Monday, October 3, 2016

Amanuensis Monday - Will of Jacques Poillon (1681-1733) of Richmond County, New York

The subject today for Amanuensis Monday is the will and proving statement for the estate of James/Jacques Poillon (1681-1733) of Richmond County, New York, filed in New York County Surrogates Court files.



The transcription of this estate record is:

[page 37 (stamped), starting halfway down page]

{ James Poillon's Will }

In the Name of God Amen the seventeenth day of September
in the year of our Lord Christ one thousand seven hundred & thirty
two I James Poillon of the County of Richmond Farmer being
very weak in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given
to God therefore calling into mind the Mortality of my Body and
knowing it is appointed for all men once to dye, do make & ordain
this my Last Will and Testament that is to say principally and
First of all I give and recommend my Soul into the hands of 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
nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive
the same again by the mighty power of God and as touching
such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me
in this Life I give Demise and dispose of the same in the follow-
ing manner & form. Second my Will and desire is that my
Debts and funeral charges shall be paid and discharged.
Thirdly my Will and Desire is that my Dearly beloved Wife
Judith Poillon shall remain absolute Mistress and have the
sole use, profitt or Income of all my Estate so long as she
remain my Widdow. Fourthly I give & bequeath unto my four Sons
Viz. Peter Poillon, John Poillon, Abraham Poillon, and James
Poillon their heirs and assigns forever All the Lands & Tenements
which I have in this County of Richmond or else where such a
house and parcel of Land as shall be hereafter mentioned Except-
ed the said Land and Tenements to be Equally Divided among

[page 38 (stamped)]

my above named Sons but in case one or more of the s^d Sons
Should dye under age and without Issue then his or their portion
and Estate shall be equally divided among the other Brothers
remaining. Item my Will and desire is that my above named
four Sons or as many of them as shall Live shall pay unto my
four Daughters that is to say Catherine La Tourette Wife of
David La Tourette, Elizabeth Poillon, Adriane Poillon, and Jud-
ith Poillon the sum of four hundred Pounds current money
of New York the said sum to be Equally divided among my
above named Four Daughters & paid in the following manner,
Viz. The eldest Son shall pay to the Eldest Daughter of the four
above named the sum of one hundred pound Currant money
as afores^d as soon as he shall attain the age of twenty two years
old and the three other Sons shall likewise pay one hundred
pounds as aforesaid a piece as soon as he shall be twenty
two years of age to Each of the three other Daughters according
to their age. Fifthly I give unto my Son Peter Poillon one
good riding horse. Sixthly my Will and desire is that all the
rest of my moveable Estate after the Death or Marriage of my
Wife above named shall be Equally divided among all my
Children that is to say Mary Stillwell Wife of Daniel Stillwell
Catharine La Tourette Wife to David La Tourette Peter Poillon
John Poillon, Abraham Poillon, James Poillon, Elizabeth
Poillon, Adriane Poillon and Judith Poillon. Seventhly
I give unto my Executors hereafter named full power and
Lawfull Authority to make Sale of a certain House lying in
the City of New York which house I have Lately bought &
purchased of Wessell Wessells of the said place as also of twenty
acres of Salt Meadow Laying in ^the^ Fresh Kill by Abraham
Canons point and Forty Acres of Wood Land laying back
or at the rear of James Segwein, and John Cosson Plant-
ations and to give conveyances for the same as the Law
directs which shall be in as good force and Authority as if
I myself was then present and that my Executors shall
Employ and dispose of the money arising and proceeding
from the said house Meadows and Wood land towards the
paying and discharging of my Lawfull Debts. And I likewise
constitute make & ordain my Dearly beloved Wife Judith
Poillon John Le Conte, and Nicholas Stillwell to be
Executors of this my Last Will and Testament And I do
hereby disallow revoke and disannull all & every other former
Testaments Wills Legacies and bequests by me in any ways
^before^ named Willed and bequeathed ratifying & confirming this &
no other to be my Last Will and Testament. In Witness
whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal the day
and year above written. Jaques Poillon (LS)
Adrian Laforge, Jacobus Bebout, Paul Michaux. Ex

[page 39, stamped]

{ Probate of Jaques Poillon's Will }

William Cosby Captain General and Governour in Cheif
of the Provinces of New York New Jersey and Territories thereon
depending in America Vice Admiral of the same and Colonel
in his Majestys Army &c. To all to whom these presents
shall come or may concern. Greeting Know Ye that at New
York the twenty third day of May Instant before Frederick
Morris being thereunto delegated & appointed the Last Will and
Testament of Jacques Poillon was proved & now approved
& allowed of by me having whilst he lived & at the time
of his Death Goods rights & Credits in divers places within
this Province by means whereof the full disposition of all &
singular the Goods rights and Creditts of the said Dece^d &
the granting Administration of them as also the hearing
of account calculation or reckoning and the final discharge
and dismission from the same unto me solely and not unto
any other Inferior Judge are manifestly Known to belong
and the Administration of all & singular the Goods rights
and Credits of the said Dece^d and his Last Will & Test-
ament in any manner of ways concerning was granted
unto Judith Poillon, John La Conte and Nicholas
Stillwell the Executors in the said Last Will and Testament
named Cheifly of well & truly administring the same
and of making a true & perfect Inventory of all & sing-
ular the Goods rights and Creditts of the said Dece^d and
Exhibiting the same unto the Registry of the Prerogative
Court in the Secretary's Office in the said Province of
New York and that on or before the twenty third of
November next ensuing the date hereof & of rendring
a Just and true account calculation or reckoning
when thereunto required. In Testimony whereof I have
caused the Prerogative Seal of the said Province of New York
to be hereunto affixed the twenty third of May Annoq

Domin 1733.

The source citation for this estate record is:

New York Surrogates Court, Probate files, "Wills Vol. 012, 1732-1736," pages 37-39 (images 53-54 of 305), James/Jacques Poillon will, 1733; "New York, Wills and Probates, 1659-1999," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 10 September 2015).

Note that James and Jacques is used interchangeably in these record.  I believe that James was the English equivalent of Jacques.

Jacques Poillon wrote his will on 17 September 1732, and it was proved on 23 May 1733.  In the will, he named his wife, Judith, and nine children - sons Peter, John Abraham and Jacques, and five daughters, Mary Stillwell, Catherine LaTourette, Elizabeth, Adriane and Judith.  Jacques Poillon married twice - first to Francoise Billiou (1685-1714), with whom he had daughters Mary and Catherine in 1710 and 1712, respectively.  His second wife was Judith Bodine (1685-????), and they had eight children born between 1717 and 1732, but the first son Jacques died in 1730.

It is quite likely that Jacques Poillon had given Mary (Poillon) Stillwell her portion before he died, and that was why she was not bequeathed 100 pounds like her sisters were.  

This record is a Derivative Source (because it is a Surrogates Court clerk transcription of the original will), contains Primary Information, and is Direct Evidence of Jacques death before the will was proved, and the names of his wife and children, including the married names of his two eldest daughters.  

Jacques Poillon and Francoise Billiou are my 8th great-grandparents.  I am descended from the second daughter, Catherine (Poillon) LaTourette (1712-????), who married David LaTourette (1699-1764) in about 1730, and had four children, including my ancestor Marie LaTourette (1734-1786), who married Jonathan Lewis (1715-1785) before 1756.

NOTE:  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."

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