It's Vermont Archives Month, and that's taken me into sorting many letters and photos from my mother's side of the family, and updating the family tree a bit further.
Women's clothing in the 1850s and 1890s keeps coming back onto my research schedule, for a couple of books that I'm writing, one set in each decade. (The 1850s one will be book 3 in my Winds of Freedom series, published by Five Star/Cengage.)
But I was totally amazed to discover today the will of my 9-great grandmother Sarah Littlefield Sawyer, 1649-1734, who lived in Wells, Maine, when it was still part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Check out item 12 in particular!
If, like me, you have no idea of what "calaminco" means here -- check out this handy article by Leimomi Oakes, a textile and fashion historian, who says "Calamanco (also spelled callimanco, calimanco, and kalamink) is a thin
fabric of worsted wool yarn which could come in a number of weaves:
plain, satin, damasked, and was even brocaded in floral, striped and
checked designs. The surface was glazed or calendered (pressed through
hot rollers)."
The Will of Sarah Sayer
To All People to whom these Prestns shall come Greeting.
Know ye, that I Sarah Sayer of Wells in the County of York in the
Province of the Massachusets Bay New England Relique of William Sawyer late of
Wells aforsd Decesd (thô weak of Body, yet of sound &
well Disposing mind & Iudgment) Do Committing my sperit in the first place
unto God the Father of it thrô Jesus Christ, & my Body into the hands of my
Executors hereafter named to be by them decently Interred in hopes of A Blessed
Resurrection, Dispose of the Temporall Estate with which God has been pleased
to bless me in the manner following vizt
1. My Will is that all my Iust & honest Debts,
together with my Funerall Charges shall be paid out of my Estate by my
Executors hereafter Named.
2 I Give & bequeath unto my son John Wells Eight
Pounds to be paid him by my Executors within six months after my Decese. I Will
also that A Bond of thirteen pounds given by him to me, shall be freely
surrendred up unto him by my Executors within the aforsd term of six
months after my Dece'se And I Will that the Eight pounds I herein give unto
this my sd son John Wells be laid out by him in procureing A
Funerall Coat after my Disc.
3. I Give & Bequeath unto my son Thomas Wells Eight
pounds to procure A Funerall Coat after my Decese the which sd sum
shall be paid him by my Executors within six months after my Decease. I will
also that A Bond of thirteen pound given from him to me shall be freely
surrendred up to him after my Dece'se.
4. I Give unto my Daughter Patience Clark five pounds
(besides five pounds I have already given her) to be paid unto her by my
Executors within six months after my Decease.
5. I Give & Bequeath unto my Daughter Sarah Sayer of
Newbury two pounds & four pounds A piece to Each of her two sons Vizt
Jonathan Sibley & Samll Sibley these several sums to be paid
vnto my sd Daughter Sarah Sawyer & her aforesd two
sons by my Executors within six months after my Decease.
6. I Give & Bequeath unto my son Francis Sawyer thirty
pounds to be paid unto him within six Months after my Decease by my Executors.
7. I Give & Bequeath unto my Grand son William son of
my son Daniel Sayer De'csd thirty pounds, to be paid him by my
Executors within six months after my Decease.
8. I Give & Bequeath unto my Daughter Hannah Chesley
thirty pounds to be paid her by my Executors within six Months after my
Decease.
9. I Give & Bequeath unto my Daughter Ruth Sampson
Thirty pounds to be paid her by my Executors within six Months after my
Decease.
10. I Give & Bequeath unto my great grand-Daughter
Mary Clarke Daughter of my grand son Nathall Clarke A Certain
Feather Bed that has an homespone Tick to be Delivered to her by my Executors
within six Months after my Decease.
11. I Will that what ever Use or Interest shall be found
due upon my Bonds that any of my Children or Grand Children have Obliged
themselves unto me by, shall be freely wholy and absolutely remitted released
& given up unto such from whom it may be found due by my Executors at my
Decease.
12. I Give & Bequeath unto my four Daughters my
wearing Cloths as follows vizt I give to my Daughter Patience Clark
A black Calaminco suit & my black blew searge Petty Coat. I give to my
Daughter Sarah Sawyer my silk Crape suit & my red & Yellow under Petty
Coat. I give unto my Daughter Hannah Chesley my silk suit. I give to my
Daughter Ruth Sampson my striped Calaminco suit, & A striped Calaminco Gown
& A black silk Petty Coat. all the Rest of my Cloths I will shall be
Equally Divided among these my four Daughters. And if either of these my
Daughters shall Decease before I shall, then I will that their Daughters shall
have such Clothes as their Mother would have had by Vertue of this my Will if
they were Liveing.
13. I Will that four pounds shall be paid by Executors
unto the Church of Christ in Wells, within six months after my Decease, to be
distributed by them among some of the poor Members of sd Church.
14. I Will all my Estate of what nature or kind so ever
not already disposed of in this my Last Will & Testament unto my two
grandsons & my two Daughters hereafter mentioned vizt Joseph
Sayer, Wm Sayer, Hannah Chesley & Ruth Sampson to be delivered
up unto them & equally Divided amongst them within six months after my Decease.
15. finally I Do hereby Ordain Constitute & appoint my
son Francis Sayer & my Grand-sons Joseph Sayer & William Sayer to be
the sole Executors of this my last Will & Testament and Do hereby revoke
& Disannull all former Wills & Testaments heretofore made by me &
Declare this to be my last will & testament : As Witness my hand and seal
this twenty seventh Day of April Anno Domini 1734. Annoque R R Georgii secundi
magnæ Brittanniæ &c septimo.
Signed sealed & pronounced
in presence of
Hans Dalzel
Jeremiah Storer
Jeremiah storer Jur
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NB : the words or grand Chil-
dren were interlined be-
tween, ye sixth & seventh
Lines from ye top of the
second page before signing
& ye word between will &
all in ye thirty first line from
ye top of the second page
was erased before signing
Sarah Sayer : (seal)
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Probated,
10 Feb. 1734-5. Inventory returned 2 June 1735, at £540: 2: 6, by John Storer,
Samuel Wheelwright and Daniel Morrison, appraisers.
[Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p.
356]
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