William Smith

Notes:

Not found in Essex Co., Massachusetts Probate docket (10 Nov 2017)

Birth:
Charlestown is now part of Boston

Nathaniel married Elizabeth Ladd 14 May 1663, Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts. Elizabeth (daughter of Daniel Ladd and Ann) was born 11 Dec 1640, Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts; died Aft 11 Aug 1696. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Died:
On this date she signed an agreement stating she had received her full share in her father's estate

Other Events:

• Probate: 1 Apr 1654, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; Estate inventory, value £23.01.03
• Will: 15 Apr 1647, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; To "beloved wife" Anna Smith: life estate, not to be sold, in a house, and two heifers; to son Nathaniel Smith: the same house after his mother's decease, to daughter Hanna: a calf of the heiffers; all moveaables and household stuff to Anna

Notes:

Checked some other Smith probates of Middlesex Co., Massachusetts mid to late 1600s; could not establish a parent for this William Smith (13 Nov 2017)

William — Anna. Anna died bef. 1 Apr 1654. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Died:
Inventory of husband William Smith's estate on this date notes that she is also deceased

Other Events:

• Probate: 18 Aug 1693, Essex Co., Massachusetts; A largely illegible account is drawn up describing and appraising the real estate that had been gifted in life by Daniel Ladd to some of his children
• Probate: 9 Jan 1694/5, Essex Co., Massachusetts; Administration on the estate granted to son Daniel Ladd; he is bonded
• Probate: 23 Mar 1694/5, Essex Co., Massachusetts; Estate inventory; total value £66
• Probate: 27 Mar 1695, Essex Co., Massachusetts; Josiah Gage petitions the court not to settle the estate without giving him an opportunity to question "colonel Saltons" in the presence of witnesses and before the court
• Probate: 27 Jun 1695, Essex Co., Massachusetts; Bartholomew Gedney, Esq., Judge of Probate for Essex Co., Massachusetts, summons Josiah Gage (husband of Daniel Ladd's daughter, Lidia) to appear before him, Daniel Ladd, Jr. having accused Mr. Gage of selling off some of Daniel Ladd, Sr.'s possessions and keeping the proceeds.
• Probate: 29 Jun 1695, Essex Co., Massachusetts; Attorney Hath. Saltons makes an affidavit stating he went to Daniel Ladd's death bed to "take in writing wt he intended should be done wth ye estate he had not then disposed of." This document is cited above as the Will, though the attorney who wrote it states "wth full consent of all present it was written not in form of a Will, but left as his dying proposalls, wc I never imagined any of them would go about to contradict as now is done, to their great disturbance."
• Probate: 13 Jan 1695/6, Essex Co., Massachusetts; Josiah Gage files a claim against the estate for "keeping my father & mother in Law" for about two years total between 1691-1692 and for having paid 6s for Daniel Ladd's coffin; total claim is £20.18.00
• Probate: 6 Apr 1696, Essex Co., Massachusetts; Caleb Richardson of Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts (husband of Daniel Ladd's daughter, Mary Ladd) files a claim against the estate for "twenty three weeks Entertainment of Ann the widow and Relick" totaling £2.17.04
• Probate: 2 Jul 1696, Essex Co., Massachusetts; An account of the estate gives a value of £146.14.0, with a list of expenses (including parts of the claims above as well as another £5 care of Daniel and Ann Ladd for "3/4 year" by Daniel Ladd, Jr., plus another £12 for his trouble and expense as administrator) of £61.14.00, leaving £85 to divide among the heirs; Daniel Ladd, Jr. is allotted a double portion of £18.17.9 while the seven other heirs get £9.8.10 each
• Probate: 20 Jul 1696, Essex Co., Massachusetts; A division of the estate among seven of Daniel Ladd's children plus the children of deceased son Nathaniel Ladd grants son Daniel Ladd Jr a double portion (against Daniel Ladd Sr's dying wish) of £23.0.10 2/3, with the other heirs shares at £11.10.5 1/3, less the value of certain real estate already given to certain heirs
• Probate: 7 Jul 1701, Essex Co., Massachusetts; Josiah Gage, husband of Daniel Ladd's daughter Lidia Ladd, quits claim against the estate
• Probate: 29 Jan 1714, Essex Co., Massachusetts; Administrator Daniel Ladd Jr. files an account of the estate with five receipts from other heirs
• Probate: 26 May 1718, Essex Co., Massachusetts; Additional real estate is appraised at £24
• Probate: 6 Apr 1719, Essex Co., Massachusetts; Another receipt is filed against the estate
• Probate: 14 May 1723, Essex Co., Massachusetts; Administrator Daniel Ladd Jr. files several more receipts and quit claims against the estate dating from 1719 to 1721
• Probate: 14 Jan 1723/4, Essex Co., Massachusetts; Another parcel of real estate is appraised and added to the estate for division among the heirs, valued at £12.10.0
• Will: 2 Jan 1692/3, Essex Co., Massachusetts; [Note: The will was not recorded in Essex Co., Massachusetts probate record books. The original is available but is badly decayed, with portions missing, faded, or stained. Original spelling, capitalization, abbreviation maintained.] "[M]y Dear Wife" to be provided "suitable maint[ena]n[ce]"; "[e]quall proportioning of my estate among my Children"; "that All deeds of gift formerly by me made be brought (missing words) ...all Stock of my estate, & compared & valued by persons (missing) ...ation thereto desired, as soon as may be after my...."; "that I be maintained in my present low Condition, as that requires, I be decently interred; tt is to be alowed (sic.) to Him or Them that shal (sic.) assist in it, out of wt is not yet disposed of, if wt He hath doth not (missing) go beyond his proportion"; "(missing) ...ons of Them shal fail of doing their Share towards (missing) my Good Wives (sic.) maintenance, & comfortable support, (missing) out of wt he or they have, or might have, (missing) out to settle upon him or them that shal exceed (missing) ...ion or equall Share, according to wt they shal do." (sic.)

Notes:

Birth:
Said to have been born in Deal, Kent, England by some researchers who do not cite sources

Will:
The provisions of the original will led to about thirty years of dispute and resolution between the heirs and was in no way better (and in many ways worse) than there having been no will at all. The intent was for all the children, sons and daughters alike, to come away with an equal share of the estate, accounting for any gifts of land ("deeds of gift formerly by me made") and for any expenses incurred caring for Daniel Ladd or wife Ann. A later provision not quoted here requires the children to pay the estate's debts in equal proportion. Thus the estate had to then pay for a complete inventory of not only all of the land and items in Daniel Ladd's possession when he died, but also all land he had ever owned and gifted to any of his children. In addition, the heirs had to total all expenses and allow for time and trouble taken if any of them had any part of caring for Daniel or Mrs. Ladd at any point. To further complicate matters, one of the children was already dead and two more died within five years, increasing the burden of portioning out the estate to now include grandchildren--who would then be required to pay some portion of their grandfather's debts!

Buried:
Pentucket Cemetery

Daniel — Ann. Ann died 10 Feb 1693/4, Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts; was buried Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Name:
Some researchers make the last name Moore, but cite no sources

Buried:
Pentucket Cemetery