Probate and Last Will and Testament of Francis Holmes of Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut

 

Francis Holmes

C. 1600 – 1675

Standford this 6 of Septemᵉ 1671

I Francis Holmes of Standford being in health and having through gods goodnes my understanding & memory sound and perfect doe make this my Last Will and Testament in form and manner following

First I give my soul to the hands of my redemer and my body to the Earth from whence it was taken to be decently buried (yᵗ god by His providence hath soo decreed) to be buried in Standford

I have given to my wife 34ᵗⁱ pounds which belonged to me as is witnessed by Sam’ll Hoit and Jonas Weed: and I doe alsoe give her as Long as shee remains my wife the use of my House I live in: with the bed I lye on and furneture belonging to it: with all other things nessesary for house keping acording as my Executors shall see meete: and then after her decease or Chang of Condition by mariage the same to be at the disposal of my Executors I doe alsoe give her a sow and a hogg and a Cowe & a heifer as my Executors shall appoint And the Clothes that shee hath that is on my Acount.  and the Clothes that shee hath on my Acount to reaturn to my Executors: the other that shee hath to be at her owne disposal:

I doe give to my sonn John the Shopp with the Tooles the Iron and Steel an Coales to be prized:

I doe give my sonn Stephen my share of the farme with all the horses and mares that runs in the woods with all the Carts plows and furneture belonging to them and the great table and long Gunn:

I doe give to my sons John and Stephen all my Cattle and other things to be equally devided except what particulars are otherwise disposed of:

I doe give my daughter Ann Dean five shillings

I give my son Richard five shillings

I give my servant Cornelius five shillings

I give my sonn Johns eldest sonn my short Gunn:

I give my wife 6 bush: of each sort of Corn, wheat, pease, & Indian as long as shee remayns my wife to be payd yearly:

I Doe make my sons John and [ ? ] Stephen Joynt Executors for the managing of this my will acording thereunto

In witnes of the truth I have set to my Hand this day & date hereof as above:

Francis FH Holmes

His marke:

 

Signed in the presence 

Henᵉ O Smith

His marke

Ann A Smith

Her marke

Math Bellamy

 

Henᵉ Smith and Ann Smith being both together at the reading of this will of Francis Holmes deceased makes oath that the said Francis Holmes deceased did owne this to be his Last Will & Testament

 

Given in before me in Standford March 14 (75: Rich. Law              

Witnes: these presents that we Ann Homes (late wife unto Francis Homes deceased) & John Homes Richard Homes Stephen Homes and Sam’ll Dean Children of the aforesaid Francis Homes doe fully & freely Consent and agree: Unto the [ ? ] of and disterpution of the Estate & left unto them by the forementioned deceased acording to the propositions following:

1 Prõp: first that the widow of the deceased Francis Homes shall have and receive of the Executors in full acording to the will of her deceased husband: first was her owne Estate viz 34ᵗⁱ in her owne Custody more to be payd and Cowe & one heifer and sowe of a year old or more and hogg of a year old or more all Clothing made for her ware: to be at her full disposing to whome and when she pleases more eighteen bushels of Corn viz six of wheat of wheat six of pease and six of Ind: Corn to be payd Annually untill acording to the aforesaid Will her Condition be chang by Death or mariage: Alsoe her use of the ƒethor bed & boulster and Two pillows & Two new blankets & Coverlet and bed sheet with the Linning belonging to it alsoe the use of the house and such nessesary houshold stuffe as shall be needfull for her own use untill the aforesaid Chang either by Death or mariage: And then ­­­­the house bed sheet and bedding and all houshold stuffe forementioned to return to the use & be house of of  the executors

2 Propõs: that Richard Homes shall have and receive of the Estate of his deceased Father the Just sum of fifeteen pounds in Current pay 

3 Prõp: That Samuell Dean shall receive of the Estate of her deceased father the Just sum of ten pounds in current pay and to acquit & discharge his debte on his fathers Booke

4 Prõp: that the aforesaid payments being duly made and other Just dues and Charges deducted: the residue of the aforesaid estate to equally devided to John Homes and Stephen Homes as their part and share of in the estate of their deceased father only excepted that Stephen Homes is to have the Cart and plowes with all their furneture before the devision of the estate between them

5 Prõ: that John Homes and Stephen Homes shall be Joint executors acording to the will of their deceased father to administer upon the estate of the deceased aforesaid and to discharge all Just demands and dues: and the [ ? ] payments as above specified unto their mother and their brothers: Richard Homes and Samuell Dean: unto the performance of the abovesaid propositions and our resting satisfyed in the same we the aforesaid Ann Homes Richard Holmes John Homes Richard Homes and Stephen Homes & Samuell Dean Ann Dean do bind our selves Respectively unto the performance and satisfyed in the same:

witnes our hands this 3 day of the 1 Mo Anno 167⅚

The 15 pound above mentioned granted to Richard Homes and the Ten pounds to Samuell Dean yᵗ is granted and agreed unto us an adition to what your father hath formerly given unto them witnes       

Ann O Holms

his marke

John H Homes

his marke

Richard Homes

Stephen Homes

Sam’ll Dean

Ann Dean D their

marke

 

Francis Bell                                                         

John Slawson

Careers and Responsibilities

 

This is my preliminary to writing about the work that Francis did. This was all in my preparation, and today I’ve stuck it  together in a jumble.  I don’t want to make too many lists – all of this will be in appendixes, so it should be just a short blurb. Today, however, I encountered a problem, which is at the end. I shall have to decide what to do with it – but will I sweep it under the proverbial rug? Contact someone at the Historical Society or a paleographer or both? It isn’t a big deal, and I could certainly leave it out. But now, it bugs me. I will set the solution aside for after the challenge, but I must note it now.

CAREER

FARMER – ALMOST EVERYONE DID SOME FARMING

CARPENTER, NOT SO MUCH

BLACKSMITH

TOWN RESPONSIBILITIES

FIRST A LIST, THEN A STORY.

Francis appears to have been a/the village blacksmith, for in his will, he wrote, “I Doe give to my Sonn John the Shopp with the Tooles and Iron and Steel an Coales to be prised.” ^[1]

Francis was included in a list of men in the 1670s, most of whom appear in the town records “as they were called upon for duties befitting responsible citizens.”^[2] For him to be known as having one of the most responsible names of the town, and for him to be given duties of responsibility, he must have been a man of fine character. Mind you, his responsibilities are few. He wasn’t a young man at this time.

“I doe give my sonn Stephen my share of the farme with all the horses and mares that runs in the woods with all the Carts plows and furneture belonging to them and the great table and long Gunn:

I doe give to my sons John and Stephen all my Cattle and other things to be equally devided except what particulars are otherwise disposed of:”[3]

(I noticed that someone mentioned that they are leaving footnotes for later. Learn from my experience, if you will – they are terrifically hard to find later. At least, leave a clue, as I did here for the will and probate of Francis, which I look at almost daily. I also keep my bibliography updated as I go, and I’ve used it countless times.)

Goods mentioned in his will: to Stephen, his share of the farme. Also cart and plowes.

To Ann: a cow, a heifer, a sowe, and a hogg. Also Indian corn, wheat, and pease.

In the inventory: blacksmith tools, grindstone, and iron

Beetle rings, hatchet, nails, chisel, gouge, drawing knife

Hoe, new plowshare

4 cows, 2 steers, 2 heifers, a sowe and 4 pigs, 6 swine, 4 horses, 2 oxen

Peas, flax, Indian corn, wheat, hops

My thoughts. He was a blacksmith. His tools are not listed specifically (shop, tools, iron, steel, coals, and grindstone) – possibly as everything was going to his son, John. Why not his son Richard?

Richard was already set up in Norwalk as a blacksmith. Richard owed money to his father's estate: what he received in probate was enough to settle his debt. Possibly, as blacksmiths made a lot of their own tools, his father had already made tools for him, asking some money for his supplies and maybe etc.

He had a few household tools, but not as many as other men – perhaps he only did basic carpentry work around the house. There were other carpenters in town. In the inventory: beetle rings, hatchet, nails, chisel, gouge, and a drawing knife. Think too, of the leather and bellow boards that I think were supplies – not the actual bellows.

For animals: at the time of his death, he had: 4 cows, 2 steers, 2 heifers, a sow and 4 pigs, 6 swine, 4 horses and 2 oxen. His horses and mares run in the woods. Were the cattle, oxen, and swine behind the fence at home? Did he own a barn? I read that poultry was not even mentioned in inventories as everyone had them and there was no shortage of them – although wild creatures sometimes got them.

I suppose nearly everyone  had a garden and some had meadow land. No land is mentioned in the town records for Francis, but probably he was no different than any other man. In the inventory, what was listed were peas, flax, Indian corn, wheat, hops, and tobacco. I imagine the tobacco was imported from the south and purchased from the merchant, Jeremiah Jagger. I’ve also read and need to find, that the colonial peoples had root vegetables and orchards. These were not in the inventory – another thing possibly understood. But, lots of peas and Indian corn for sure, and Ann had lots of linen -think flax.

As for town responsibilities, he didn’t have many, compared to others. I’m hoping his sons and son-in-law have more, so I can use the information I found in “The Connecticut Town” about what these responsibilities were all about.

He was struck in the face by Penoyer, when he was on the night watch. So, he sometimes took his turn as night watchman.

He was mentioned twice in 1667, as a fence viewer. On March 29, he was appointed to serve as a fence viewer in the fields for the ensuing year. In May, 1667, he was to specifically check the fences in the horse pasture. I have definitions for Connecticut town responsibilities; I’ll try to paraphrase that in an interesting sentence or two.

In 1678, he was to help lay out a new fence for William Newman. Only problem with that was – he was dead – three years dead.

Here I have a conundrum. I know that these records were transcribed from the originals in the 1800s. I have looked at the page before, the actual page, and the page after. The writing is totally legible. What to do with this problem? Not all records were in order, but this is a decade away. (As a transcriber, I must transcribe exactly as it is written.)

Image 270, Page 226       Date Sept 17, 1667

Image 270, Page 227       Date Nov 22, 1667

Image 271, Page 228      Date Dec 19, 1667 

Image 271, Page 228      Date Jan 17, 1677/8

Image 271, Page 229      Date Feb 24, no year given

Image 271, Page 229      Date Dec 24, 1667

Image 272, Page 230      Date Feb 24, 1667/8

Image 272, Page 230      Date Feb 25, 1668/9

Image 272, Page 231      Date Feb 25, 1668/9

 

The rhythmic clanging of iron hammered on anvil rang out on East Street, as Francis Holmes shaped tools, pots, pans, hinges, and any other iron ware needed by the citizens of the town. Step into his shop on any day but the Sabbath, and there you will find him, wearing a worn leather apron over his work clothes, and as he stops to take your order, he wipes the sweat off his face and the dust from his hands with his ragged handkerchiefs. If it is not a school day, you may find Stephen, John, and Richard there as well: young lads with arm muscles bulging from the weight and use of heavy hammers and tools. Every conscientious colonial father, whether by desire or law, taught his sons the art and mystery of his trade.

At the demise of their father in the mid-seventies, John, his third child, inherited the blacksmith shop, the tools, the grindstone, the iron and steel, and the coals. Richard, the youngest, was already set up as the blacksmith of Norwalk. What he inherited was enough shillings to pay off the debt to his father. As blacksmiths of the time made their own tools, as well as goods to sell to the locals, perhaps Richard owed money for tools that his father provided him. Stephen, the eldest, inherited the house, the farm, and the carts and plows. Clean and sharp was his new plowshare, ready for making the furrows of next summer's field and garden.

 

 

 

---

[1] Will and probate of Francis Holmes.

[2] Majdalany, Jeanne.  The Early Settlement of Stamford, Connecticut 1641 – 1700. Page 73.

[3] Will and probate of Francis Holmes.

The Holmes Home

By 1658, Francis and his children lived on the south side of East Street, although I find no deed for purchase or sale of lots in the records for my ancestor. I must rely on the boundaries of Richard Law’s land deeds. My rough map of East Street and environs shows his neighbours, several of whom are important to him. I wonder where the tavern was located. I can place the grist mill, the church, the burying ground, the swamps, and the river, but not the tavern from which Robert Penoyer stumbled on the path where he met the night watchman, back in 1648. Samuel Dean would eventually marry his daughter. Henry Ackerly, who called Francis a friend, lived where John Finch now lived. John Holmes, son of Francis, would later purchase the lot of Vincent Simkins. Francis’s soon to be second wife, Ann, lived beside Vincent Simkins. Simon Hoyt, another ancestor, lived at the end of East Street, north side.

Francis Bell, who witnessed Penoyer’s misdeed, lived three lots to the east of Francis Holmes. Richard Law, the town clerk, lived south west of Francis Bell, and Robert Penoyer lived kitty-corner to Richard Law.

Francis’s early New England town of Stamford was arranged much like the villages in England that he and his neighbours left behind. Streets, like spokes in a wheel, spread out from the heart of the town – the meeting house and nearby, the burying ground. From the meeting house stretched the four streets of Stamford - North, East, South and West. On the west side was one more road, the road to the Mill, which sat by the Mill River. Along these neatly arranged streets were the home lots, sporting houses and outbuildings, orchards, gardens and animal pens. Further out were fields for grain and woods for timber, and on the outskirts of town were community grazing fields for horses and cattle.[i]

Francis likely purchased the lot of the shoemaker, William Newman, [note to self – check this out, was it Newman or Hunt?] with a house already built, but if not, he would have constructed most of his house, and probably his blacksmith shop, himself, with the help of his sons. Neighbours pitched in for the raising of the framework. The colonial farmer generally felled his timber and shaped planks, rafters, shingles, clapboards and flooring. Picture him in his own pit mill, at one end of a jack knife saw, and his son on top, back and forth, yielding an uneven plank with which to make do. Or, perhaps in winter, when the grist mill sat idle for lack of grain, they took their timber to the miller for sawing. He quarried his own stone, and with help from a stone mason built the heart of his home, the hearth and the chimney.[ii]

Into this rustic cabin moved the colonial family, with meagre furnishings to start. Being the blacksmith, Francis crafted most of his pots, pans, hooks, and other necessary iron ware. He fashioned his own bedsteads with planks and ropes. He owned several chests; he may have brought one or two from England or made them himself in the colony. He probably had a wide plank for a table to start out with. This plank rested on trestles, and when not in use, stood by the wall. Perhaps he built a cupboard into the walls for his few dishes, and when his second wife, Ann, moved into the Holmes home, she commandeered a corner for her spinning wheels. Francis and Ann were fortunate to have a bedchamber; the children, by this time in their twenties, slept in the loft.

The heart of this simple home, little changed by the time Francis died in 1675, was the hearth. It was at the hearth where Ann and Francis’s daughter, Ann, spent most of their day, six days a week, preparing meals, preserving, and feeding the menfolk. With the daily meal preparation, complete, Ann and Ann pulled out their knitting needles and sat by the fireside, creating bags, stockings, drawers, and mittens for themselves and their family. They were ever cognizant to keep their skirts clear of the fire. Perhaps, in the evening, Pa and the lads pulled out their pipes and set a spell before snuffing out their candles and heading to bed, resting for the work of the morrow or a day at the meeting house.

Can can you picture Robert Penoyer walking by Francis Bell’s house? Did the tavern lay on that route? Was it near the meeting house, or part of the meeting house? Where did the night watchman stand? Did he carry a weapon while carrying out his duties? I don’t have these answers.

Can you picture the men sawing away in the pit mill?

This is rough draft and I will revise it in March. I welcome comments and a critique, but they are not necessary - you writers should be busy right now with your own quill and parchment.

I need to finish skimming the records, just in case there is something I missed in the Francis Holmes buying and selling of his lot. In The Descendants of Francis Holmes blog, the writer, with whom I disagree on several facts, stated that Francis purchased lot 56 from Thomas Hunt. I need to check to see if William Newman sold property to Thomas Hunt, before I state that Holmes purchased his lot from Newman. I need to make a better drawing. My map is based on the boundaries of Richard Law’s lots and Jeanne Madjalany’s map.

 

---

[i] Nettels, Curtis P. The Roots of American Civilization: A History of American colonial Life. Second Edition. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts. 1938, 1963. Page235.

[ii] Ibid. Pages 239 and 249.

By Hook or by Crook - the introduction to Francis Holmes's life story.

Francis Holmes

of Stamford, Connecticut

c. 1600 - c1675

Late in the evening of the last day of November, 1648, most inhabitants of the young town of Stamford have snuffed out their candles and lie snug in their beds. The moon lights the path that Robert Penoyer stumbles along from the tavern. Francis Holmes, the night watchman, orders him home. They exchange words. Francis Bell, hearing the ruckus, steps out in his nightshirt just in time to witness Penoyer raise his fists, and winces as he strikes his friend. The blood of our ancestor trickles down his face. Soon enough, Penoyer will face the judge and remember enough about that evening to acknowledge his crime. 

This is my tentative hook to my family history project: A Colossal Collection of Cousins - chapter Fairfield. I say tentative: the wording might change somewhat, but the event is pretty much carved in stone. 

That paragraph includes the first scene and the setting. It is an introduction to the protagonist and one antagonist (one at a time is sufficient), as well as a secondary character. Does it appeal to any of your five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste and touch)? 

My project is not creative non-fiction, but will include bits of creative non-fiction like this. What follows this paragraph is the actual record, with my transcription, and some laws about excessive drinking that causes public issues such as this one. Penoyer appears enough times in the town records to prove he had a drinking problem. I call him the "town drounk." Yes, I misspelled drunk, as did the town clerk. Constant fines were no solution to his problem. 

No time to waste: Today, I will write about where Francis lived. There is no record of deeds being bought or sold, so I must depend on boundaries mentioned for others in Stamford. First, a bit of creative non-fiction (CN-F), then some facts and records.

Perhaps this is Francis Bell and his wife, Rebecca, in their colonial era nightshirts. T'would have been pretty cool outside on a late November evening.

https://reconstructinghistory.com/products/rh104-1600s-shirts-amp-shifts