mos³ Landers (Richard², Thomas¹), born 5 Jun 1699, died, probably in Falmouth, shortly before 12 June 1781, at age 82.

He married 3 April 1719 Experience⁴ Robinson (by William Bassett, Justice of the Peace, called "both of Falmouth", Falmouth Town Records, 1:152), daughter of Isaac³ and Hannah² (Harper) Robinson of Falmouth. She was born in Falmouth 14 Jan. 1696/7 (ibid., p.166), and died after 4 Oct 1765. Her grandfather John² Robinson (Isaac¹) was a grandson of the Rev. John Robinson, the pastor of the Pilgrim flock in Holland.

Both Amos and Experience (Robinson) Landers were active members of the Friends Meeting; their names appear on the marriage certificates of many of their relatives and other members of the Society. Amos Landers was among those who signed a report of dissent, 1 Sept. 1731, against the payment of a tax for the employment of the Rev. Samuel Palmer as minister of the Congregational Church at Falmouth.

The will of Stephen² Harper of Falmouth, dated 13 Feb. 1740, names his kinswomen (i.e., the daughters of his sister Hannah² (Harper) Robinson), "Experience Launders", Mary Robinson, and Abigail Robinson (Barnstable County Probates, 5:539). The will of Isaac³ Robinson, dated 17 Sept. 1748, gives "To my daughter Experience Landers" (ibid., 5:539).

Amos Landers was chosen Constable of Falmouth 10 March 1746/7; he served also in various other posts. Experience signed, as a witness, the marriage certificate of her son John to Elizabeth Davis, 4 Oct. 1765.

The will of "Amos Landers of Falmouth...yeoman", dated 26 April 1764, proved 12 June 1781, reads, in part, as follows:

Impr. I give to my son Reuben six shillings, he being otherwise provided for already. Item. To my son Amos one quarter of all my Real Estate. To my son Freeman 6 shillings, he being otherwise provided for already. To my son Prince and to my son John, three quarters part of all my Real Estate, to be equally divided between them. To my daughter Jane, 6 shillings, she being otherwise provided for already. To my daughter Abigail, the bed on which she lodges and the bedding thereto, and half my indoor moveables. To my daughter Hannah, four sheep, having already given her some portion of my Estate. To my grand son Joseph Bowerman, 6 shillings. To my grand daughter Lois, ye daughter of my daughter Sarah, the bed on which I lodge and bedding, and the one half of my household stuff or indoor moveables, excepting the bed and bedding which I give to Abigail, and a low, or smaller bed, and bedding which I give to my son Amos. My will is that my three sons, Amos, Prince, and John, to whom I have given my Real Estate shall provide for my daughter Abigail's support what shall be needful and she not able to supply for herself, in proportion to their interest in my Real Estate, all charges to be paid by the three sd sons, to whom I give all my livestock and the outdoor moveables....and further that my will be rightly understood, I deed that house in which my sons Reuben and John dwell belong to them and is not to be reckoned a part of my Estate. And my dwelling house, I give the one half of it to my sons Amos and Prince and the other half to my daughter Abigail and to my grand daughter's heirs. Signed, Amos Landers.
Witnessed: Samuel Palmer, John Landers, Savory Landers.

He made his sons Freeman and John co-executors. The will was proved 12 June 1781, when John Landers, one of the executors, and Savory Landers, the only surviving witness, deposed that he with Samuel Palmer and John Landers witnessed the will, and that both Palmer and John Landers were then deceased (Barnstable County Probates, 21:104-5).

The inventory, dated 15 Nov. 1781, taken by Richard Lake, Savory Landers, Joseph Crowell, shows Real Estate at £1000.13s.4d.: personal estate at £86.4s.8d. - total £1,152.17s.4d. (ibid., p.156).

Because of the lack of original records due to the destruction of the Barnstable County Court House in 1827, and the imperfect condition of the other records, the following accounting of Amos Landers’ estate will be of interest also to many people who may be doing research on other Falmouth families of the period.

The account of payments made by John Landers, Executor...of the Estate of Amos Landers – 13 May 1783:

To attending probate court to prove will 12s.0d. (ibid., p.277).

John Landers of Falmouth petitioned the Court in December 1781, "for permission to sell and pass deeds" for £434 worth "of Real Estate of Amos Landers, deceased" (ibid., 21:275).

* Although we have made a rather exhaustive search of the records of Hiller-Hilyer family of Sandwich and Rochester, we can not place this Lois Hiller, the only child of Sarah Landers (q.v.).

[Lydia B. (Phinney) Brownson and Maclean W. McLean, "Thomas¹ Landers of Sandwich, Mass.," NEHGR 124:211-212]

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