1722 Will - Joseph Reeve

Introduction

Signed 19 July 1722
Proved 3 June 1736 in Suffolk County, NY
Recorded in Office of Records at New York in Volume 12, page 514

Transcript

In the name of God amen, I Joseph Reeve of ye Town of Southold in ye County of Suffolke in ye province of NewYorke (in america) black smith being in perfect health & sound of memory at ye writing hereof thanks be given to God therefor, but calling to mind the uncertainty of this life and that it is appointed for all men once to dye doe make Constitute ordaine and appoint this to be my last will and Test­ament in manner & forme following. First I Commend my Soul to God who gave it & my Body to ye earth to be buried in decent Christian burial at ye discretion of my Executors hereafter named. Secondly I give & bequeath unto my son Joseph Reeve and to his heirs and assigns for ever five acres of land at Acquabauk in ye said Town whereon his House now standeth which said five acres of land shall extend in length northward from the highway or Kings road forty poles and in bredth twenty poles & adjoyning the whole length of ye said five acres to the land of William Downslate deceased on the west. Thirdly I give & bequeath unto my son Benjamin Reeve and to his Heirs and as­signs for ever all my Lott of land be it more or less where my House and Barn now standeth in ye said Town with all ye buildings there upon erected and the appurtenances thereunto belonging and also all my North Sea Lott (commonly soe called) lying in the said Town and bounded on ye east by the land of Isaac Overton and westerly by the highways, and also twelve acres of land lying between the land of Henry Case and Matthias Huchinson in the said Town; and Likewise I doe give & bequeath unto my said son Benjamin Reeve and to his Heirs and assigns for ever all the westermost Part of my meadow at ye Indian Necke soe called in the said Town that is to say soe far as said westermost part was first inclosed and also one first lott of common agein the said Town. Forthly I give & bequeath unto my son David Reeve the sume of ten shillings currant money of New York to be paid to him his Heirs executors or administrators by my Executors herein to be named. Fifthly I give & bequeath unto my son Hezekiah Reeve and to his Heirs and assigns for ever all my alotments of land purchased by me of Mr. John Tuthill lying in the said Town & bounded on the east by the land of Samuel Terry & on ye west by the highway and all my halfe lott of Creek­thatch at Catchauge and all my meadow on the South Side of Peaconneck River, also my meadow at Sawmill Brook. Sixthly I give & bequeath unto my son Solomon Reeve and to his Heirs and assigns for ever all my Right of land lying in hog-neck in the said Town and all my lott and a halfe of land in the Indian-land (soe called) in the said Town and halfe a Lot of Creek Thatch. Seventhly I give & bequeath unto my son William Reeve and to his Heirs and assigns for ever all my alotments of land which I purchased of Mr. Joshua Hobart lying in said Town bounded on the west by the land of Joseph Hull and the east by land late of Peter Dickeson and all the remaining part of my meadow at ye Indian Neck not herein before given unto my said son Benjamin, and also one half lott right of commonage, and all my land at Aquabauck in said Town, and all my Smith Tools and also I give unto my son William after my wifes decease my carts & plows, chaines & tackling belonging to them. Eighthly I give & bequeath unto my beloved wife Deliverence Reeve and to my three Daughters Abigail, Mary & Hannah all my goods and chattels, money and move­ ables of what kind soever (not herein willed) to be equally de­vided between them (my just debts to be first paid out of the Same) Lastly of this my last will & Testament I doe hereby constitute appointe & ordaine my two sons Benjamin & William to be my Executors with full power and authority to act in and about the premises. In Testimony whereof I the said Joseph Reeve hath hereunto set my hand and fixed my Seale this nineteenth day of July in the year of our Lord Christ One thousand Seven hundred & twenty two.


Signed Sealed pronounced & declared by the said Joseph Reeve to be his last will & Testament in the presence of us witnesses.
Benj. Youngs
Sam.ll Huchinson
Silvanus Davis

The following endorsed on the back of the Original Will:
Suffolk County the 3 Day of June 1736
Be it Rembered that on the day and year above written personally appeared before me Brinley Sylvester being thereunto Delegated and appointed, Samuel Hutchinson and Silvanus Davis two of the Subscribing Witnesses to the within written Will of Joseph Reeve and made Oath on the Holy Evaqaist of Almighty God that they saw the Said Joseph Reeve Sign Seal publish and declare the Same to be his Last Will & Testament and that at the Time thereof he was of Sound & Disposing mind and memory to the best of their understanding and that they also saw Benj Youngs Sign as a Witness In the presence of the Testator

Memorandum The day and year above written personally appeared before me Brinley Sylvester Delegated as aforesaid Benj. Reeve & William Reeve Executors in the within Will named and took the Oath of an Executor for the due Execution & performance of the Said Will

The last will & Testament of Joseph Reeve.
Recorded 7th
Proved before B. Sylvester
3d June 1736.

Commentary

Family members named:
Joseph Reeve, son
Benjamin Reeve, son; executor
David Reeve, son
Hezekiah Reeve, son
Solomon Reeve, son
William Reeve, son; executor
Deliverence Reeve, wife
Abigail, daughter
Mary, daughter
Hannah, daughter

Other individuals named:
William Downslate, deceased, adjoining landowner
Isaac Overton, adjoining landowner
Henry Case, adjoining landowner
Matthias Huchinson, adjoining landowner
John Tuthill, former landowner
Samuel Terry, adjoining landowner
Joshua Hobart, former landowner
Joseph Hull, adjoining landowner
Peter Dickeson, deceased, adjoining landowner
Benj. Youngs, witness
Sam.ll Huchinson, witness
Silvanus Davis, witness
Brinley Sylvester, government official

Additional information gleaned:
Joseph Reeve resided in the Town of Southold, Suffolk County, NY
Joseph Reeve was a Christian
Joseph Reeve was a blacksmith by trade. Additionally, he left his smith tools to son William.

Source

Full typed transcript plus photocopy of the original will:
Study of the Reeve family of Southold, Long Island, N.Y. : and Southold descendants of the Southampton, L.I. Reeves family and genealogy of said families up to 1800 by Baker, Wesley Logan. Douglaston, N.Y.: 1970 ; Pages 157-159 (FamilySearch.org)

Record entry, Office of Records at New York, Vol. 12, page 514:
New York Probate Records, 1629-1971, images, FamilySearch, New York > Wills 1730-1740 vol 11-13 > image 378 of 621; county courthouses, New York.

Original:
Now in Queens College Library, Flushing, N. Y.