Monday, October 12, 2015

Amanuensis Monday - Post #289: 1817 Will of Philip Row (1752-1817) of Tewksbury, N.J.

Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent  TransylvanianDutch blog) started a Monday blog theme years ago called "Amanuensis Monday."  John offers this definition for "amanuensis:" 

"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."

The subject today is the 1817 will of Philip Row (1752-1817) of Tewksbury, Hunterdon County, New Jersey:


The transcription of the will and associated papers is (transcribed line by line):

[page 118, top of left-hand page of image]

Will of Philip     } In the name of god Amen. I Philip Row of the
Row deceased    } County of Hunterdon Township of Tewkesbury State of
New Jersey, being in a weak and low State of health but of sound
mind and memory and Considering the uncertainty of live have
this Ninth day of June one thousand eight hundred and Seventeen
made this my last Will and Testament in Maner as follows.
First my will is that all my personal estate may be sold in a
Short and convenient Season after my decease and likewise so much
of my Real estate as my Executors shall think Needfull and that all
my honest Debts be paid of every Kind. Secondly my will is that my
dear and loving wife Mary Row shall be Supported in a decent and
Comfortable manner during her Natural life by my Sons Jacob and
John Row to be ^at^ equal expence for the same which will be in lieu of
her Dowery or any pertentions to Dowery out of my estate. Item I
give and bequeath to my Daughter Mary Row now the Wife of John
Hovert five Dollars. Item I also Give and bequeath to my Daughter
Elizabeth Row now the wife of Jacob Apgar five Dollars.
Item I Give and bequeath to my Daughter Anna Row now the
wife of John Auble five Dollars. Item I Give and bequeath to my
son Peter Row if living five Dollars. Item I give and bequeath
to my son Philip Row fifty Dollars, the above Gifts and bequeaths
to be paid by my Executors as soon as Practicable. Item I Give and
bequeath to my sons Jacob and John Row the residue of my estate
both real and personal after paying all my Debts and Expences and
the several bequeaths the overflow to be divided equal half and
half between the two to them ^and^ their heirs forever always Subject to
the support and Maintenance of their Mother Mary Row during her
life or widowhood. Lastly I appoint my sons Jacob and John Row
and William Todd to be my Executors to this my last Will and
Testament in Witness I set my Name.
Signed Sealed and Acknowledge this to be my last Will and
Testament in the presence of                      }
Wm. Willet, John Lutes, Simon Hegeman }        Philip Row {Ls}

State of New Jersey Hunterdon County Ss William Willet one of the
Witnesses to the within Will being duly sworn saith that he saw Philip
Row the testator herein named Sign and seal the same and heard him
publish pronounce and declare the said Instrument to be his Testament and
Last Will and that at the doing thereof the said Testator was of sound and
disposing mind and memory as far as he knows and as he truly believes
and that John Lutes and Simon Hegeman the other Subscribing Witnesses
were present at the same time and signed their names as Witnesses to
the said Will together with this deponent in the presence of the Testator
Sworn 2d July 1817 before me }
J.T. Blackwell Surg't                   } W'm Willet

Hunterdon Ss. Jacob Row and John Row two of the Executors in the within
will named being duly sworn say that the within Writing contains the
true last Will and Testament of Philip Row the Testator therein named

[page 119,top of  right-hand page on image]

as far as they know and as they truly believe and that they will well and
perform the same by paying first the debts of the said deceased and the legacies
 in the said will Specified as far as the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said 
deceased can thereunto extend and that they will make and ?????? into the
Surrogates Office at Flemington a true and perfect Inventory of all and Singular
the goods Chattels & Credits of said deceased that shall come to their hands
or possession or to the possession of any other person or persons for their use and
Render a Just and true Account when thereunto lawfully required.
Sworn 2'd day of July 1817 before me   }            Jacob X Row
J.T. Blackwell Surrogate                        }               John Row

State of New Jersey } Ss
Hunterdon County   }         I, John T. Blackwell Surrogate of the County of
{ seal } Hunterdon do certify the annexed to be a true Copy of the last
will and Testament of Philip Row Late of the County of Hunter-
don deceased and that Jacob Row and John Row of the County
of Hunterdon two of the Executors in the within will named proved
same before me and are duly authorized to take upon themselves the admini-
stration of the estate of the Testator agreeably to the said will.
Witness my hand and Seal of Office the Second day of July in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and Seventeen
                                                                    J.T. Blackwell Surrogate.

The source citation for this will, found in the Ancestry.com New Jersey Wills and Probates database, is:

New Jersey, Surrogate Court Estate files, Hunterdon County Wills, Vols. 3-6, 1815-1838, Volume 3, pages 118-119 (image 86 of 1128), Philip Row estate; "New Jersey, Wills and Probates, 1785-1924," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 7 September 2015); citing original papers in New Jersey County, District and Probate Courts.

The will of Philip Row identifies his wife, Mary, his sons Jacob, John, Peter, and Philip, and his daughters Mary (Row) Hovert, Elizabeth (Row) Apgar, and Anna (Row) Auble.  Jacob and John were named to be executors.  The will was dated 9 June 1817 and was proved on 2 July 1817.  

My descent from my 4th great-grandparents Philip and Mary (Smith) Row is through their daughter, Anna who married John Auble (1780-1831) in 1804.

The URL for this post is:   http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/10/amanuensis-monday-post-289-1817-will-of.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver


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