Richard Seymour
Richard was born on January 27th, 1604 in
Berry, Pomery, Devonshire, England.
- Birth Notes
- b. at Three Mile Pond Farm built in the 17th Century
He died at the age of 51 on November 25th, 1655 in
Norwalk, Fairfield, CT.
- Death Notes
- Richard Seymour1st. executed his will July 29, 1655, and died within the next three months. He had appointed his wife and his “faithful friend” Richard Olmsted administrators, leaving everything to his aforementioned children, and commissioning his wife to take charge of the estates of the three younger boys “until such time as they shall be fit to receive and dispose of” the same. Mrs. Steele sought the welfare of her Seymour offspring, as did also her second husband. On Oct. 13,1) 1668, thirteen years after the decease of Mr. Seymour and four years after that of Mr. Steele, the three lads, now arrived at majority, were paid the “full and just” amount due them, and acknowledged before Samuel Steele and their brother Thomas that they were “fully satisfied.” From the first [John] of this trio of youths, bereft at an age when they most needed it, of a father's counsel, but still judiciously cared for, have descended well-known New England and New York families.
The mutilated first volume of Fairfield Probate Records (page 6) contains the recorded copy of Richard Seymour's will; the original is not in the files. We have no autograph of Richard Seymour and hence we do not know his own spelling of his name. The surname is diversely spelled in various records pertaining to him and his sons, but in those days spelling was largely phonetic and hence the spelling employed by the early scribes is not significant. By the time of his grandsons, the standard spelling of the name seems to have been generally accepted.
[The will of Richar]d Semer (1655)
[ ] being very week & sike [ ] gods pon[?]
mercy in [ ] doe leve this as my [ ] doe first
will and [ ] dust of w<sup>eh</sup> it was [//made //and my soul into the]
hands of God that gave it [and I doe will and] bequeath unto my Loving wife
Mercy [Seamor] my whole Estate: viz: my house & Lands Cattle and [all]
my moveables: Except that it is my Will that [my] Eldest sonn Thomas should
have two steeres [ ] year old and upward and my best cartt:
thease [to] receive soen after my decease:
It is alsoe my will that my other three sons John & Zachary [and] Richard
receive out of this Totall estate the sum of forty pounds each of them viz:
fourty pounds to John and fourty pounds to Zachary and forty pounds to
Richard: duly and faythiully to be payd to them severally at the age of twenty-
one years: Unles the Executo<sup>rs</sup> of this my Will shall see cause to doe it soener:
It is alsoe my Will that my loving wife should have the dispose of my three
sons John Zachary & Richard untill such time as they shall be fit to receive and
dispose of ther Estate: It is alsoe my will and apoyntment that my loving Wife
Mercy: togather with my faythfull freind Richard Olmsted be the sole Executo<sup>rs</sup>
and Administrato<sup>rs</sup> of this my Last Will and Testament the aforesaid Legasies
and all Lawfull debts and demands duly discharged by my loving wife Mercy:
It is my will that shee posses and enioy all the rest of my Estate. to this my
will and Testament I have set to my hand this 29th July 1655:
In the presence of us
Thomas Handford the marke of Richard //f// Seamer
Jno Rescoe
25 octobar 1655
The Court haveing examined the will of Richard Seamor they doe approve
therof
William Hill: Secretary
The top section of the inventory also has suffered and is partly illegible.
Anno Dom[ini]
1655
Octobr 10[th]
Imprim[is]
[— —]
[— —]
In w[earing apparel] [08-05-00]
In Chest[s, wooden ware and] other mov[eables] [06-05-00]
In Iron Tools and nayles [03-02-00]
In hempe and flaxe [02-10-00]
In butter and cheese [02-10-00]
In a Cart plowe & dr[ag]get tackling [05]-03-00
In Corn [16-02-00]
In hay [08-00-00]
In oxen [33-00-00]
In Cowes and Calves [35-00-00]
In steeres and heifers [21-00-00]
In a mare and fole & a yong hors [28-00-00]
In sort hoggs [17-00-00]
In smaller hoggs and Piggs [20-05-00]
In debts [11-00-00]
In bookes [01-00-00]
In armes and ammunition [03-02-00]
—-
Totall [255-09-00]
Apprised by us Mathew Campfeild Richard Olmsteed 25 Octobr 1655 William Hill Secretary
The Court haveing examined this Inventory of Richard Seamors they doe approve therof.
The receipt of the three younger sons reads as follows [Fairfield Probate Records, vol. 2, p. 33] :
Octobr 30: 1668 Received by vs John Semer Zackery Semer Richard Semer of Mr John Steele deceased the full and Just sum of sixscore pounds sterling: that is to say forty pounds each of vs vpon the Aco of ye legasies due to vs by the last will of or Honored father Richard Semer deceased and we doe acknowledg that it is a full and compleat acomplishment of ye aforesaid will Respecting our selues and doe by these presents fully wholy compleatly acquit and discharge ye aforsaid Steele and alsoe ye Executor and ye Executrix of ye estate of ye aforesaid Semer all and every of them ther heirs Executors Administrators and assignes from any or all demands from or by our selues our heirs Executors Administrators & assignes respecting the premises or from any person from by or vnder vs aknowlidging that we are fully satisiyed as aforesaid and doe by these prsents wholly discharge ye aforesaid persons respecting ye prmises - as witnes or hands
Witnes hearof Zackery Semer
Samuell Steele Richard Semer
Tho: Semer John Semer
This is a True Coppy acording to ye origenall Transcribed p me Willm Hill Clarke
That the four sons of Richard Seymour made a place for themselves in their respective communities, may be gauged by the fact that their combined inventories at death amounted to well over ?2,000, which of course makes no allowance for property bestowed on the children of some of them before they died.
Robert Seymour & Elizabeth Waller 
Elizabeth Waller