaac
Harlow of Canaan, New York, leaves most of his property to David Osborn and
Noah Wheaton or to their successors as deacons; appoints them as executors; had
previously given his children Isaac, Eliab, and Mary a share in his property;
his widow Mary Harlow is to have property only during her widowhood; witnessed
by John Whiting, Reuben Hoig, and John Shapley, January 3, 1801
SA 956.19 endorsed: Sarah
Kendel will;
Sarah
Kendel of Canaan, New York, leaves most of her property to David Osborn and
Jonathan Walker or to their successors as deacons; also appoints them as
executors; however, she left some money to her children Nathan, Paul, Sarah,
Hannah, and Unice [sic, i.e. Eunice]; witnessed by John Whiting, Reuben Hoig,
and John Shapley; January 3, 1801
[see SA
956.14 for another will for Sarah Kendel,]
SA 956.20 endorsed: Amos
Amos
Hammond of Canaan, New York, leaves most of his property to David Osborn of
Watervliet and Amos Jewett of Canaan or to their successors as deacons;
appoints them as executors; also names his widow Rhoda Hammond (to have property
only during her widowhood); witnessed by Stephen Hall, Lucy Hall, and Daniel
Rogers, August 21, 1802
SA 956.21 endorsed: Phebe
Chapmans will;
Phebe
Chapman of Canaan, New York, leaves her property to Amos Hammond and Levi
Chauncey or to their successors as deacons; appoints them as executors;
witnessed by Joseph Main, Moses Bacon, and Truman Treat [or maybe Freeman Trent],
December 11, 1802
SA 956.22 endorsed:
Lydia
Smith of Canaan, New York, leaves her property to David Meacham and Jonathan
Walker or to their successors as deacons; appoints them as executors; witnessed
by Morrell Baker, Hezekiah Morey, and Eli Porter, October 3, 1804
SA 956.23 endorsed: Zacheus
Steven’s will;
Zaccheus
Stevens of Canaan, New York, leaves his property to Levi Chauncey and William
Hammond or to their successors as deacons; appoints them as executors;
witnessed by Jonathan[?] Warner, David W. Patterson, and Thody Abbot, June 30
[possibly 13], 1804
SA 957 endorsed: Ruth
Ruth
[see SA
955.6 for another will by this woman]
SA 958 endorsed:
Prudence Darrow will;
Prudence
Darrow of New Lebanon, New York, joined the Shakers in 1788; she confirms her
previous donation of her temporal property to the Shakers, and gives any
additional interests she has to David Meacham, Jonathan Walker and David Osborn
or to their successors as deacons; also appoints them as executors; specifically
excludes any blood relatives from inheriting; witnessed by Nathan
SA 959 “The estate
of Billie Lawrence, deceased, in account
with S. Hall,” 1804-1808, listing amounts paid to various people, at least some
(if not all) of whom were Shakers