The Life Of George Holcomb – Brother Beriah “Much Dissatisfied”

Friday, April 6, 1824: This morning brother Beriah returned and his brother Ancil Mansow and we came to agreement that we would leave it to three indifferent impartial men to judge what the value of our father’s farm was worth and brother Wm and myself would take it and pay out to the rest of the heirs as the will directs, and all the rest of the heirs have agreed to what brother Beriah would agree on. We choose Squ John King of New Lebanon for the third man and brother Beriah choose Abil Right of New Lebanon for his man, and we choose Adam Brown of Stephentown for our man and brother Sylvester and sister Eleanor agrees to the same. We agreed to meet tomorrow at nine in the morning to our house to transact the business as is bcfore agreed on. I went and notified said Adam Brown to come to our house tomorrow. This evening I walked over to Adam Brown’s to show him some writings to let him know that father had divided his property equal among his children to make out the bequest as they stand at different sums, in his will.
Saturday: On this day the beforementioned men met to our house. Squire King drew a bond of five hundred dollars for five of us to agree by or abide by these before-mentioned men’s appraisal and the damage of our Mother’s thirds and sister Eleanor’s incombrance. We bound ourselves as follows: Beriah Holcomb, Sylvester Holcomb, Eleanor Holcomb, George Holcomb, & William Holcomb. Then these men viewed the farm that our father had left us and then they took all things under consideration and appraised the farm of sixty acres at 36 dol per acre, and then deducted three hundred dollars for our mother’s life expense and then deducted one hundred dollars for Eleanor’s incombrance and the debts, doctor’s bill, funeral charges, last sickness, and some expenses to the surrogate. We calculate at fifty dollars and then to pay off the legacies as the will directs, which is eleven hundred and two dol, leaving a balance of six hundred eight dollars for the four sons to have two elevenths and the three daughters one eleventh, which is one hundred and ten dollars and fifty four cents for brother Beriah’s share and then he and Wm and myself come under agreement. Wm and I agreed to pay him one quarter cash in hand, and the remainder, which was eighty two dollars and ninety one cents, payable in three years from this date without interest. Brother Beriah gives Wm and myself a warrantee deed on all claims of whatever name or nature from the real or personal estate of our father Beriah Holcomb deceased, and for brother Beriah hands over a deed sealed, signed, and witnessed by Hosey Moffett and John Wylie to Brother Wm and myself, and then we paid him his cash, 27 dol and sixty three cents, deducting out the two dollars that he borrowed of me last fall, and then we handed over the beforementioned note of eighty-two dollars and ninety one cents to him. I now paid up the three appraisers, Sq John King two dollars and Abil Right and Adam Brown one dollar each, and brother Beriah paid one dollar and thirty two cents to me of the expenses and then he returned from here very much dissatisfied with the share that he is entitled to. He came today with Hosey Moffett and his brother Ancil Manrow and fetched them along for council. We spent the whole day.