Sarah Rand was born Jan. 5, 1826, in Charlestown, Massachusetts, daughter of Absalom and Sarah (Gill) Rand. On Nov. 1, 1860, at age thirty-four, she became the fourth wife of Timothy Weston Boyt, a butcher by trade, and a resident of West Brookfield. She gave her Last Will and Testament in front of witnesses on August 14, 1861. It reads in part:
"In the name of God, Amen. I, Sarah Boyt, wife of Timothy W. Boyt, of West Brookfield, in County of Worcester, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, being in good health of body and sound and disposing mind and memory, and being desirous of settling my worldly affairs whilst I have strength and capacity, do hereby make and publish this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all former wills by me at any time heretofore made."
"First - I hereby constitute and appoint said Timothy W. Boyt, (my husband) to be sole executor of this my last will."
"Second - I give devise and bequeath to my said husband, Timothy W. Boyt, the use, income, and improvement of the following described real-estate situate in the village of said West Brookfield ......" [property description] ..... "as long as my said husband shall live: and in case I have children of my body living upon the decease of my said Husband, then I give, devise and bequeath all the rest, residue and remainder of said real-estate (after the said life estate of my said husband) to such children in equal shares and proportions, and so to their respective heirs and assigns forever; but in case there shall be no children of my body living at the decease of my said husband, then I give devise and bequeath, said rest, residue and remainder to the heirs of my said husband Timothy W. Boyt forever. I intentionally omit, in this my last will, to dispose of any property, I may have, not herein named, or specified or to provide for any person or persons not herein named."
"In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, and do publish and declare this to be my last will and testament, contained in one sheet of paper, in the presence of the witnesses named below, this fourteenth day of August in the year of our Lord, one thousand, eight hundred and sixty one."
"Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said Sarah Boyt as and for her last will and testament in the presence of us who in her presence and at her request and in presence of each other, have inscribed our names as witnesses hereto - Sarah Boyt"
Francis D. Holt X
Silas D. Cooke
Adam Howe
Sarah died in West Brookfield on Sept. 15, 1861, just one month after her will was signed. The cause of her death was recorded as, "childbirth." No other record of this Boyt childbirth, stillbirth, or death was found in Massachusetts vital records.
Sources -"Massachusetts, Worcester County, Probate Files, 1731-1881," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-37784-13915-95?cc=2102083&wc=M9HT-M61:n1703662265 : accessed 18 Feb 2014), Worcester > Case no 6750-6832, Boylston, Ward N-Braybrook, Hepzibah, 1731-1881 > image 1113 and 1114 of 1161.
Massachusetts Vital Records, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors.org
Massachusetts, Worcester County, Land Records, Masslandrecords.org, Deed Book 641, pp. 381 and 382
"In the name of God, Amen. I, Sarah Boyt, wife of Timothy W. Boyt, of West Brookfield, in County of Worcester, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, being in good health of body and sound and disposing mind and memory, and being desirous of settling my worldly affairs whilst I have strength and capacity, do hereby make and publish this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all former wills by me at any time heretofore made."
"First - I hereby constitute and appoint said Timothy W. Boyt, (my husband) to be sole executor of this my last will."
"Second - I give devise and bequeath to my said husband, Timothy W. Boyt, the use, income, and improvement of the following described real-estate situate in the village of said West Brookfield ......" [property description] ..... "as long as my said husband shall live: and in case I have children of my body living upon the decease of my said Husband, then I give, devise and bequeath all the rest, residue and remainder of said real-estate (after the said life estate of my said husband) to such children in equal shares and proportions, and so to their respective heirs and assigns forever; but in case there shall be no children of my body living at the decease of my said husband, then I give devise and bequeath, said rest, residue and remainder to the heirs of my said husband Timothy W. Boyt forever. I intentionally omit, in this my last will, to dispose of any property, I may have, not herein named, or specified or to provide for any person or persons not herein named."
"In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, and do publish and declare this to be my last will and testament, contained in one sheet of paper, in the presence of the witnesses named below, this fourteenth day of August in the year of our Lord, one thousand, eight hundred and sixty one."
"Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said Sarah Boyt as and for her last will and testament in the presence of us who in her presence and at her request and in presence of each other, have inscribed our names as witnesses hereto - Sarah Boyt"
Francis D. Holt X
Silas D. Cooke
Adam Howe
Sarah died in West Brookfield on Sept. 15, 1861, just one month after her will was signed. The cause of her death was recorded as, "childbirth." No other record of this Boyt childbirth, stillbirth, or death was found in Massachusetts vital records.
Sources -"Massachusetts, Worcester County, Probate Files, 1731-1881," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-37784-13915-95?cc=2102083&wc=M9HT-M61:n1703662265 : accessed 18 Feb 2014), Worcester > Case no 6750-6832, Boylston, Ward N-Braybrook, Hepzibah, 1731-1881 > image 1113 and 1114 of 1161.
Massachusetts Vital Records, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors.org
Massachusetts, Worcester County, Land Records, Masslandrecords.org, Deed Book 641, pp. 381 and 382
