Working on Wednesday: Daniel Darling (1682 - 1745/6), Blacksmith, Saw Mill Owner and Farmer

A life-long resident of Mendon in the "Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England," my maternal sixth-great grandfather Daniel Darling, "being sick and weak in Body, but of Sound and disposing Mind, memory and Judgment, Thanks be given unto God," made his will in the winter of 1745/46.  As you can see in the fourth line below, he was a "Blacksmith."

["Massachusetts, Worcester County, Probate Files, 1731-1925," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-42449-24426-30?cc=2102083&wc=9BXJ-DP8:1055512501,1073167801 : accessed 31 December 2014), Worcester > Case no 15386-15470, Darling, Alpheus-Darling, Simeon, 1731-1881 > image 179 of 1094; Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, Boston.]

But that's not all we can learn from his will. He was a partner in a "Saw Mill" and left his interest in it to his three sons, Daniel, Samuel*, and Peter.

["Massachusetts, Worcester County, Probate Files, 1731-1925," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-42449-24426-30?cc=2102083&wc=9BXJ-DP8:1055512501,1073167801 : accessed 31 December 2014), Worcester > Case no 15386-15470, Darling, Alpheus-Darling, Simeon, 1731-1881 > image 180 of 1094; Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, Boston.]

Of course Daniel was also a farmer, raising "Indian corn and English grain" and a "Stock of cattel.' He left land to his four** sons and four daughters after making provision in his will for his "dearly beloved wife Lydia Darling."

["Massachusetts, Worcester County, Probate Files, 1731-1925," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-42449-24344-27?cc=2102083&wc=9BXJ-DP8:1055512501,1073167801 : accessed 31 December 2014), Worcester > Case no 15386-15470, Darling, Alpheus-Darling, Simeon, 1731-1881 > image 188 of 1094; Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, Boston.]

Daniel Darling died on February 26th and his will was presented in court for probate on March 24, 1745/46. He was buried in Old Cemetery in Millville (formerly part of Mendon) in Worcester County, Massachusetts.

In the 1831 map of Mendon below, on the north side of the Blackstone River (in the lower left corner) you can see that there were still a lot of Darlings living there nearly 100 years later.

[A map of Mendon, Worcester County, Mass. 1831

Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. 20540-4650 USA dcu; 

Digital Id g3764m ct004101 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3764m.ct004101]

*I am descended from Samuel Darling, whose son David (a veteran of the Revolutionary War) was the husband of Mercy Phillips.
**His fourth son, William Darling, received land but not part of the saw mill.

© 2014 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.