John R. Seely asked if I had seen a document containing an inventory of immigrant Obadiah Seeley’s estate. John thought that if there were tools a “turner” might use in his estate, it would be another indication that the Obadiah Seeley who appeared in the records of Stamford, Conn. in the 1640s was the same Obadiah Seeley who was an apprentice turner to Nehemiah Wallington in London. We know that Wallington’s turner apprentice was recorded as being the son of William Seeley of Birmingham and that Obadiah Seeley was christened in 1614.
I went to Google on the Internet, entered “Obadiah Seeley inventory,” and up came a Family History Center film number. I ordered the film and, after reading it, found I could not understand what it said. I contacted Mr. Clifford Stott CG, AG a professional researcher and he indicated he could read the document.
Over a period of three weeks I presented four probate wills to Mr. Stott to be translated: Obadiah Seeley SGS#4, Obadiah’s son Obadiah Seeley SGS#17, Obadiah’s son Jonas Seeley SGS#19, and Obadiah’s wife’s first husband John Miller.
Below are the inventories of Obadiah SGS #4, and Obadiah SGS #17. (Click on the tabs to see both inventories.)
NOTE: Spelling/misspellings are true to the original documents.
Death
25 Aug 1657, Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut
Translated By
Clifford Stott CG AG, 11 Sept 2007
The Inventory of the Estate of obadiah Sely deceased Anno 1657
Taken by Willm Newman and Robert Tasker the 29th of the 12mo 1665 the aprizement by George Slawson and John Holly
| Item | Pounds - Shilling - Pence |
|---|---|
| Imprimis 1 house 4 Acres of Land | 20 – 00 – 00 |
| 5½ and [illegible word] Acres meadow | 18 – 00 – 00 |
| 5 Cows & a three year old heifer | 21 – 12 – 00 |
| 2 two year Cattell | 05 – 10 – 00 |
| 4 yearlings 2 Calves | 08 – 10 – 00 |
| 6 yearling Swine | 06 – 00 – 00 |
| 6 yearling Swine | 06 – 00 – 00 |
| 4 fether pillows | 02 – 00 – 00 |
| 3 pair Courss Sheets | 04 – 10 – 00 |
| 1 sheet 5 pillow cases beers | 01 – 09 – 00 |
| 2 sutes of Apparell | 01 – 10 – 00 |
| 2 hats 3 [illegible] bands | 02 – 03 – 00 |
| 2 or 3 handkercheifs | 00 – 01 – 06 |
| 1 musket 1 Sword | 07 – 00 – 00 |
| 1 Chest 1 Powder horn | 00 – 09 – 00 |
| 5 Peces of Pewter | 01 – 00 – 00 |
| 1 Cresent Saw | 00 – 08 – 00 |
| 1 hand saw 3 wedges | 00 – 08 – 06 |
| 1 brewing tub | 00 – 04 – 00 |
| 1 Taper Auger 1 Tap borrower | 00 – 03 – 06 |
| 2 Axes 1 hatchet | 00 – 07 – 06 |
| 2 Turning Chissels | 00 – 02 – 00 |
| 2 Turning Googes[?] | 00 – 02 – 06 |
| 5 [illegible] [illegible] | 00 – 02 – 06 |
| 4 Stocks 1 hammer[?] | 00 – 04 – 00 |
| 1 Sieth 1 Turnmill | 00 – 08 – 06 |
| 1 pair pot hooks | 00 – 01 – 06 |
| 1 Smoking Iron | 00 – 03 – 00 |
| 1 meall[?] Trough | 00 – 01 – 06 |
| 2 Ancors 1 dubble Ancor | 00 – 07 – 00 |
| 1 keler 1 Charn | 00 – 05 – 00 |
| 2 great bools [bowls] 1 Tray | 00 – 03 – 06 |
| 4 Payls 2 Piggons 1 whele | 00 – 09 – 06 |
| 2 small wheles | 00 – 08 – 00 |
| 5 Chairs 3 meall[?] sines | 00 – 16 – 06 |
| 1 pair of Tongs 2 reels | 00 – 02 – 08 |
| 1 hooke 1 sickle | 00 – 02 – 00 |
| 1 bagg[?] | 00 – 03 – 04 |
| The Sum is errors excepted | 106 – 09 – 00 |
Debts payd out of this estate to the vallu of 5 or 6l
This aprizement made ye 3d: 9mo: 66 (according to the order of the Courte) by us whose names are under wrttn
George Slawson, John Holly, 11: May 1666
The widdow Sely is to administer upon the estate
[three illegible words] and Selyes Estate
William Hill Clarke
At A Court held at Fairfield the 7th Novem 1666 The widow maks oath that this is a true Inventory of the Estate of her husband Sely deceased acording to the best of her knowledge
William Hill Clarke
[page 2]
9th Novem 1666
Wheras the Inventory of obadiah Sely was this day exhibited to the Courte the Said Sely dying Intestate:
That the Court distribute the estate as followeth: wheras there is three Children Left obadiah Cornelius and Jonas the Court orders that the Eldest son obadiah shall haue Twenty six pound[s] to be payd in the Land he is to have all the Land and what the Land amount to more then Twenty six pound[s] he is to pay it to the younger Child Jonas in part of his portion : The second sonn Cornelius is to have payd him Twenty pound[s]: and Jonas is to have Twenty pound[s]: And the widdow Mary Sely is to have the rest of the Estate as her proper portion: with the use of the Two Acres of ye meadowe pertayning to the Estate during her widowhood The sons to have ther portion at Twenty one years of age And yf any of them dye before they come to ther respective ages the survivors is to enioy there portions: The Court admits of the widdow to be administratrix on the Estate [dark smudge covering two words] Yf ther be aboue five pounds or six pounds of debts payable out of the Estate what debts shall more Legally appeare the widow and the Three sons shall abate for the payment therof proportionally to ther por.
William Hill Clarke
In the November 2007 SGS Newsletter we published the inventory of the estate of immigrant Obadiah Seeley, SGS#4. Below is the inventory of the estate of his oldest son, Obadiah Seeley, SGS #17. The latter was born about 1648/49 in Stamford, Fairfield County, Conn. and he married Esther Stevens (b about 1648/9) in 1669, the daughter of Thomas and Ann Stevens of Stamford. Obadiah died on July 25, 1679/80 in Stamford, Fairfield Conn.
The below inventory of Obadiah Seeley’s (SGS#17) Estate, Fairfield District Probate , 3:55 is from Family History Library film no. 004,287. It was obtained by SGS Chief Genealogist Karl Weiler. The Family History Library film was interpreted by Clifford Stott, CG AG in Feburary, 2008. The spellings and misspellings are the way they were translated from the original document.
An Inventory of obadia Selys estate deceased taken by us whose names are underwritten this 25 of July 1680
| Item | Pounds - Shilling - Pence |
|---|---|
| house & homelot & orchard | 80 – 00 – 00 |
| 5½ Acres of Meadowe of wch 2 Acres are for the use of her Mother | |
| Sely[during] her life time | 45 – 00 – 00 |
| 32¾ Acres of land more or less at shiphand | 05 – 00 – 00 |
| 2½ Acres of land in the horspasture | 02 – 10 – 00 |
| 4½ Acres of land in ye ox pasture | 20 – 00 – 00 |
| 6 Acres of Land upon Noreton hill | 06 – 00 – 00 |
| 3 Acres of land given by the Towne to Mayntayne a gate | |
| 2 Cowes | 06 – 10 – 00 |
| 1: 3 year old 3£ 1: 2 year old 2£ | 05 – 00 – 00 |
| 3 Calves 1 – 15 – 0 one horse 3£ | 04 – 15 – 00 |
| 1 Cupboard 12/s a Cradle 4/s | 00 – 16 – 00 |
| 2 Iron pots 25 | 01 – 05 – 00 |
| a brass kettle a skellet | 00 – 16 – 00 |
| a milk payl 2 [crossed out word] karters[?] | 00 – 05 – 00 |
| 3 chayres and Standing Stoole | 00 – 06 – 00 |
| Dishes and Trenchers | 00 – 10 – 00 |
| Earthen ware 4/s pewter & spoons 7/s | 00 – 11 – 00 |
| meat Troff Tub & Sive | 00 – 04 – 00 |
| hogshead mashing Tubb & payle | 00 – 10 – 00 |
| bible & books 7/s caid 2s | 00 – 09 – 00 |
| 3 glass bottles | 00 – 03 – 00 |
| a great wheel & little wheele | 00 – 11 – 00 |
| a churne & frying pan | 00 – 09 – 00 |
| 4 Ancors a powdring Tubb & meat | 01 – 07 – 00 |
| 2 dishes earthen pot | 00 – 02 – 8 |
| old Iron horse brand forktines | 00 – 03 – 00 |
| one brode Axe one narrow Axe | 00 – 07 – 00 |
| Coulter & share Long bolt & cart bolt & Clevis | 00 – 14 – 00 |
| a Cart Tonge trammell and Lamp | 01 – 04 – 00 |
| 2 Cushings an old bagg | 00 – 03 – 00 |
| flax Corn and malt | 01 – 08 – 00 |
| 2 old howes hopples & Hetchils | 00 – 12 – 00 |
| a gunn and Amunition | 01 – 10 – 00 |
| Sieth and Tackling | 00 – 10 – 00 |
| 3 boyes dublet and bretches | 02 – 09 – 00 |
| Stockings old clothes | 01 – 00 – 00 |
| 3 Shirts 2 pair of Sheets | 03 – 05 – 00 |
| 4 napkins 3 neckclothes | 00 – 09 – 00 |
| 2 Chests 2 bedsteads | 01 – 10 – 00 |
| Curtains & Vallens | 01 – 10 – 00 |
| 2 slvr [silver?] bottones | 00 – 02 – 00 |
| beds & bedding boulster pillowes | 06 – 05 – 00 |
| 6 yds ½ home spunn cloath | 01 – 06 – 00 |
| a pair of skales 2 pound yarn | 00 – 06 – 06 |
| looking glass | 00 – 02 – 00 |
| 3 Swine & 7 piggs | 05 – 16 – 00 |
| a grind stone | 00 – 05 – 00 |
| a Cowbell and wrighting Booke | 00 – 06 – [?] |
| bestell Rings | 0 – 02 – 06 |
| yokes and horse Tackling | 00 – 07 – 00 |
Apprized by us Townsmen the day and date above written
Jon~ Bell
Joseph Theale
Abraham Amber
Jonas Sely maks oath that the above Inventory is a true Inventory of his brother
obadiahs Estate acording to the best of his knowledg 2 Novemr 1680
William Hill Clarke
