Mason Family of Oneida Co., NY

Sampson Mason (1625-1676) and Mary Butterworth (1628-1714)

[Samson Mason was the son of John Robert Mason and Hannah Wheaton.]

[Mary Butterworth was the daughter of Henry Butterworth b. ca 1598 England, died 1636-41 at Weymouth, Mass.
and Marie Longbottom b. 1600 England, died 26 Jan 1687 at Newport, Rhode Island.]

Will of Sampson Mason

Plymouth Colony Wills. Vol. 3, part 2, p. 49

The 22cond Day of October in the year of our Lord, according to the English accompt one thousand and six hundred, seventy and two. Know all men by these p'sents that I Sampson Mason of Rehobath in the Collonie of New Plymouth in New England, cordwinder, being sicke in body, but through the grace of my God of good and p'fect memory doe make and declare my last will and testament in manor in form following:
That is to say
First I give and bequeath of my whole estate as well as real l as P'sonall to Mary my beloved wife; to have and to hold the same in every p'te thereof to the use of her the said Mary during her widdowood; onely excepting such gifts and legacyes as are herein and hereafter bequeathed;

Item. I give and bequeath unto my eldest son Noah; either my house which is shortly to be built in Swansey, or that house wherein I do now dwell. That is to say that house which his mother, my said wife, shall order him to take; and in equal proportion with all his brothers in my lands within the several townships of Rehobath and Swansey; and on the Northsyde of the town of Rehoboth; when he shall attain to one and twenty years of age; to use of him and his heires and assigns forever.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my second son Sampson, fifty acres of land which is shortly to be layd out as my lott on the Northsyde of the town of Rehoboth; to have and to hold the said fifty acres; from the time that he shall attain to one and twenty years of age; to him and his heires and assigns forever.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my other six sonnes an equal right and proportion of all my lands not already bequeathed within the several townships of Rehoboth; whether the same or any p'te thereof be devided or undevided; as is or shall be laid out to the use of mee mine heirs or assigns att anytime heerafter; to have and to hold to them my said six sonnes; and every of them respectively; when they shall attain to one and twenty yeers of age; and after the second marriage of my wife or her decease; to theire severall and respective uses of them and to the severall and respective uses of theire heires and assigns forever provided nevertheless that whensoever every of my last mensioned six sonnes posess and injoy in equall proportion all of land with my said sonnes Noah and Samuell; that the remaining lands shall be att my wifs dispose; and off my said oversees hereafter mensioned.

Item. I doe hereby declare that it is my last will and testament; that every of my four daughters shall have such a portion of my estate both reall and p'sonall as my said wife and the said overseers shall see meet and to be payd to every of them according to the order of my said wife and overseers.

Item. I doe hereby nominate my said deare wife Mary sole executrix of this my last will and testament; and my beloved friends Mr. John Myles, Mr. James Brown, and my brother John Butterworth to be overseers thereof; desireing that they doe see the same accomplished and p'formed according to the true intent and meaning thereof; and witness thereof I have hereunto putt my hand and seal the day and yeere first above written.

Signed and sealed in the p'sence
of Jonathan Fuller
Jonathan Willmouth Sampson Mason [Seal]

Will of Mary Butterworth Mason
Daughter of Henry Butterworth and Marie Longbottom
Information on Mary comes from Ancestry of Colonel John Harrington Stevens and his Wife Frances Helen Miller by Mary Lovering Holman, F.A.S.G 1948

Bristol County, Mass. Wills. Vol. 3, p. 205
In the Name of God Amen. The Twenty eighth day of January 1712-13, I Mary Mason of Rehoboth in the County of Bristol in ye Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, widow, being aged but in perfect mind & Memory, Thanks be given to God therefore, Calling unto mind the Mortality of my Body & Knowing it is Appointed for all men Once to Dye Do make and ordaine this my last will & testament;

that is to say, Principally and first of all I give & Recommend to be buried in Decent and Christian Buriall at the Decresion of my Executor hereafter mentioned, nothing Doubting but at the Resurrection I shall Receive the same againe by the Mighty power of God And as Touching such world estate wherewith it hath pleased God to Bless me in this life I give and Dispose oof the same in manner following After my Just Debts & ffunerall Charges be payed.

Imp's. I give & bequeath to my beloved son in Law Ephraim Wheaton and my Daughter Mary Wheaton his wife All my goods & cattle which are at his or their house where I now Dwell, Together with all my Rents & Dues: Due to me from my sone Pelatia Mason; to them the said Ephraim & Mary Wheaton, their heirs and assigns forever.

I give unto my daughter Sarah five shillings & I give & bequeath unto my Grand Children the Daughters of my Daughter Bethya wood Deceased one shilling each of them -- -- --

I Give and bequeath unto my Daughter Thankful Bowen the sume of five shillings: the Reason why I give no more unto my said Daughters (viz.) Sarah, Behtiah & Thankul is I have allready given them a portion according to my ability at the time of their marriage. -- -- --.

And all the Rest of my estate Remaining (after the Charges aforesaid are defrayed) in the hands of my two sons Paletiah mason and Benja: Mason and eight pounds due to me from the estate of my Son Noah Mason Deceased & six pounds from my son Paletiah Mason I commit unto the law & ordering of my two sons viz. Smauel Mason and Joseph Mason for the support of my son Samson Mason as he may stand in need & want and as they in their Discresion shall find proper as the s'd estate may hold out for his Supply:

And I ordain Constitute & make my Beloved son in Law Ephraim Wheaton my Executor of this my Last will and Testament & I do hereby utterly Disallow Revoke and Disanull all & every other former Testaments wills Executors by me in any way before made; Rattifying & confirming this to be my last will & Testament in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Sal the day & year avove written.

Signed, sealed & delivered inthe presence of
Samuel Bullock Mary Mason [Seal]
John Wheaton
Samuel Whitaker
Probated Dec. 6, 1714.

An Inventory of the estate of the widow Mary Mason late of Rehoboth in the County of Bristol; Deceased - 1714.
L. s. d.,
In wearing Cloathes Beding & household goods........... 08-01-6
Two Oxen............................................................. .... 09-00-0
Five Cowes............................................................ ... 12-10-0
one Calfe 12 shil...........in money 20 shil.................. 01-12-0
This is a true Inventory of ye Estate of mrs. Mary Mason lately deceased Widow, taken by ye subscribers october 1714 in Rehoboth in ye year 1714.
francis Wilson
James Wheeler.
Files Dec. 27, 1714 (Bristol County, Mass. Wills. Vol. 3, p. 206)

Henry Butterworth
Ancestry of Colonel John Harrington Stevens and his wife Frances Helen Miller by Mary Lovering Holman, F A S G 1948[p. 254 ff]

Henry BUTTERWORTH, probably born in England, about 1598, died in Weymouth, between 1636 and 1641, and probably in 1636. He married, probably in England, about 1620, Mary ______, born in 1600, who died, probably in Newport, R.I., 26 Jan 1687. She married, secondly, between 28 Jan. and 28 Feb. 1640-41, THOMAS CLIFTON, born probably in England, in 1606, died, probably in Newport, 7 July 1681.

There is a scarcitry of record in regard to this Butterworth family. The deposition of Samuel Butterworth (vie post) shows that he lived in Weymouth with his "brother," "unnamed", but whose name is assumed to be John, probably because of the known items about John Butterworth, nephew of Samuel. But no John Buterworth appears in the early records of Weymough and one, Henry Buterworth, does so appear, hence the conclusion must be that Henry Butterworth was the "Brother" of Samuel. Later, in his deposition, Samuel mentions his "brother and sister", no names being given them, stating that they enjoyed the land until all removed to Seaconke. A careful study of this deposition forces the conclusion that the "Sister" was the widow of Samuel's brother, Henry, and who was later the wife of her second husband, Thomas Clifton.

In the belief of the day, Mary (____) Butterworth would be Samuel's "sister". [This was so because of the sacrament of marriage which made the two one flesh and all the relatives on either side the same relationship with the conjugal partner. Death did not dissolve these ties so when Samuel's "sister", Mary, widow of Henry, m. Clifton, he in turn became "brother" to Samuel Butterworth.] And it seems evident that Samuel and Henry had no real sister with them.

In the Proprietors' Records, as quoted in the History of Weymouth, p. 187, is a list of those people who were earlier granted land in "The great lots named in the old town book and formerly granted to be laid out on the East side of Fresh Pond..." In this list, "widow Butterworth", had been given fourteen acres and Samuel Butterworth sixteen acres, but Thomas Clifton does not appear receiving any land. Later, a list of land belonging to each of the residents shows that the land of the latter consisted of "six acres in the west field, fower acres first granted to mr Robert jeffrie and two acres first granted to William Hues... Tow acres in Harrisses Rainge first given to Samuel Butterworth bounded... on the north with the land of Jacob ffrench on the south with William Carpenter...Ó It seems apparent that Thomas Clifton obtained his two acres of the land granted to Robert Jeffries, by marriage with the widow of Henry Butterworth which Samuel Butterworth stated (vide post) was six acres and which was evidently owned by Samuel and Henry. There are no grants of land to the children of Henry Butterworth, in Weymouth, but they were minors when the grants were made. In 1644, Samuel Butterworth and Thomas Clifton were among those inhabitants of Weymouth who accompanied the Rev. Mr. Newman to what was later called Rehoboth. At the time of her marriage to Thmas Clifton, Mary Butterworth was aged forty and in a community where women were so scarce it is extremely doubtful if she would have remained unmarried for as long as nine years.

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