1824 Will - Joseph Reeves
Introduction
Gloucester County, New Jersey(Original in Probate File 3652H)
Will Book B, p549
15 Jun 1824
Transcript
Be it remembered that I Joseph Reeves of the township of Deptford in the County of Gloucester in the State of New Jersey being of sound disposing mind and memory do make and publish this to be my last will & Testament, in manner following (to wit) First I order and direct that all my just debts and funeral charges be fully paid and satisfied as hereafter mentioned. Second I give and devise to my dear wife Sarah Reeves one bed and one pair of fine sheets. Also all that lot of land situated on a street of Woodbury called Germantown lane bounded by lands of the heirs of Joseph Ogden by James Saunders and others containing four acres more or less with the hereditaments & improvements thereunto belonging to hold to my said wife during her natural life and no longer and as my beloved wife by a mutual contract intered into between us before our intermarriage will have the undisturbed liberty of removing at any time after my decease all her personal estate from my lands and premises she will therefore receive and accept of the above bequests in lieu of all dower right or pretensions of dower whatsoever. Third I give and devise to my daughter Hannah Test five silver Table spoons that was her mothers also all that my lot of lane situated on the public road leading from Woodbury to Carpenters landing bounded by lands of James Saunders William D Fletcher and others containing four acres more or less together with all that my lot of land sitaute in Woodbury lying between William Raffertys lot and a lot formerly Rebecca Cooper's containing half an acre more or less both of which lots with the tenements & hereditaments thereunto belonging to hold to her the said Hannah Test her heirs and assigns forever. Fourth I give and devise to my Daughter Mary Fisher wife of Michael C. Fisher the silver watch that was my son Benjamin's for her use during her natural life, and at her death to become the property of her son Joseph Fisher. I also give to my said daughter Mary all that my lot of land situated on Germantown lane aforesaid bounded by lands of Joseph Fithian Sarah Scott and others containing six acres more or less with the hereditaments and improvements thereunto belonging to hold to her my said daughter Mary her heirs and assigns for ever I likewise give and devise to my said Daughter Mary (after the death of my wife Sarah) all that lot of land as described in the foregoing second Item with the hereditaments and improvements thereunto belonging to hold to her my said Daughter Mary and her heirs & assigns forever. Fifth I give and devise to my son Isaac Reeves my solver tankars and my family Bible for his own use during his natural life, and at his death both to become the property of his son Joseph Reeves I also give & devise to my said son Isaac my full equal half part of the fishery which I hold as tenant in common with the heirs of my Brother Thomas Reeves deceased together with the rights and priviledges thereunto belonging to hold to him my said son Isaac (as tenant in common with the heirs of my brother Thomas Reeves, deceased) and his heirs and assigns forever.Sixth I give and devise to my son Samuel Reeves my clock and also all that part of the shore belonging to my farm at Red Bank in the township aforesaid to Begin at a Walnut tree standing at the upper end of Red Bank hill at or near high water mark thence along high water mark as near as circumstances will permit up to Hopkins line. The lower Boundaries of said shore to be designated by a line to run from said Walnut Tree out into the River Delaware perpendicular to the general course of the shore with the priviledges of occupying so much more of the adjoining land fronting on the River above said Walnut Tree as will be necessary for fishing, to hold to him my said son Samuel his heirs and assigns for ever. Seventh the money that my daughter Sarah Reeves left at her decease I give and bequeath to all my surviving children to be equally divided amongst them share & share alike. Eighth All the residue and remainder of my personal estate whatsoever and wheresoever (not heretofore disposed of) I order and direct to be sold by my executors herein after named as soon as convenient after my decease and the nett amount of monies arising therefrom to be equally divided between and paid to my aforesaid two daughters Hannah Test and Mary Fisher share and share alike within one year after my decease. Ninth All the residue and remainder of my real estate whatsoever and wheresoever (not heretofore disposed of) I give and devise to my said two sons Isaac and Samuel equally as tenants in common share and share alike to hold with the tenaments and hereditaments thereunto belonging to the said Isaac and Samuel their heirs and assigns for ever they the said Isaac and Samuel paying thereout all my just debts and funeral charges as mentioned in the foregoing first Item. And lastly I do hereby nominate and constitute and appoint my aforesaid two sons Isaac Reeves and Samuel Reeves executors of this my last will and testament revoking all former wills heretofore by me made and declaring this to be my last. In witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand & affixed my seal the fifteenth day of the sixth month called June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty four 1824.
Joseph Reeves (LS)
Signed Sealed published and pronounced and declared by the said Joseph Reeves the Testator as his last will and testament in the presence of the subscribers who have signed our names as witnesses thereto in the presence of the said Testator and at his request.
Isaac Ballingers Samuel B. Fisher Jos Saunders
Samuel B Fisher one of the subscribing witnesses to the within will being duly affirmed according to law upon his solemn affirmation saith that he saw Joseph Reeves the testator therein named sign & seal the same & heard him publish pronounce and declare the same to be his Last will & Testament and at the doing thereof the said Testator was of sound disposing mind & memory as far as this affirmant knows & as he verily believes & that Isaac Ballinger & Joseph Saunders the other subscribing witnesses were present at the same time and subscribed their names thereto as witnesses together with this affirmant in the presence of the said Testator.
Affirmed & Subscribed at Woodbury Jany 31. 1825.
Samuel B. Fisher
Isaac Reeves and Samuel M. Reeves executors in the within will named being duly affirmed according to law upon their respective solemn affirmations declare & say that the within writing contains the true last will & Testament of Joseph Reeves late of the County of Gloucester decd as far as they know and as they verily believe & that they will well & truly perform the same by paying first the debts of the said decd and then the legacies in the said Testament specified so far as the goods chattels & credits of said decd can thereunto extend, & that they will make & exhibit into the surrogate's office at Woodbury a true & perfect Inventory of the said goods chattels & credits and render a just and true account when thereunto lawfully required.
Isaac Reeves
Saml M. Reeves
Affirmed & subscribed at Woodbury
January 31st 1825 before me Jacob Glover Sen
I Jacob Glover Surrogate of the County of Gloucester in the State of New Jersey do certify the annexed to be a true copy of the last will and Testament of Joseph Reeves late of the County of Gloucester decd And that Isaac Reeves and Samuel M Reeves the executors therein named proved the same before me and are duly authorized to take upon themselves the administration of the estate of the testator agreably to the said Will. Witness my hand and seal of office the thirty first day of January in the year of our LORD one thousand eight hundred and twenty five 1825
Jacob Glover (LS)