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Original 1828 Last Will & Testament of Moses DanielsMendon, Worcester County, MassachusettsEight-Page Handwritten Estate Manuscript
Offered is an exceptional original eight-page handwritten Last Will and Testament of Moses Daniels (1753–1830), executed on October 22, 1828, in Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts, just two years before his death.
Far more than a routine probate record, this manuscript documents the division of a prosperous New England farm among members of one of Mendon\'s earliest colonial families. The will contains extensive metes-and-bounds descriptions of multiple farms, orchards, woodland, pasture, rivers, roads, and neighboring properties, making it an outstanding resource for historians, genealogists, and collectors of early American manuscripts.
Highlights of the Will
- Dated October 22, 1828
- Written and signed by Moses Daniels, yeoman of Mendon
- Eight handwritten pages
- Divides an extensive family estate among wife, sons, and daughters
- Grants widow Abigail a life estate and occupancy rights in the family home
- Describes numerous farms with detailed survey-style boundary descriptions
- References local landmarks including:
- Wheel River
- Fish Pond
- Pine Hill
- Wilson Farm
- Peter Penniman Pasture
- Old Orchard
- Family burying ground
- Mentions neighboring landowners and property purchases
- Provides lifetime financial support for an unmarried daughter
- Documents an earlier $1,000 advancement to a married daughter
- Preserves valuable genealogical information for several generations of the Daniels family
Principal RecipientsAbigail (Aldrich) Daniels
Moses\' widow received a life interest in one-third of the real estate, one-third of the personal estate, occupancy of part of the family home while she remained his widow, use of the family clock and chaise, and additional household property. Abigail (1761–1834) was the daughter of Robert Aldrich and belonged to one of Mendon\'s oldest colonial families.
Elbridge Gerry Daniels
Received a substantial portion of the homestead, including buildings, woodland, orchards, and adjoining lands. Born in 1788, he was named after Revolutionary patriot and future Vice President Elbridge Gerry, reflecting the patriotic spirit of post-Revolutionary Massachusetts.
Riley Daniels
Inherited another major section of the family farm with extensive boundary descriptions referencing neighboring properties, rivers, roads, and pastureland. Riley later continued the Daniels farming tradition in Mendon.
Moses Daniels Jr.
Inherited the central portion of the home farm and buildings. Along with his brothers, he was charged with paying an annual annuity to his sister Cyrene throughout her lifetime.
Cyrene Daniels
Rather than receiving land, Cyrene received an annual income of $80 for life, to be paid equally by her three brothers, along with a share of the household goods. This was a common provision for unmarried daughters in prosperous New England families.
Sally Daniels Southwick
Wife of George Southwick. The will notes that Sally had previously received a $1,000 note and accrued interest from her father during his lifetime and therefore received household goods rather than additional cash from the estate.
Abigail Daniels Arnold
Widowed daughter of Moses Daniels. Together with her sister Sylvia, she inherited the Wilson Farm, associated buildings, and adjoining acreage while preserving the family burying ground.
Sylvia Daniels
Youngest daughter of Moses Daniels. Shared ownership of Wilson Farm with her sister Abigail Arnold. The will further provides that if Sylvia died without lawful heirs, her share would revert to her brothers.
Biography of Moses Daniels
Moses Daniels (1753–1830) was a lifelong resident, yeoman farmer, and substantial landowner in Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts. Born to David Daniels and Huldah (Taft) Daniels, he descended from one of Mendon\'s original seventeenth-century settler families.
He married Abigail Aldrich on June 18, 1781, shortly after the American Revolution, uniting two prominent colonial New England families. Over the following decades he accumulated a sizeable estate of farms, orchards, woodland, and pasture. His detailed 1828 will reflects both his financial success and his desire to preserve the family\'s holdings for future generations while ensuring the lifelong care of his widow and daughters.
Moses died on December 26, 1830, and was buried in Pine Hill Cemetery in Mendon.
Historical Importance
This manuscript provides an extraordinary snapshot of rural Massachusetts immediately before the Industrial Revolution. Beyond documenting the transfer of a prosperous estate, it records family relationships, inheritance customs, local geography, and neighboring landowners in one of Worcester County\'s oldest communities. The detailed property descriptions preserve place names and boundary references that are invaluable for local historians and descendants of the Daniels, Aldrich, Southwick, Arnold, Penniman, Cook, Legg, and related Mendon families.
An outstanding original Massachusetts manuscript with exceptional genealogical, historical, and land record significance.
