bounded by a high way East & West, & Joseph Roots Land Northerlie, & Sam" Wrights Land Southerlie; five acres of grss Ld in middle meadow bounded by Ld of Sam" Bartletts Southerlie, & John Stebbins Land Northerly, high way west, & ye River East; Eight acres & a halfe of Land bounded by Land of John Holtons Northerlie, & Land of Sam11 Parsons Southerlie, a high way East & West, all wch is vallued at £30.

To Sam" Parsons 3d Son to the deceased a homelot Cituate within sayd Township of Northampton, by estimation four acres, Bounded by a high way Westerlie, Easterlie by ye Comons, by a homelot of John Parsons Southerlie, & by a homelot of John Alexander Northerlie; Eight acres of Land in ye meadow, Bounded by ye Town fence Westerlie, a high way East, by Land of John Bridgemans Southerlie & Ld of John Parsons North; three acres of Land in old Rain bow, Bounded by Wm Millers land Southerlie, & Ld of Sam" Allins Northerlie, by a high way West & ye River East; two acres & a halfe in young Rain bow, Bounded by Ld of John Hannums South, & Wm Millers Land Northerlie, by a high way West & East; five acres of Land yt was formerly Walter Lees Land, Bounded by Land of Isaack Sheldings Northerlie, & Land of Richard Lymans Southerlie, & by a high way West & East; One acre of Land in ye meadow Commonly called Munhann, Bought of Capt Cook; three acres & a halfe of Ld Bounded East & West by ye high wayes, & by Ld of Widdow Goodmans Southerlie, & ye Remayndr of så deceaseds Lot Northerlie, all vallued at £130 10s, & in moveable Estate wch he hath already Recd £29 10s.

To Jonathan Parsons 4th Son to ye deceased a homelot Cituate in the Township of Northampton, Conteineing two acres, bounded by a high way Easterly, ye Comons Northerlie, & South by John Parsons homelot, & by a homelot of Sam11 Parsons West, And Nineteene acres of meadow Land of Wm Millers East, & Land of Mathew Cleasons West, And four acres of meadow in Munhann formerly Bought of Goodman Hantchet, Bounded by ye River Easterlie, & Ld of Timothy Bakers Westerlie, & John Clarkes Land Northerlie & Land of Alexander Edwards Southerlie, all vallued at $125, & in moveable Estate wch he hath already Reced to ye full vallue of £35.

As alsoe to ye Widdow Mary Parsons, Relict to yo deceased all ye Remaynder of her husbands Estae, both real & personall, wherever it is to be found, Either in Springfield, Northampton, Boston, Wesuakeage (Northfield), or Elcewhere, with all the privileges & appurtenances, Reversion or Reversions, to be at her free & absolute dispose, with this proviso, If she see Cause to make sale of any of ye Lots, now at her dispose, then ye Sons of sd Joseph Parsons Senr shall have ye libertie before any other to purchase ye sd Lands, agreeing with yer mother, & not to be alienated to any other person or persons wtsoever till sd Sons all of ym refuse to purchase sd Lands; as alsoe sd Widdow Mary Parsons Relict to ye deceased aforementioned, to pay or Cause to be payd all debts due from ye Estate, & to the sayd Joseph Parsons four Daughters One hundred Pounds apeice, to Mary Parsons One hundred Pounds, to Hannah Parsons One hundred Pounds, to Abigaile Parsons One hundred Pounds, to Easter Parsons One hundred Pounds, to be payd to ym & Either of ym in good Current pay & other goods out of ye Estate, & at such tymes as the sd Mary Parsons Widdow, can Conveniently doe it, To all wch as ye joynt agreement & Conclusion of ye Widdow & her childred as to a Setlment of said Estate, & an Issue of all further trouble, disatisfactions & disturbances as to any Rights, Titles, Claimes, any wayes Contrary or in Obstruction or Ejection of ye aforsd p'mises, but they may stand & abide as a full Setlement of sd Estate, & alsoe agree to p'sent ye premises as proposalls to ye Countie Corte for their approbation & Confirmation, if they judge meete & Convenient Soe to doe, to wch as our joynt agreement we sd Relict & Sirvivers have Subscribed this 5th day of January 1683 (new style 1684) as Witness our hands.

Abigaile Parsons
Easter Parsons

Allowed & Confirmed as a Setlmt of Cornet Joseph Parsons Sen's Estate ye above sayd, as attests at Corte this Mch 25,

1684.

S. Partrigg, Clerke.

The death of Timothy Cooper brought a crisis in the financial affairs of the Cooper family, and the next year after the homestead was sold to Joseph Parsons, the widow of Timothy released her right of dower to Pynchon. The mother of Timothy, who married Lieut. William Clarke, of Northampton, set up a claim for her third interest in the estate, and the administrators of Joseph's estate brought a suit against Pynchon for recovery. A County Court was held at Springfield September 29, 1685. The judges were John Pynchon and Peter Tilton. What occurred in that Court is taken from the records of the clerk:

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'Major John Pynchon, Esq in open Corte, ye Widdow Parsons being present sayd to her, the sd Widdow, that when he sold her husband Cornet Joseph Parsons the Land & house that Sometimes was Timothy Coopers Once of Springfield, the sd Major Pynchon told sd Parsons that he did not nor could not, nor would not Sell Goodwife Coopers thirds, ye Relict of Timothy Cooper her thirds, but Expressly Excepted it in Soe many words & sd that he would have it mentioned in the deed that he sold not widdow Coopers thirds & that Joseph Parsons Replyed & said you need not mention the Exception of thirds, Soe it be not expressed they are sold, because the law gives the Woman her thirds, & soe Major Pynchon Considering what hee sayd did not put the exception into the deed.

The clerk of this Corte being at Major Pynchons house when Cornet Parsons was upon purchase of the premises sayes that he Remembers their discourse about giveing a Sum of Money for the freedom of the thirds aforesd.

Moreover, the sayd Major Pynchon declared in Corte that after he had given the sayd Joseph Parsons the deed, he sayd Parsons desired ye said Major to buy out the sd Widdow Coopers 3ds, & what ever he gave for it costs he would repay it to sd Major Pynchon & further yt sd Parsons offered sd Major Pynchon £20 to Cleare the 3ds which he refused, not knowing but it might Cost more, & further Major Pynchon sayd yt Timothy Coopers Widdow being in Trouble Respecting her husbands great debts to sd Major Pynchon that he gave her a discharge of her husbands debt to him upon ye

account of Joseph Parsons his Earnest desire that Major Pynchon would procure his freedom, intanglements Respecting thirds, & because sd Joseph Parsons had offered him £20 for it, but he demanded more & expected £25 in money, & told Widdow Parsons in open Corte that he would take his tyme to Sue for it, or Recover it if she did not Comply with him, & desired this to be recorded."

At the County Court, held at Northampton, the next session, March 30, 1686, there was further consideration of this suit, as appears by the records:

"The administrators to ye Estate of Cornet Joseph Parsons deceased, viz: Mary Parsons, the Widdow, Joseph Parsons & John Parsons, administrators aforesaid, Plaintiffe, & Major Pynchon Esq defendant, in an action of the case for the neglect of securing & defending sd administrators Right to Certain lands in Springfield according to a deed under his hand & Seale, In which sd administrators are Molested by a Writt of doweye to ye Relict of Lt. Thomas Cooper, alias Mrs. Clark, & all according to attachments. Entry Money 10 shillings.

"In the action depending in Corte Between Widow Parsons, Joseph Parsons and John Parsons, Pits, & Major John Pynchon Esqr defendant, the Testimoneys & Evidences in the case being produced & read in Corte & Comitted to the jury they brought in their verdict that they find for ye defendant Costs of Corte as Pr bill allowed of in Corte, 17 shillings."

This left Widow Mary Parsons without redress, although Pynchon in the deed had promised "to save Joseph Parsons harmless from all manner of claim."

CHILDREN OF CORNET JOSEPH PARSONS.

Births of these not on Springfield Records:

Joseph, b. 1647; m. Elizabeth Strong of Northampton.
Benjamin, died in Springfield, June 22, 1649.

John, died young.

Born in Springfield.

John, b. Aug. 14, 1650; m. Sarah Clark daughter of Lt. William Clark of Northampton.

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Samuel, b. January 16, 1652. Went to Durham, Ct. Born in Northampton.

Ebenezer, b. May 1, 1655. First on the list of Northampton births. Killed by Indians at Northfield, Sept. 2, 1675. Jonathan, b. June 6, 1657; m. Mary Clark of Northampton, daughter of Nathaniel Clark, April 5, 1682; Benjamin Hastings about 1697. See Savage.

David, b. April 30, 1659; died young.

Mary, b. June 27, 1661; m. first Joseph Ashley; second Joseph Williston.

Hannah, b. August 1, 1663; m. Pelatiah Glover, Jr., son of Rev. Pelatiah Glover.

Abigail, b. Sept. 3, 1666; m. John Colton.

Esther, b. Dec. 24, 1672; m. Rev. Joseph Smith.

Mary, Hannah, Abigail and Esther were married in Springfield.

Joseph's son Joseph had four sons,-Ebenezer, Daniel, Moses & David, who married Springfield women, but only Daniel stayed here.

The records of births, marriages and deaths in Springfield were kept by Henry Smith from the beginning of the settlement up to 1649, when Henry Burt, by virtue of his office as Clerk of the Writs, began to make the entries, and he continued to do so up to his death in 1662. The record of the death of Benjamin, and the birth of John and Samuel, is in his handwriting. The Hartford records were very poorly kept at the beginning of the settlement there. The birth, marriage and death record is very incomplete; greatly in contrast with what was done in Springfield. In fact, the Springfield records of the general transactions of the town are much fuller and more systematic than those of Hartford or of many of the other towns,