Will of Joseph Daby from 1763, Part I

The image that follows is the initial part of the 1763 will of Joseph Daby of Stow, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, which was admitted to probate in June of 1767.  The will actually contains the names not only of Daby's daughters, but also several of his grandchildren. 

part of the will of Joseph Daby, Middlesex County, Mass., file 5702;
digital image, www.AmericanAncestors.org,  viewed 18 October 2014

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In the Name of God Amen this fourth Day of April Anne Dom. one Thousand and Seven Hundred and Sixty and three I Joseph Daby of Stow In ye County of Mi[?]x. In ye Province of the Massachusets Bay in New England Gentn. being Suspible of my Mortality and the State of my Family Requiring a Settlement I Constitute  and appoint this to be my Last Will and Testament Principally I recommend my Soul to God In hope of Mercy thro ye Merits of Jesus Christ and my Body to ye Earth to be buried in Decent Christian Burial at the Expance and Discretion of my Exer here after appointed
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I fought with myself on whether the word in the bottom left hand corner of the image was "Direction" or "Discretion." Looking at the way the writer makes his letter "s" (when not the initial letter of the word), it seems that the third letter in the word was an "s." Both words would make reasonable sense in the context of the sentence.

Given the location of the record, it seems that the Mi[?]x is a reference to Middlesex County.

The only son Daby mentions in his will is one who apparently predeceased his father.

We'll have more of the Daby will in future posts.