Joseph Daby Will Part 2-Not So Easy To Read

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

This is the second post from the will of Joseph Daby in Stow, Massachusetts, which was admitted to probate in June of 1763. This is the clause that centers on his wife, Eunice and her care and support after his death. We'll have a transcription in an upcoming post as this image is a little more difficult to read than the initial clause of Joseph's will.

The images on AmericanAncestors.org sometimes are not quite as clear as the digital images I made from Massachusetts probate materials while at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. This is a will where I may want to create my own images from the Family History microfilm and compare those to the images I've obtained from AmericanAncestors.org.

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

--------------[begin transcription]-------------
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
--------------[end transcription]-------------

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.

"These are to desire you to appoint my Grand Father"

I've been using the recently released probate files for Middlesex County, Massachusetts on American Ancestors (http://www.americanancestors.org) and have been making some interesting discoveries, including this little gem:

Simon hopefully would be a good source for the identification of his grandfather as Joseph Daby. I need to research Simon's parents as completely as possible first, but researching Joseph Daby may help me in locating information on Simon's parents.

I'm not exactly certain that the document should be transcribed as "These are to desire you to appoint my GrandFather Mr. Joseph Daby of Stow for my Guardian." The phrase "These are to desire" seems oddly phrased.