Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES. 17
DR. JAME& HERSEY.
Dr. James Hersey died intestate. The account of his estate
and the settlement thereof on the probate records, is entered very
minutely. The inventory taken September 28, 1741, by Joseph
Lothrop, Ebenezer Lewis and Robert Davis, is very particular.
The furniture in each room is apprised by itself. It is evident
from this document and the division of the estate, that he owned
and resided in the old Dimmock fortification house. At the time
he occupied it, there was a leanto on the rear or north side.
The following are taken from the inventory :
Bed with the furniture belonging thereto, in the Great Room,
or parlor, at the southeast corner, on the lower floor, £29,10,0
Bed and its furniture in the Great or Front Chamber, 39,00,0
Bed in the Leanto Chamber, 15,00,0
Bed in the Leanto, 20,00,0
Bed, small and trundle, 1,10,0
£10.5,00,0
He had a looking-glass in the great and in his bed-room, both
valued at £8,00,0, and one in his great chamber valued at £2,10.
He had 23 oz. of silver plate valued at £34, showing that the
price of silver was then 3,75, a much higher price than it has
reached during the present war. His house was well furnished,
and it appears that he lived in good style for those times. He
had four horses and a colt valued at from 10 to £15 each ; a pair
of oxen £23 ; 3 cows and a steer. If these figures are called dollars
instead of pounds, it would represent the value in gold or
silver money. Indian corn is apprised at 10 shillings a bushel,
equal to 45 or 50 cents in coin ; rye at 12 shillings, peas at 20
shillings, and potatoes at six shillings currency. I do not recollect
of seeing potatoes named in the records at an earlier date.
They were not cultivated by the first settlers, but the precise
period of their introduction I am unable to give.
He had £177,47 due him on notes, and a large amount on
book account of uncertain value.
prised at £46,17.
His medicines on hand were ap-
His real estate in Hingham in the County of Suffolk, was apprised
at
£476,09,0
In tlie County of Barnstable, 1540,00,0
£2,015,00,0
From his personal estate there was realized, £1345,6,3
Debts and expenses of settling, 1,487,19,8
leaving the net value of his estate less than £2,000, estimated in
a depreciated currency, in reality only 2000 dollars in silver
money.
His real estate consisted of that part of the ancient Dim-