1818 Will - Stephen Reeves
Introduction
Suffolk County, New York Surrogate's CourtWill Liber E, p450
Dated: 18 May 1818
Proved: 28 Jul 1829
Transcript
In the name of God Amen I Stephen Reeves of the town of Southampton in the County of Suffolk and State of New York Farmer being weak in Body but of sound mind and memory thanks be to God therefore but calling to mind the mortality of my body do make this my last will and testament and principally and first I recommend my soul to God who gave it and my body I recommend to the earth to be buried in decent christian burial at the discretion of my executors hereafter named and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me I dispose of it in the manner following.Firstly I give to my beloved wife all my household furniture, together with beds and bedding including all the moveables in my home, also all the provisions of every kind, also give to her all the residue of my moveable estate of whatever nature or quality the same may be after paying any just debts which are to be paid out of my out door moveables
2ly I give to my beloved wife the use and improvement of all my buildings lands and wood lands for & during the term of her remaining my widow
3ly At the decease of my beloved wife or in case she should marry then I give to my nephew Stephen Reeves (son of Brother James) to him his heirs and assigns forever the one equal undivided half of all my buildings lands and wood lands. And the other equal undivided moiety or half of my said buildings lands and woods lands I give to my surviving Brothers and sisters to be divided equally among them all to be to them their heirs and assigns forever.
Lastly I constitute and appoint my beloved wife and my friend Ebenezer Howell Junr joint executrix and executor to this my last will and testament. And I do hereby utterly revoke every other will or wills by me before made. And do ratify and confirm this and none other to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this eighteenth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighteen.
Stephen Reeves LS
Signed Sealed & declared in the presence of use
Ebenezer Jessup
Stephen Port Jun Wm Herrick
Suffolk County SS Be it remembered that on the twenty eighth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty nine personally appeared before Hugh Halsey Esquire Surrogate of the said County Stephen Post Jun of Southampton in the County aforesaid who being duly sworn on his oath declared that he saw Stephen Reeves sign and seal an instrument in writing purporting to be the will of the said Stephen Reeves bearing date the eighteenth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighteen the preceeding whereof is a true copy and heard him publish and declare the same as and for his last will and testament, that at the time thereof he the said Stephen Reeves was of sound disposing mind and memory to the best of the knowledge and belief of him the deponent and that his name subscribed as a witness to the said will is of his own proper hand writing which he subscribed as a witness to the said will in the testators presence and that Ebenezer Jessup and Wm Herrick subscribed their names as witnesses also.
H. Halsey