Susan Dodge Adams
Susan Dodge Adams (died 1878) was a Charlestown woman, the widow of Amos Adams, who kept the family farm on the road from Billerica to Concord after her husband's death in 1840, built the farmhouse that still stands at 294 Concord Road, the Adams-Stoker House, and sold off the land around it for the houses of her neighbors. Her sister Mary D. was the wife of Dr. Eben Boyden of Bedford, and another sister, Minerva Esther, was the wife of Captain Charles A. Ranlett.
She and Amos Adams came from Charlestown in the 1830s to the farm of about 186 acres he bought from Dr. Joseph F. Hill in 1831. He died without a will in September 1840, leaving her with young children and debts. She declined to administer the estate, but at the administrator's auction of April 12, 1841 she bought back the equity of redemption in the farm for $220, and that July she paid off the town's loan on it.
Over the next years she sold pieces of the farm. On August 17, 1847 Captain Ranlett, then a master mariner of Charlestown, paid her $1,500 for all her land on the west side of the road north of the lane "nearly opposite to my dwelling house"; she witnessed the 1850 contract for his new house there, the Captain Charles A. Ranlett House. In September 1850 she sold the blacksmith John Dane a house lot of 166 square rods on the road for $100, and in 1855 two and a quarter acres behind it, where his house, later the Colonel Charles A. Ranlett House, was built. About 1850 she took down the old Hill farmhouse and built the present house on its site.
Her daughter Susan Mary died of consumption in 1848, aged seventeen. Her daughter Esther married Aleck Stowell, a Boston jeweller, and her son, Edward A. Adams, one of the first pupils of the Howe School, died of wounds received near Petersburg in June 1864.
In May 1866, under an antenuptial contract that let her sell her property without her husband's signature, she married John C. Hamilton. On December 3, 1867 she sold the east side of the farm, fifty acres "with the buildings thereon", to her sister Mary D. Boyden for $2,500. In September 1870 she bought for $2,500 a two-acre lot with "a dwelling house of two tenements" on the road to Bedford, taking over a mortgage of $1,500. She died on March 20, 1878. Her will, proved on April 23, 1878, left that house to her grandson, Eugene A. Stowell.
References
Title References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Property | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 20, 1831 | Mortgage | Amos Adams of Charlestown, yeoman, and Susan Adams his wife (dower) | Joseph F. Hill of Cambridge, physician | released dower | Adams, Susan Dodge - Stoker, Ralph House | 307/374 (South) |
Billerica town book 16, pages 22-23. Mortgage back of "a farm situate in said Billerica containing about one hundred and eighty six acres more or less, and is the same which the said Hill has this day conveyed to me," to secure $2,000 payable $500 in six months, $500 in a year and $1,000 in two years. Dated Sept. 13, 1831; recorded Sept. 20, 1831. Margin: assigned to G. Howe "and by him discharged Book 524 Page 407 & 8."
Related:
|
||||||
| January 10, 1838 | Mortgage | Amos Adams of Billerica, yeoman | John Baldwin Esq., Treasurer of the Town of Billerica | paid the note, 1841 | Adams, Susan Dodge - Stoker, Ralph House | 369/204 (South) |
Billerica town book 15, pages 564-566. For $500 lent by the town, Amos Adams, now "of Billerica," mortgaged the lot of "fifty acres more or less with a dwelling house and other buildings thereon" east of the road to Concord and the 136-acre lot west of it, "being the same conveyed to me by Joseph F. Hill by his deed dated September 13th A.D. 1831 ... Book 307 page 372," to secure a note payable in one year. Dated Jan. 6, 1838; recorded Jan. 10, 1838. Discharged July 12, 1841 by John Baldwin on "payment of the note" by "Susan Adams Widow of the within named Amos Adams." This is the town loan behind the $1,073 encumbrance named in the 1841 administrator's deed.
Related:
|
||||||
| October 13, 1840 | Administration | Estate of Amos Adams of Billerica, yeoman, intestate | Leonard Thompson of Woburn, administrator; Susan Dodge Adams, widow | widow; declined administration | Adams, Susan Dodge - Stoker, Ralph House | Probate #26095 |
Amos Adams died intestate in 1840, "leaving a widow and several children all minors." His widow Susan declined on Oct. 10, 1840 and Leonard Thompson Esq. of Woburn was appointed administrator on Oct. 13. The inventory of Nov. 4, 1840 (Charles Carter, John Baldwin, John Gregory) begins with "The homestead of said deceased situate in said Billerica containing by estimation one hundred & seventy acres with the buildings on the same," $2,300, and lists a house and store in Charlestown, two Cambridge house lots and the Clapp place in Woburn; the furniture is listed room by room in the old house (north room, north east room, south east and south west chambers, south east and south west lower rooms). On Feb. 16, 1841 the court licensed the administrator to sell real estate to raise $6,409.94 for debts, with Susan Adams consenting; she also petitioned for dower.
Title from:
|
||||||
| 1841 | Administrator's Deed | Leonard Thompson of Woburn, administrator of the estate of Amos Adams | Susan Dodge Adams of Billerica, widow of Amos Adams | Details | Adams, Susan Dodge - Stoker, Ralph House Colonel Charles A. Ranlett House |
402/564 (South) |
Billerica town book 17, pages 111-113. Under the probate license of Feb. 1841 the administrator sold at public auction on April 12, 1841 "all the right in equity of redeeming" the farm to "Susan Adams of said Billerica widow of Amos Adams aforesaid for the sum of two hundred & twenty dollars she being the highest bidder." The land was under mortgage to Joseph F. Hill and the town of Billerica "as surety for two notes" amounting to $1,073; it comprised the lot "of fifty acres more or less with the buildings thereon" east of the road to Concord and the 136-acre lot west of it, "Being the same tract of land conveyed by Joseph F. Hill to the deceased by deed bearing date Sept. 13, 1831 ... Book 307, Pages 372 & 373." Dated April 20, 1841.
Title from:
Title passed to:
Related:
|
||||||
| August 17, 1847 | Warranty Deed | Susan Adams of Billerica, widow | Captain Charles A. Ranlett of Charlestown, master mariner | Details | Captain Charles A. Ranlett House 285 Concord Rd |
516/269 (South) |
Billerica town book 18, pages 373-375. Dated Aug. 17, 1847. For $1500, land "situated on the westerly side of the road leading from Bedford to Billerica Village & is part of the farm on which I the said Susan now reside", from the corner of the walls at the road and "the Lane which leads westerly from said road nearly opposite to my dwelling house", north on the road to James F. Marshall, west by Marshall to Dr. Joseph F. Hill, south by Hill to the lane and east by the lane: "all the land which I the said Susan own" north of the lane and west of the road, with a right of way over the lane. No buildings named.
Title passed to:
|
||||||
| October 4, 1850 | Building Agreement | Nathaniel C. Cutler, housewright | Captain Charles A. Ranlett of Charlestown | Details | Captain Charles A. Ranlett House | 596/110 (South) |
Billerica town book 18, pages 477-479. Dated Sept. 21, 1850. Cutler agrees "to build a dwelling house for the said Charles A. in the Town of Billerica on land which he lately purchased of the widow of Amos Adams": a main body 24 by 32 feet with 20-foot posts, an ell 28 by 16 feet, "a Piazza on one side of the main or front part", 28 windows, fireplaces in all the rooms and mahogany hand rails, "of modern style". Ranlett was to have the foundation ready by mid-October and pay $2000 in stages. Witness Susan Adams.
Title from:
|
||||||
| January 8, 1851 | Warranty Deed | Susan Dodge Adams of Billerica, widow | John Dane of Billerica, blacksmith | Details | Colonel Charles A. Ranlett House | 599/201 (South) |
Dated Sept. 4, 1850 (Billerica town book 18, pages 510-511). For $100, a lot beginning at a stake and stones on the road (the road from Billerica to Bedford, now Concord Road), running S 5 30 E 11.12 rods along the road to land of William Whitford, S 79 W on Whitford 15.08 rods to a wall, N 2 15 E 12.64 rods by the wall, and N 84 30 E 13.24 rods "on land of the grantor" back to the road: "One hundred and sixty six square rods, being a part of the same premises conveyed to me by Leonard Thompson Esq. Administrator of the Estate of Amos Adams deceased" in 1841. A bare house lot cut from the west side of the Adams farm, opposite her own house; no buildings are named.
Title from:
Title passed to:
|
||||||
| April 30, 1858 | Warranty Deed | Susan Dodge Adams of Billerica, widow | John Dane of Billerica, machinist | Details | Colonel Charles A. Ranlett House | 14/306 |
Dated June 6, 1855, recorded April 30, 1858 (pages 306-307). For $50, "a certain tract or parcel of land situate in the Southwesterly part of said Billerica", beginning at the northwesterly corner "at the corner of land now owned by said Dane", south by Dane 12 1/2 rods to land of William Whitford, west by Whitford 25 1/2 rods to "my own land", north 16 rods and east 24 1/2 rods by the grantor's land: "two and one quarter acres more or less". The land behind the 1850 house lot, bringing the homestead to about three and a half acres.
Title from:
Title passed to:
|
||||||
| January 27, 1872 | Warranty Deed | Susan Dodge Adams of Billerica (formerly Susan Adams), wife of John C. Hamilton | Mary D. Boyden of Bedford, wife of Dr. Eben Boyden | Details | Adams, Susan Dodge - Stoker, Ralph House | 84/257 |
For $2,500, "the East side of my farm, with the buildings thereon: all the land East of the road, containing fifty acres more or less," beginning at the southwest corner by the road from Billerica to Concord "at the land of Wm. Whitford (now owned by Thomas Lyon)," east to Seth Crosby, north to Harvey Crosby, west by Harvey Crosby and Jonathan Hill to Joseph F. Hill and by Hill to the road. "Reference to Deed conveyed by Leonard Thompson of Woburn Administrator of the estate of Amos Adams ... Book 402, Page 564." Under an antenuptial contract of May 1866 she could sell without her husband's signature. Dated Dec. 3, 1867; recorded Jan. 27, 1872. The grantee was her sister.
Title from:
Title passed to:
|
||||||
| October 11, 1870 | Warranty Deed | Emery E. Hill of Scranton, Luzerne County, Pa. | Susan Hamilton (Susan Dodge Adams Hamilton) of Billerica | Details | Elijah Bacon Hill Central House | 75/538 |
For $2,500, "a certain tract of land with a dwelling house of two tenements thereon, situate in said Billerica, containing two acres, more or less", beginning at the southwest corner on the road leading to Bedford at land of H. T. Munroe, north by Munroe 243 feet, west by Munroe about 148 feet to land of Wm. Blanchard, north by Blanchard to land formerly of Francis Richardson, east by Richardson to the Bedford road, and south and west by the road; "subject to a mortgage dated Nov. 9th 1867, of fifteen hundred dollars, running to Anthony Jones", which she assumes. Elizabeth A. Hill, wife, releases dower and homestead. Dated Sept. 24, 1870, before Dudley Foster JP. No title recital.
Title from:
Title passed to:
Related:
|
||||||
| November 20, 1878 | Quitclaim | Eugene A. Stowell of Boston, grandson and devisee of Susan D. Hamilton | Charles J. Fox of Boston | Details | Elijah Bacon Hill Central House | 131/435 |
For one dollar and other considerations, "a certain tract of land with a dwelling house of two tenements thereon", same bounds (H. T. Munroe 243 and 148 feet; William Blanchard; land formerly of Francis Richardson; the Bedford road); "Being the same premises conveyed to Susan D. Hamilton under the name of Susan Hamilton by deed of Emery E. Hill dated September 24 A.D. 1870 ... Book 75 Page 538 which said premises were bequeathed to me by my grand mother the said Susan D. Hamilton, now deceased by her last will and testament duly proved at the Probate Court held at Cambridge ... on the twenty-third day of April A.D. 1878"; subject to a mortgage to Anthony Jones. Dated May 17, 1878, acknowledged in Suffolk June 11, 1878. A straw conveyance: Fox deeded the house to Stowell's wife the same day.
Title from:
Title passed to:
|
||||||
Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted; Probate # is a Middlesex probate case, Ctf a Land Court certificate of title.