Fordington

Letter of Administration to Jonathan EAMES Yeoman of Fordington Dorset England
for the Estate of his father John EAMES (1586/7-1662)

Administration October 1662 - Inventory 17 Nov 1662

Transcribed by Michael Russell OPC for Fordington December 2009


NOTE:- Letters of Administration: When a person died intestate [i.e. leaving no will] the next of kin or a close friend would often have to apply to the probate court for Letters of Administration to enable them to take possession of and distribute the estate. The term 'estate' refers to the chattels, cash, debts and leases of the deceased. The ecclesiastical courts had no jurisdiction over bequests of freehold property. The applicant had to swear that there was no will, that the applicant would pay all funeral expenses and debts, administer truly, and submit a true inventory and account of his/her stewardship. The inventory itemised the estate held by the deceased, including leases, chattels, debts owed and owing, cash, crops, stocks and slaves. No account of real estate (land) was normally taken in estimates and totals. The Court then granted Letters of Administration and might require the administrator to enter into a bond to administer the estate faithfully, in which case a copy of the act was endorsed on the document.

A Bond is a binding agreement with a penalty for non performance. A bond deed is in two parts, the Obligation and the Condition. Before 1733 the Obligation, which records the penalty, was written in Latin. The Condition describes what the bonded person has undertaken to do, or otherwise committed himself or herself to (e.g. administer an estate), and was always in English.

This is clearly what we have here. My Latin is not good enough to do a proper translation of the first paragraph so I have confined myself to a summary of key facts to help make sense of the document.

The Obligation:
    In Latin - Rough summary of Key facts:

    Presents by Jonathan EMES of ffordington in the County of Dorset Yeoman and John WINSOR of ffordington --
    ----- Richardo BAYLIE Canon
    ----- (blank) day in the month of October ---in the year of Our Lord 1662
[Note: I have retained the same line structure as in the original document to aid location of text]

The Condition:

    The condition is that if the above bounden Jonathan EMES the naturall
    & lawful sonne of John EMES deceased late of ffordington
    in the County of Dorset deceased------
    and peculiar jurisdiction of Mr. DEANE of Sarum doe well & truly administer
    the goods chattells and creditts of the said deceased that is to say in payinge
    his debts if any be due soe farr forth as his goodes chattells and creditts
    will thereunto extend and the law charge him. Also doe make or cause
    to be made a true and p'fect inventory of all and singular such goodes
    chattells and creditts as the said deceased died possessed of and exhibite the
    same into the Registry of this Court at or before the first day of December
    next ensuing the date hereof And alsoe make a true and p'fect accompt
    of and upon his said administration when he shalbe thereunto required
    And such part and portion of the residue of the said goodes upon such accompt
    left unadministered shall distribute and dispose in such manner as by the
    said Mr.DEANE his surrogate or any then competent judge in
    that behalfe shalbe submitted and appointed And lastly doe now and at all
    tymes hereafter save defend and keepe harmeles the said Mr DEANE and
    all others his officers and ministers for granting letters of Administration
    in this behalf and for all other causes ensuing by reason of the same
    then this obligation to be voide or els to abide in full force force and vertue

    Signed sealed and delivered
    in the presence of Jo: [John] JOHNSON Noti (i.e. latin abbreviation for Notarius - notary) Pubri (Public)

    Jonathan EAMES signus

    Johis [i.e. John] WINSOR his mark W
The Inventory taken 17th November 1662

    An Inventory of ye goods chattles and household stuff
    of John EAMES late of ffordington deceased taken and
    praised by Edward EAMES and Henry HOLMAN: ye 17th of November 1662: at ffordington

    Impremis: one tablebord, ffoure (four) Joyne stooles,
    one cubbord, and one chayre, praised att: xiijs (13 shillings) iiijd (4 pence)

    Itm: [i.e. Item] six pewter pottingers, one pewter bole (bowl),
    one salt, & one Brass Morter, praised att: vis (6 shillings) viijd (8 pence)

    Itm: [i.e. Item] one Standing Bedsteed, one halfehead
    Bedsteed, one copher, one fate, and one trendle praised att: viijs (8 shillings) vid (6 pence)

    Itm: [i.e. Item] one feather Bed, one flukebed, two
    bolsters, two pooles, one payre of Blankets
    one rugg, & one coverled praised att: jl(1 pound) vjs (6 shillings) viijd (8 pence)

    Itm: [i.e. Item] one Standing Bedstead, two Chests, one box,
    one tablebord, three barrels & one covell (i.e. cover) praised att: vj (6) shillings Viij (8) pence

    Itm: [i.e. Item] one flukebed,, one ffeather bolster, two
    feather pooles, one payre of blankets and one
    Coverled praised att: xiijs (13 shillings) iiijd (4 pence)

    Itm: [i.e. Item] two payre of sheetes one payre of
    pillowties and one table cloath praised att: viis (7 shillings)

    Itm: [i.e. Item] his Wearing Apparrel praised at jl (1 pound) xs(10 shillings)

    Itm: [i.e. Item] two Brasse pots three kittles and
    two skillets praised att: jl (1 pound) vis (6 shillings) viijd (8 pence)

    Itm: [i.e. Item] one Cart, one pull, two paire of
    wheales, one sull? & two harrows praised att: ijl (2 pounds) iijs (3 shillings) iiijd(4 pence)

    Itm: [i.e. Item] three horses wth harnis, three cows
    and one hypher praised att: xiijl (13 pounds) xs (10 shillings)

    Itm: [i.e. Item] In ye Common ffeild six acers of
    wheat, nine acers of barly, one halfe
    acer of ferhes (furze) : And one little stagg of
    wheate in ye Backside praised att: xxl (20 pounds)

    Itm: [i.e. Item] one old fate one fatehorse one old
    trendole wth sum (some) ferwell and other lumber praised att: vj (6)shillings viij (7) pence
Genealogical notes:-

(1). John EAMES (1586/7-1662) was the second of five known children of Thomas & Millicent Eames and baptised at St Georges church in Fordington on 12th January 1586/7. Link to an account of his life and ancestry. His wife Lucy is not mentioned in the Letters of Administration she died in 1665.

(2). Jonathan EAMES (1628 - 1702) was the third of John Eames children being preceeded by a brother Thomas Eames (1617-1680) and sister Ruth Eames (1620-aft1637) . His brother and sister having emigrated to New England he was granted administration of his fathers estate

(3). Edward EAMES (1618-1685) who completed the inventory was his nephew being the son of Richard Eames (1588-c1634) & his wife Alice Sprague (1597-1668)- Edward was baptised in FStG on Christmas day 1618.

(4). For more information about the family please refer to the biography of Anthony Eames John Eames youngest brother .

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