1788 Will - James Reeve
Introduction
Suffolk County, New York Surrogate's CourtWill Liber A, p137
Dated: 11 Nov 1788
Proved: 24 Dec 1789
Transcript
In the Name of God Amen I James Reeve of Southold in the County of Suffolk and State of New York in America Yeoman being weak in body but of perfect disposing mind and memory blessed be God therefor do this present day November 11th 1788 make and ordain this my last will and testament in following manner and for (viz) principally and first of all I recommend my soul into the hands of God who gave it and my body I recommend to the Earth to be decently buried by me Executors hereafter named in hopes of a joyfull resurrection to eternal life through the merits of my blessed lord and Saviour and as touching my worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me I dispose thereof as follows.Imprimis I give unto Anna my beloved wife her full power of dower according to law in all my lands buildings and meadows with all my personal estate whatsoever to enable her to pay all my just debts except such as are upon notes of hand or other written obligations which I shall hereafter provide for the payment of in a different manner and for her own comfortable support and to dispose of amongst my four children excepting James and John.
Item I give to my third son John Reeve and to his heirs and assigns forever (provideing he shall comply with what I shall lay upon to pay towards what I owe upon notes of hand or other written obligations) the house and lot of land where he now lives and the lot adjoyning upon the southside as also the meadow inclosed with said last mentioned lot and also all the woodland as well as clear'd land adjoyning to and last mentioned lot upon the south side of said lot and so up the west side of my fresh meadow and the meadow of brother Isaac quite? to the bay which land is bounded west by the highway and the land of Barnabas Terrel.
Item I give and bequeath to my said son John and to his heirs and assigns forever the lot of land commonly called the Camp lot adjoining to the lot he lives upon the west end and all the swamp at the east end of said Camp lot quite to the pond.
Item I give and bequeath unto my said son John and to his heirs and assigns forever under the aforegoing restriction my lots of land lying southward of said camp lot commonly known by the names of the old pasture, the poison swamp with the meadow inclosed within said lot as also the great field so called always allowing my son James to cart his hay or wood through said lots where my son John shall have o grain growing and where it may be the least damage to my said son John and provided also that my son James his heirs and assigns shall always have a two rod lane or cart way through the aforesaid camp lot along by the thorn hedge upon the southside of said lot untill it comes to the next lot westward whch I have given to my son John and then to go a little northward of that direction till it comes to the country road four or five rods beyond where the old pond used to stand provided also that if my son John has a mind to shut off the lane from his other land my son James shall make one half part of the fence belonging to said lane and my son John shall have liberty to put up one pair of barrs at the east end of said lane and also another pair of barns at the west end of said camp lot provided the lane is not fenced off by itself and my son John to have the pasture of said lane. Also I give and bequeath unto my said son John and to his heirs and assigns forever my woodland commonly known by the name of the old gate lot bounded on the North by the poison swamp lot, on the east by the great field and on the west by the fresh meadow and so to strike southward into the woods that width till it makes ten acres. Also I give unto my said son John and to his heirs and assigns forever two thirds of my fresh meadow to be reckoned from the gutter that goes through the middle of my fresh meadow upon the west side of my farm he taking his part of said meadow next adjoining his first piece of woodland and so on to the southward untill it makes the aforesaid quantity of meadow.
Item I give and bequeath unto my son John and to his heirs and assigns forever all the thatch and sedge and salt meadow from the Dam so called till it comes to a line that will strike through the middle of the sand flat north and south from the shore to the mouth of the creek, provided nevertheless that said line shall not extend farther northward than the crab hill point so called. Also I give and bequeath to my said son John and to his heirs and assigns forever all my sedge and salt and thatch meadow at the point so called upon the east end of my farm which shall be bounded by a line running North and south at the farthest extent of my upland with the beach between the meadow and the bay said line to run from the creek to the bay aforesaid.
Item I give and bequeath unto my eldest son James Reeves and to his heirs and assigns forever providing he shall comply with what I shall lay upon him to pay towards what I owe upon written obligations, all the rest ad remainder of my lands buildings and meadows with all the priviledges and appurtenances thereunto belonging provided nevertheless that in case my daughter Harmony Reeve should remain unmarried till after her mothers decease then and in that case I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Harmony Reeve the dwelling room which I now live in or the new Chamber so called to be at her own option either of said rooms for her comfortable dwelling or habitation so long as she shall remain unmarried and also my will is that my son James and John shall find her the following articles for and during so long time as she shall remain unmarried (and in the following proportion) that is to say my son James shall find her four bushels of wheat yearly and my son John two bushels clear of all charge and my son James shall find her six bushels of corn and my son John four bushels and my son James shall pasture one cow for her yearly during said term of time as well as winter said cow and my said daughter Harmony shall have liberty to keep one swine upon my son James part of the farm she finding its keeping and further my will is that my son James and John shall find her a sufficient quantity of wood for firewood during said term of time in the following proportion (viz) my son James to find her six loads of wood yearly brought to the door and my son John shall find her four loads of wood in like manner which if they refuse to do my executors or executor hereafter named shall take so much of the improvement of my aforesaid lands respectively as shall be sufficient to procure the aforesaid articles for the substance of my said daughter Harmony so long time as she shall remain unmarried provided Nevertheless that if my said Daughter Harmony will consent to live with either of my aforesaid sons in the family with him and said son will provide for her comfortable subsistence in his family then said son shall be discharged from finding the aforesaid articles and the son with whom she does not live shall deliver all the articles which I ordered him to give yearly to my daughter Harmony he shall give them I say to the son with whom she lives in the family (excepting the wood) from which he shall be discharged.
Item in the next place whereas I have given my lands meadows & buildings to my sons James and John upon certain conditions therein mentioned (namely) that my aforesaid sons James and John do pay what I owe upon written obligations my will is that if my said sons shall fullfill the said conditions in the following proportions (viz) that my son James shall pay or give security to pay two thirds of the money which I owe upon written obligations within six months after my decease that then he shall take full and peaceable possession of what I have given him in my will and my will is also that if my son John shall pay or give security for the payment of one third of the money which I owe upon written obligations within six months after my decease that then he shall take full and peaceable possession of what I have given him in my will but in case either of my said sons shall refuse to make such payment as aforesaid my will is and I do order my executors hereafter named to take and sell so much of my land which I have will to said son respectively as shall be sufficient to pay what I ordered said son to pay upon the obligations which I owe and further my will is that my beloved wife Anna shall have all the dwelling rooms which I now improve and enjoy during her natural life and also my new chamber so called for so long time as my daughter Harmony shall remain unmarried and the one half of it after that she is married if it should so happen
And Lastly I do constitute and ordain my beloved wife Anna Reeve and my sons James Reeve and John Reeve my executors to execute this my last will and testament ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and fixed my seal the day and year first above written
James Reeve (LS)
Signed, sealed published and declared by the said James Reeve to be his last will and testament in the presence of David Corwin, Asa Corwin Sally Wickham
Suffolk County } SS. Be it Remembered that on the twenty fourth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine personally came and appeared before me Thomas Tredwell Surrogate of the said County David Corwin yeoman and Sally Wickham Spinster both of Southold in the County aforesaid & being duly sworn on their oaths declared that they ad each of them did see James Reeve sign and seal the preceding written instrument purporting to be the will of the said James Reeve bearing date the eleventh day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight and heard him publish and declare the same as and for his last will and testament that at the time thereof he the said James Reeve was of sound disposing mind and memory to the best of the knowledge and belief of them the Deponents and that Asa Corwin and the Deponents severally subscribed the said will as witnesses thereto in the Testators presence.
Thomas Tredwell