"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."
The subject today is the 1764 will of Jonathan Lewis (1688-1764) of Staten Island, Richmond County, New York.
[page 49, right side of image]
[page 50, left side of image]
The transcription of the will and Letter Testamentary is:
[page 49, image 53 of 872]
In the Name of God Amen, the seventh
day of May one thousand seven hundred and
Sixty four. I Jonathan Lewis of the
County of Richmond and Colony of New York being sick and
weak in Body but having my ussial
Understanding and Memory thanks be given to God
therefor and knowing the Mortality of
my Body do make this my last Will and Testament
in the manner and form following.
Imprimis I will and direct that all my just Debts and
funeral Charges be paid and satisfyed
for the payment of which I subject my whole Estate.
Item I give and order to my beloved
Wife Abigail a decent Maintenance out of my Estate in
such manner as my Executors shall think
reasonable and according to their discretion and
likewise the Bed and furniture
belonging to it that we lie on, which maintenance and Legasies
to be instead and in Lieu of her Right
of her Dower, and not otherways. Item I give and
bequeath to my two unmarried Daughters
Phebe and Mary all the remaining part of my
Beding to be eaqually shared and
divided between them. Item my Will is and I do order
that all my Lands Meadows and Real
estate which I have in this County of Richmond
shall be sold in some convenient time
after my Decease at the discretion of my Executors
give and Granting unto my Executors
full power and Authority to give and Execute a title
for the same and half of the money
arising by such Sale of my Lands as aforesaid I
give to my Son Jonathan Lewis his heirs
and Assigns. Item I order and direct that
all the residue of my moveable Estate
shall be sold and the money arising from the Sale
thereof together with the other half of
the money to arise from the Sale of my Lands aft
paying my just Debts and funeral
Charges, I give and dispose of in the following
manner. Item to my Daughter Phebe the
Sum of forty pounds to my Daughter Mary
Forty pounds to my Daughter Hannah the
wife of Benjamin Britton ten pounds to my Daughter Elizabeth the wife
of James Latourette the Sum of twenty five pounds and
to my two Grandaughters Sarah and Ann
Mersereau Children of my Daughter Bath-
Sheba Deceased to each of them the Sum
of Thirty pounds and if either of them them
my said Grandaughters should Die under
Age and without Issue then her part or
Share shall go to the Survivor of them
and all the remaining part I give and dispose
thereof in the following manner and
form to wit one fifth part thereof I give and bequeath
to the Children of my Daughter Sarah
Deceas'd who was the Wife of John Scoby, to each of her Children and
the Survivors of them and Eaqual share of the said fifth part One
other fifth part I give to my Daughter
Phebe one other fifth part I give to my
Daughter Mary One other fifth part I
give to my Daughter Elizabeth the remaining
fifth part part shall be put out at
Intrest by my Executors and the Intrest arising
therefrom shall be Yearly paid to my
Daughter Hannah during the Life of her Husband
the aforesaid Benjamin Britten in such
manner as my Executors shall think most
to her advantage and in case she should
Die before her Husband the aforesaid Ben-
jamin Britten then I will the aforesaid
fifth part Last mentioned to be equally ?????
and Divided amongst all her Children
Share and Share alike but if she my said Daughter
Hannah should survive her husband then
and immediately after his Death ??? ?????
receive her portion or fifth part as
aforesaid and be at her own dispose. Item my ????
that my Executors shall keep as much of
my Estate in their hands out of the last ???
tioned part given to my Daughters and
Children of my daughter Sarah disposed
of in five eaqual parts as above said
as will be sufficient to ???? ???? ???? thereof
a sufficient Maintenance for my wife as
above said during her ???? ????.
I hereby Nominate Constitute and
Appoint my true and trusty friend ???? ????
Esqr. Benjamin ?????? ??? ????? ?????
all of this County of Richmond
[page 50, image 54 of 872]
this my Last Will and Testament hereby
disanuling and disalowing all other and former
Wills made by me Ratifying allowing and
Confirming this and no other to be my last Will
and testament. Jonathan L (his mark)
Lewis (SS) Signed Sealed published and declared by the
said Jonathan Lewis to be his Last Will
and Testament the words (of which) in the first page
and the words (other half of the) and
word (fifth) on the second page were interlined
before the Sealing and Delivery hereof.
Paul Micheau John Micheau Anthony Stoatttenbu-
rough, Richmond county. Be it
Remembred that on the ninth day of March one thou-
san seven hundred and Sixty five
personally came and appeared before my Benjamin
Seaman Surrogate of the said County
John Micheau and Paul Micheau of the same
County Yeoman and being duly Sworn on
their Oaths declared that they and each of them
did see Jonathan Lewis sign and Seal
the within ^written^ Instrument purporting to be the Will
of the said Jonathan Lewis bearing date
the Seventh day of May one thousand seven
hundred and Sixty four And heard him
publish and Declare the same as ^and for^ his last
Will and Testament that at the time
thereof he the said Jonathan Lewis was of Sound
disposing Mind and Memory to the best
of the Knowledge and belief of them the
deponants and that their Names
subscribed to the sd Will are of their respective ^proper^ hands
Writing which they subscribed as
Witnesses to the said Will in the Testators presence and
that they saw Anthony Stottenborough
the other Witness sign his Name as Witness thereto
in the Testators presence.
Benjamin Seaman Surrogate
Cadwallader Colden Esquire his Majestys
Lieutenant Governor and Commander
in Chief of the Province of New York
and the Territories depending thereon in America.
To all to whom these Presents shall
Come or may Concern Greeting. Know Ye that
at Richmond County on the Ninth Day of
March last before Benjamin Seaman Esquire
and at the City of New York on the Day
of the Date hereof before Edward Smith thereunto dele-
gated and appointed the Last Will and
Testament of Jonathan Lewis Deceased (a Copy
whereof is hereunto Annexed) was proved
and is now approved and allowed of my me.
The said Deceased having whilst he
lived and at the time of his Death Goods Chattels
and Credits within this Province by
means whereof the proving and registring the
said Will and the Granting
Administration of all and Singular the said Goods Chattels
and Credits and also the Auditing
allowing and final discharging the Account thereof doth
belong unto me. And that
Administration of all and Singular the Goods Chattels and
Credits of the said Deceased and any
way Concerning his Will is granted unto Joseph
Bedell and Silas Bedell ^and Benjamin
Seaman^ Two of the Executors in the said Will named
being first duly Sworn
well and faithfully to Administer the
same and to make and Exhibit a true and perfect
Inventory of all and Singular the said
Goods Chattels and Credits and also to render a
???? and true Account thereof when
thereunto required. In Testimony whereof I have
?????? the Prerogative Seal of the
Province of New York to be hereunto Affixed at the City
of New York the Twenty second Day of
April One thousand seven hundred and sixty five.
Geo. Banyar D
Secry
The source citation for this probate record is (using the "Probates, case files (online images) template in RootsMagic 7):
New York Surrogates Court, Probate Files, Wills and
Administrations Volumes 24-27, 1763-1771, Volume 24, pages 49-50
(stamped, images 53-54 of 872), Jonathan Lewis will, 1785; "New
York, Wills and Probates, 1659-1999," digital images,
Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 9 September
2015); Original data in New York County District and Probate Courts.
The will of Jonathan Lewis names his wife, seven children and two grandchildren:
* Wife Abigail
* Son Jonathan Lewis
* Daughter Phebe Lewis
* Daughter Mary Lewis
* Daughter Hannah, wife of Benjamin Britton
* Daughter Elizabeth, wife of James Latourrette
* Daughter Bathsheba, deceased wife of Mersereau
* Daughter Sarah, deceased wife of James Scoby
* Granddaughter Sarah Mersereau, daughter of Bathsheba
* Granddaughter Ann Mersereau, daughter of Bathsheba
The Executors named were:
* Joseph Bedell
* Silas Bedell
* Benjamin Seaman
The witnesses were:
* John Micheau
* Paul Micheau
* Anthony Stottenburough
This particular document is a Derivative Source, since it was transcribed into a Will book. The original will, and other probate papers, are probably in an estate file in either Richmond county or New York County Surrogates Court.
I wrote Amanuensis Monday - Newspaper Advertisements for Property Sales on 20 August 2010 which transcribed newspaper articles about public sales of the property of this Jonathan Lewis and his son, Jonathan Lewis.
Jonathan Lewis (1688-1764) and his wife Abigail (--?--) (Scudder) Lewis are my seventh great-grandparents, through their son Jonathan Lewis (1715-1785).
The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/11/amanuensis-monday-post-296-1764-will-of.html
Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver
Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.
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