Miles WASHBURN

1771 - 1836  (65 years)

• Name	Miles WASHBURN
  Birth	14 Mar 1771	Norwich, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA   [1, 2]
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	Blacksmith
  Residence	Norwich, Massachusetts; Saratoga and W. Exeter,New York
  Burial	1836	West Exeter, Otsego County, New York, USA   [3]
  Death	20 Aug 1836  [1, 3]
  Notes	According to G.T. Washburn, "Miles accompanied his father in his emigration from Mass. into North-Eastern N.Y. soon after the close of the Revolutionary war, was with him in Saratoga in 1790 and some time before October, 1802 he emigrated to West Exeter, Otsego County, N.Y. In that month he and Rufus Washburn bought of Wm. and Benj. Onderdonk of Queen's County, N.Y. a tract of 125 acres of "Lot No. 55 of the Schuyler Purchase" in W. Exeter for the sum of $1050. In 1805 they sold this land to Caleb and William Matherson (probably both of Hoosick, but William then living in W.E.). This land probably included the water power on which the Mathersons built their mills, giving the first name to the place of Mathersons Mills. The price paid was $1650 and the deed was signed by Miles and Polly, and Rufus and Patience of one part, and Caleb and William Matherson of the other. This purchase of land was followed by numerous others of smaller amounts on the part of Miles till 1822 and sales till 1824. In many of the earlier purchases and sales he is associated with Seth Tubbs; so much so as to suggest a family relationship between them. In transactions of 1805 between Miles. W. and Tubbs, the former describes himself as a blacksmith, and the latter says he is a farmer. Two years later a deed describes Miles as blacksmith and farmer. He bought a corner lot for a blacksmith shop in the center of the village diagonally opposite the smithy of Rufus Washburn." "In a letter from Miles to his brother Abraham in 1833 he mentions being in indifferent health. He makes no reference to his family but a letter follows on the last page of the sheet from his son Isaac to his uncle Abraham." Will of Miles Washburn of Exeter, Otsego Co., New York (1836) * State of New York Otsego County Ss. Be it remembered that at a Surrogate Court held at the Surrogates Office in the Village of Cooperstown in & for the County of Otsego on the twenty ninth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirtysix before George A. Starkweather Surrogate of the said County the last will and Testament of Miles Washburn late of the said County deceased a Copy whereof is hereunto annexed was duly admitted to probate after a citation to the widow and next of kin to the said deceased, deposed, served returned & filed according to law, where upon at the place and on the day aforesaid the following witness makes after having been duly sworn by the said Surrogate testifies as follows viz. In the Matter of proving the last will and testament of Miles Washburn deceased. Otsego County Ss. Be it remembered that on this twenty ninth day of October in the year one thousand eight hundred & thirty six before George A. Starkweather Surrogate of the County of Otsego personally appeared William Park who before the said Surrogate duly sworn and examined doth depose and say that this Deponent was well acquainted with Miles Washburn that he was present as a witness & did see the said Miles Washburn deceased subscribe at the end thereof the instrument so produced & shown to this deponent purporting to be the last will & testament of the said Miles Washburn deceased bearing date the first day of August in the year one thousand eight hundred & thirty six, that such subscription was made by the said Testator in the presence of this deponent, that the said Testator at the same time declared the instrument so subscribed by him to be his last will & testament-Whereupon this deponent signed his name to the end thereof at the request of the said Testator, that the said Testator at the time of executing & publishing the said last will & Testament was of full op. of sound mind & memory not under any restraint-and this deponent saith that he drew the last will & testament of the said Miles Washburn, that after the same was executed by said Miles Washburn it was sealed up by this deponent and handed back to said Miles Washburn now deceased and he said Miles passed the same over to Timothy C. Taylor the Executor in said will named- Sworn before me this William Park 29th day of October 1836 Geo. A. Starkweather, Surrogate In the Matter of proving the last Will & testament of Miles Washburn deceased Otsego County Timothy C. Taylor being sworn saith that the last will & testament of the said Miles Washburn was handed over to this deponent on the day the same was executed by the said Miles as he believes, sealed up and this deponent has had the same in his possession untill he produced the same to the Surrogate for probate & further saith not Sworn before me this 29 Oct. Timothy C. Taylor 1836 Geo. A. Starkweather Surrogate Whereupon I the Surrogate aforesaid upon the proof aforesaid being satisfied of the ______ and validity of the said Will do therefore order that the same be admitted to probate and that letter testamentary thereof be granted to the Executor in said will named after the expiration of thirty days from the time of making this order and taking and subscribing the oath of office prescribed by law-In testimony whereof we have caused the seal of office of our said Surrogate to be hereunto affixed. Witness Geo. A. Starkweather Surrogate of the said County of Otsego the day and year first above written. Geo. A Starkweather Surrogate State of New York Otsego County Ss. I Miles Washburn of the Town of Exeter in the County and State aforesaid by this my last will and testament I devise all that certain tract or parcel of land in the Town of Exeter and Plainfield in said County on which I now reside & occupy being all the lands I own to my sons Miles Washburn [sic-see my note below] equally and I also give and bequeath unto my said sons all my personal property equally with the exception of my household furniture, beds bedding, cooking utinsels-I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Polly in lieu of the Dower her support out of my property during her natural life or so long as she shall remain my widow-I give and bequeath unto my son Miles Washburn Junior Three hundred & fifty Dollars. I give and bequeath unto my son Isaac Washburn the sum of three hundred & fifty Dollars-I also give & bequeath unto my Daughter Polly Ann Washburn the sum of three hundred Dollars-I give and bequeath unto my five Daughters Eliza Ann, Permelia, Cornelia, Laura and Patience Washburn the sum of one hundred & fifty Dollars each. I further give and bequeath unto my Daughter Sarah Williams the sum of Fifty Dollars, the said sum of fifty Dollars shall not draw interest and to be paid until all debts owed by me at the time of my decease Shall be paid-I further order that my six Daughters viz. Polly Ann, Eliza Ann, Amelia [sic], Cornelia, Laura and Patience shall have a home upon the premises above bequeathed to Miles Washburn Junior Isaac Washburn and Jacob Washburn so long as they shall remain unmarried and shall be taken care of when sick-and I further order that my said Daughters Polly Ann, Eliza Ann, Pamelia, Cornelia, Laura & Patience shall have two beds each and the bedding for the same out of my present household furniture at such time as they marry or choose to removed. I further order that all debts due me at my decease shall be collected and applied to the discharge of the debts that I may be owing at the time of my decease, I further order that my sons Miles Washburn Junior Isaac Washburn and Jacob Washburn above named shall take care of and support my wife Polly during her natural life or so long as she shall remain my widow and in case they the said Miles Washburn and Jacob Washburn shall fail to support her the said Polly as above directed she shall be entitled to her Dower out of my lands above bequeathed-I further order that my sons Miles Washburn Junior, Isaac Washburn and Jacob Washburn shall possess my estate real and personal after paying all the debts chargable thereon and against my said Estate and also paying the several legacies above mentioned-And I do further order that if any of my above named sons or daughters shall bring any account against my said Estate after my decease for services rendered to me since any of them have become of age or twenty one years old they shall forfeit any devise or legacy that is above devised or bequeathed and his or her said devize or legacy shall be equally divided between the remainder of my said children. I hereby nominate & appoint Timothy C. Taylor of the Town of Plainfield in said County to be the sole Executor of this my last will and Testament, hereby revoking all other or former wills by me made- In testimony whereof I have this first day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred thirty six at Exeter aforesaid and in the presence of each of the attesting witnesses have hereunto subscribed my name-and affixed my seal hereby declaring this instrument so subscribed to be my last will & testament and requesting William Park of Burlington in the County aforesaid and Nathan Brainard of Exeter aforesaid to sign their names respectfully as witnesses at the end of this my said will. Miles Washburn (seal) Subscribed and sealed by the said Testator at the end thereof in the presence of the undersigned attesting Witnesses, the said testator at the time of making the said subscription declaring the above instrument so subscribed to be his last will and testament, and each of the undersigned attesting witnesses then & there signing his name at the end of the said Will at the request of the said Testator in his presence & in the presence of each other William Park, Burlington, Otsego County Nathan Brainard, Exeter, Otsego County State of New York Otsego County I certify that the within will was duly admitted to probate on the twenty ninth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty six Geo. A. Starkweather Surrogate State of New York Otsego County I certify the foregoing to be a true record of the proceedings had before me in the matter of proving the last will and Testament of the personal estate of Miles Washburn deceased Geo. A. Starkweather Surrogate Otsego County Ss. Be it remembered that at a Surrogate Court held at the Surrogates office in the Village of Cooperstown in & for the County of Otsego on the 29th day of October 1836 before George A. Starkweather Surrogate In the Matter of proving the last will and Testament of Miles Washburn Deceased Comes Timothy C. Taylor Executor named in the last will and testament of the said Miles Washburn Deceased, and informs the said Court that notice has been given pursuant to the Statuetes in such case made and provided of his intention of proving the said last will and Testament of the said Deceased and the said Timothy C. Taylor brings into Court a notice of his intention signed by him said Timothy C. Taylor with the affidavits of the said Timothy C. Taylor and Philo R. Cole proving our service of said notice on all the heirs at Law of the said deceased which notice our affidavits are in records & figures following to wit. Surrogate Court. In the Matter of proving the Will of the Real estate of Miles Washburn Deceased To the heirs at Law of the said Miles Washburn Deceased, Please to take notice that I the undersigned Executor of the last Will and Testament of the said Miles Washburn late of the Town of Exeter in the County of Otsego Deceased bearing date the first day of August in the year one thousand eight hundred & thirty six intend to apply to the Surrogate of the County of Otsego at the Surrogates office in the Village of Cooperstown on the twenty ninth day of October next at ten O'clock in the fore noon of that day to have the said Will & Testament of the said Deceased proved before the said Court according to the Statute in such cases made & provided dated 5th Sept. 1836- Timothy C. Taylor Otsego County Ss. Timothy C. Taylor having sworn saith that on the twelfth day of October 1836 he personally serviced a copy of the within notice upon Miles Washburn, Isaac Washburn, Polly Ann Washburn, Elizabeth Washburn, & Caleb Burlingham, the guardian for Jacob Permelia Cornelia, Laura and Patience Washburn _____ sworn before me this 29th day of October 1836. Geo. A. Starkweather Timothy C. Taylor State of New York City & County of Albany, Philo R. Cole of the City of Albany being duly sworn says that he is foreman in the office of the Albany Argus and that the notice of which the annexed is a printed copy has been regularly published in said Albany Argus once in each week for six weeks successively commencing on the thirteenth day of September last past, sworn before me the 25th day of October 1836 Philo R. Cole * Transcribed by John A. Maltby from Otsego County Wills and Administrations, Book 3, 1836-1840, pp. 46-51, from FHL microfilm #0947167. An important line from the will was apparently missed in transcribing the will into the probate book wherein Miles Washburn left all his land to his sons Miles Washburn Junior, Isaac Washburn, and Joshua Washburn equally, such that the transcriber wrote only "to my sons Miles Washburn equally," but reading further into the will the names of his two other sons are mentioned several other times, so the intended meaning of the testator can be inferred. Note also that daughter Permelia's name is transcribed as Amelia in one spot, and Pamelia in another spot. In addition to what I have transcribed here, there is one more deposition taken from the witness Nathan Brainard, which repeats what was said by William Park, and adds nothing new to the information already given. Some of the handwriting in this probate book is difficult. [4]
  Person ID	I1979	Ellingboe
  Last Modified	19 Jun 2012

  
  

  Marriage	Congregational Church In G.T. Washburn's book, marriage date is given as 12 Dec 1752. This is also the date given in "Early Connecticut Marriages as Found on Ancient Church Records," Vol. 5, p. 20, edited by Frederick William Bailey.
  Family ID	F159	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Headstones

  Gravestone of Miles Washburn (1771-1836)

  
  

• Sources

  [S58] Washburn, George T., Ebenezer Washburn, (Pasumalai, South India, American Mission Lenox Press, 1913), p. 73 (Reliability: 3). [S293] Edward Church Smith, History of Middlefield, Massachusetts, (Menasha, Wisconsin: Self Published, 1924.), p. 640. (Reliability: 3). [S131] Gravestone. [S58] Washburn, George T., Ebenezer Washburn, (Pasumalai, South India, American Mission Lenox Press, 1913).