1761 Will - Abraham Reeves
Introduction
New Jersey Will Records 11, p150(Original in Cumberland Will Records 259F)
18 May 1761
Transcript
In the Name of God Amen the Eighteenth Day of May in the year of Our Lord 1761. I Abraham Reeves of Hopewell Township in the County of Cumberland and province of West New Jersey yeoman being very sick and weak in Body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be Given unto God therefore calling unto mind the Mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die Do make and Ordain this my Last Will and Testament That is to say Principally and first of all I Give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it and for my Body I recommend it to the Earth to be Buried in a Christian like and Decent manner at the Discretion of my executors nothing Doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God and as touching such worldly Estate which with it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I Give Devise and Dispose of the same in the following manner and formImprimis It is my will and I do order that in the first place all my just Debts and funeral charges be paid and satisfied in some convenient time after my Decease by my executors hereinafter mentioned
Item I Give and bequeath to my well beloved wife Damaris the one half of my moveable estate to her her heirs and assigns forever after my just debts and funeral charges are discharged as aforesaid and I Give and Bequeath to my Dearly beloved wife one third part of my homested plance or plantation and the best Room in the House and the half of the cellar during her lifetime, which are to be returned my son Thomas Reeves after her Decease
Item I Give and Bequeath to my well beloved son John Reeves the one half of my wildmarsh down, Below Thomas Browns Besides the fifty acres of upland for which he has already got a Deed to him his heirs and assigns forever
Item I Give and Bequeath to my well beloved son Thomas Reeves all the two Remaining third parts of my homested place or plantation and all the Houses thereunto belonging excepting the best Room in the dwelling house and the one half of the cellar which my well beloved wife shall have During her lifetime and after her Decease I Give and bequeath the whole of the said Homested place or plantation and all the Houses and improvements thereunto belonging to my beloved son Thomas Reeves his heirs and assigns forever as also I give & bequeath to him & vzt my said Son Thomas Reeves the other remainding hewpart? of my weedmarsh aforesaid below Thomas Bornes together with all my Drained Marsh inclosed with the Bank with Nathan Luptons to him his heirs and assigns forever
Item I give and bequeath to my children hereinafter mentioned other remaining hew? part of my moveable estate I give and bequeath to my well beloved son Abraham Reeves the sum of twenty pounds current and lawfull money of the County and province aforesaid and to my daughter Lydia Garrison I Give and bequeath the sum of Twenty shillings I give and bequeath to my Daughter Sarah Moore the sum of three pounds. I also give and bequeath to my Daughter Abigaile Miller the sum of three pounds and to my Daughter Hannah M Gallord I Give and bequeath the sum of Ten pounds and after also these last legacies are paid out of the remainder half part of my moveable estate I likewise Give and bequeath to my son Stephen Reeves the sum of Ten pounds to be paid to him out of my said Moveable Estate and if there is any thing remaining after the above legacies are all paid and Discharged I order it to be equally divided among my children Abraham Sarah Abigail Hannah and Stephen and I do make constitute and ordain my well beloved wife Damaris and my son Thomas Reeves the only and sole executrix & executor of this my Last will & Testament and I do hereby utterly disallow revoke and disannul all and every other formed instrument wills legacies and executors legacies anyways before this time named willed and bequeathed Ratifying & constituting this and none other to be my Last will and Testament.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written
Abraham Reeves (Seal)
Signed Sealed published pronounced and Declared by the said Abraham Reeves as his last will and Testament in the presence of us the subscribers vizt Nicholas Johnson Noah Miller Abijah Holmes
Noah Miller and Abijah Holmes two of the witnesses to the within will being duly sworn on the holy evangelist of Almighty God did depose that they saw Abraham Reeves the testator within named sign and seal the same and heard him publish pronounce and Declare the said Instrument to be his Last Will and Testament and that at the doing thereof the said Testator was of sound and disposing mind and memory as far as these deponents know and as they verily believe and that Nicholas Johnston the other subscribing witness was then present and subscribed his name in presence of the said Testator as did these Deponents Noah Miller Abigail Holmes
Sworn at Hopewell in the County of Cumberland the 9th Day of June 1761 before me Markell Ewing surrogate
Be it remembered that the Last will and Testament of Abraham Reeves late of Hopewell Township and County of Cumberland being duly proved as above said probate and Letters Testamentary were Granted by his exellency Thomas Boone Esqr Capt General and Governour in Chief of the Colony of New Jersey &c unto Damaris Reeves Executrix and Thomas Reeves Executor in the said Testament named they being Duly Sworn well and truly to perform the said will to exhibit a true and perfect inventory and to render a just and true account when thereunto lawfully required Given under the Prerogative seal of the said province at Burlington the Day and year above said
Cha Read Regr