1782 Will - Joseph Reeve
Introduction
Dated: 12 Jan 1782, Southold, Suffolk County, New YorkProbated: Suffolk County, New York Surrogate's Court, 8 Feb 1782
Recorded: New York Will Old Liber 34, p451
Transcript
In the Name of God, Amen. I Joseph Reeve of the Town of Southold in the County of Suffolk and Province of New York yeoman, being in a tolerable state of Bodily Health and of perfect mind and memory, thanks be given to God therefor, calling to mind the mortality of my Body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make ordain and publish this my last Will and Testament, that is to say Principally and first of all I give my soul into the hands of God that gave it, and my Body I Recommend to the Earth to be Buried in Christian decent Burial at the Discretion of my Executors herein after named, nothing doubting but I shall Receive the same again by the mighty Power of God at the general Resurrection and as touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life I give devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and Form viz.First, I give and bequeath to my Beloved Wife Bethiah Reeve the Priviledge of one half the Rooms in my Dwelling House, that she shall choose, to live in and use as she thinks proper, during the Term of her natural Life, Also I give her yearly twelve Bushels of Wheat, ten Bushels of Indian Corn, Thirty Pounds of Flax, one hundred weight of Beef, Fifty weight of Port, twenty pounds of Tallow Eight pounds of wool, ten pounds of Hog Fat, her Fire wood cut and carted as much as she neads for Fuel, Two Cows which are to be kept for her summer and winter, all wich articles are to be paid her yearly during the Term of her natural Life by my Son James Reeve, or any other Person that shall come into Possession of my Real Estate herein after devised to my said Son James by Virtue of this my last Will and Testament, Also I give unto my said Wife all my Household Goods and Forty pounds in money and a Gardin.
Item I give to my Daughter Bethiah Cockling one hundred pounds.
Item I give to my Grand Daughter Elizabeth Reeve Forty pounds.
Item I give to my Grand Daughter Sarah Cockling Forty pounds.
Item I give to my Grand Daughter Wate Woodhull Forty pounds, and it is my will that what my said Wife leaves after her Decease that it be equally divided betwixt my said three Grand Daughters.
Item I give to my Grandson Ezra Woodhull my Rights in Indian Necks so called in said Town of Southold, both lands and meadow, and also my Right in the Common Creek thatch all to him his Heirs and assigns for Ever.
Item I give to my son James Reeve all the Residue of my lands and meadows during the term of his natural Life; and if he Dies leaving a son or male heir of his Body Begotten, then I give the same to said Son or Heir, his heirs and assigns for ever; But in case he Dies leaving no Son, then I give the same to my Grand Son Ezra Woodhull his Heirs and assigns for ever, Also I give to my said son James Reeve all my Farming tackling.
Item I give all the remainder and Residue of my Personal Estate to my five Grand Children, Joseph Woodhull, Benjamin Woodhull, Zebulon Woodhull, James Woodhull and Thomas Woodhull to be equally divided betwixt them; all which gifts and legacies in this my last Will and Testament given to my Grand Children are to be paid them as they shall severally arrive at the age of twenty one years.
Item my will is that my negros have the choice of their masters without regard to the Price.
Lastly I do hereby appoint and constitute Zebulon Woodhull and Daniel Osborn Executors of this my last Will and Testament, and do hereby authorize and impower my said executors to sell my part of the wind mill, and the money arising by the sale thereof I give to my said Grandson Ezra Woodhull to be paid him as above said.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the twelfth day of January in the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty two.
Joseph Reeve (LS)
Signed Sealed published and Declared by the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us, who in his Presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names
Jeremiah Reeve
Mary Osborn
Mahetable Hornton
Suffolk County SS Be it Remembred that on the Eight day of February 1782 personally came and appeared before me Jared Landon Surrogate of the said County, Jeremiah Reeve, Mary Osborn and Mahetable Horton, all of the County aforesaid yeomen and being duly sworn on their oaths declared that they and each of them did see Joseph Reeve sign and seal the within written instrument purporting to be the Will of the sd Joseph Reeve, bearing date the 12th day of January 1782 and heard him publish and Declare the same as and for his last Will and Testament; that at the time thereof he the said Joseph Reeve, was of sound disposing mind and memory to the best of the knowledge and Belief of them the Deponents; and that their names subscribed to the said Will, are of their respective proper hand writing which they subscribed as witnesses to the said Will in the Testators presence.
Jared Landon Surrogate