Information about the Cutter family was obtained from History of the Cutter Family of New England, by Dr. Benjamin Cutter, published Boston, 1871[1].
Information about the Kelsey family was obtained from A Genealogy of the Descendants of William Kelsey, by Edward A. claypool and Azalea Cizbee, published in 1928[2].
Mercy Kelsey was born in about 1698 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the first child of Joseph Kelsey and Joannes DeCamp of Elizabeth[2].
She married Richard Cutter, son of William and Rebecca (Rolfe) Cutter in about 1722 in Woodbridge, as his second wife[1]. They had six children between 1722 and about 1734, all probably born in Woodbridge[1]:
* William Cutter (1722-1780), married Mary Kent in about 1744.
* Joseph Cutter (1725-1767), married Ann Campyon before 1752.
* Mary Cutter (1728-????), married Baker.
* Rebecca Cutter (1730-????)
* Ebenezer Cutter (1732-????)
* Samuel Cutter (1734-1759)
Marcy Cutter is mentioned as a daughter in her father's will, dated 13 February 1739, and proved 1 July 1742, abstracted in the New Jersey Calendar of Wills, Vol. XXX, page 279[3].
Mercy Cutter is mentioned in her brother Joseph Kelsey's will, dated 24 April 1752, and proved 27 November 1753, abstracted in the New Jersey Calendar of Wills, Volume XXXII, page 184[4]. It calls her "sister Marcey Cutter."
"1752, Apr. 24. Keley (Kelsey), Joseph, of the Borough of Elisabeth, Essex Co., yeoman, will of. Brothers -- Benjamin Kelsey and Daniel Kelsey, who has daughters Maney and Ruth, both under 18. Mentions cousin Lowrance Decamp, Hannah and Mary, daughters of sister Mary Oliver, dec'd. children of sister Ruth, dec'd, wife of Benjamine Elstone; children of dec'd sister, Phebe Wood; children of sister, Elydia Winans; also sisters Marcey Cutter and Hannah Badgle. Real and personal property. Executors -- Joseph Wood, of Middlesex Co., and James Badley, of "Elisabeth Borrow." Witnesses -- Daniel Cargel, Jeremiah Oliver, Abraham Clark. Proved Nov. 27, 1753.
Lib. F, p. 147"
In husband Richard Cutter's will dated 20 September 1756 and proved 22 January 1757, he bequeathed to his wife Mercy Cutter[5]:
" I Give & bequeath to my well beloved Wife Mercy Cutter the one equal third part of all the Neat profit & Income of both my Grist Mill and Sawmill which she shall have & enjoy for & during her natural life also I Give to my said Wife the one half part of the priviledge use & benefit of my former Dwelling House at the Cornfield Landing her part to be taken where she shall chuse and also the use & benefit of the one half part of the Lands & Meadows lying & adjoyning on the Northerly side of the said Dwelling House & on the North side of the said Dwelling House & on the North side of the Road that goes by the same Bounded Westerly by the Lands herein after given to my Son Richard Cutter Northerly by Zebulon Pike's Land Easterly in part by Will'm Cutter's Land and partly by the great Creek including the Islands & Meadow lying Northerly of Bradly's Creek which moiety shall remain to my said wife during her natural life. Also I Give & bequeath to my Wife aboves'd One Feather Bed & sufficient furniture & also the Sum or value of fifty pounds of curr't money of this Province to be taken out of my Moveable Estate in such particular things as my wife shall chuse & being by her chosen they shall be Prized and Delivered to her by my Executors and shall remain to her her Heirs & assigns for ever."
Mercy (Kelsey) Cutter died after 13 November 1759 when she wrote her will, and before 28 May 1760 when her will was proved in the Middlesex County probate court[6]. The will reads:
"In the name of God Amen, the thirteenth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fifty nine I Mercy Cutter of Woodbridge in the county of Middlesex and province of New Jersey being of perfect mind and memory and calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men and women once to dye, do make and ordain this my last will and testament and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I do give and dispose of the same in the following manner and form.
"Imprimis it is my will and I do give order all my estate to be valued and appraised by two honest neighbours such as my executors hereafter named shall chuse and also sell the same if my said executors shall so chuse and cannot otherways agree. And I do order my said executors in the first place to pay all my just debts and funeral charges out of my estate and the remainder of my estate I do give and dispose of as followeth.
"Item I give to my son William Cutter the sum of five shillings.
"Item I give to my daughter Rebeccah Frazee the sum of twenty pounds.
"Item I give to my daughter Mary Baker the wife of Jacob Baker the sum of five pounds, all which shall be paid to them at one year after my decease. I also give to my granddaughter Mercy Cutter the sum of five pounds.
"Item I give to my grandson Kelsey Cutter the sum of five pounds. I give to my granddaughter Mercy Baker the sum of five pounds, to be paid to them when they come of age, and all the several sums or legacies which I have herein given is meant and intended by me to be current money of New Jersey at eight shillings the ounce.
* Item I give one half of the remainder of my estate to my son Ebenezar Cutter.
"Item I give the other half of the said remainder of my estate unto my grandson John Baker and to my granddaughter Mercy Baker to be equally divided between them and to be paid to them when they come of age.
"And I do hereby constitute make and ordain my son Ebenezar Cutter and my daughter Rebeccah Frazee my executor and executrix of this my last will and testament and do hereby utterly disallow revoke and disannull all and every other former wills legacies and executors by me in any ways before this time named willed and bequeathed ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament. In wittness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seal the day and year above written.
"Signed sealed and delivered by the said Mercy } her
Cutter to be her last will & testament in the presence of } Mercy M Cutter {LS}
Francis Campyon Joseph Thorne Benjamin Jackson } mark"
"Memorandum that on the twenty eighth day of May one thousand seven hundred and sixty, Francis Campyon one of the wittnesses wiithin subscribed evidences appeared before me John Smyth duly authorised &c And he being duely sworn on the Holy Evangelists on his oath declares that he did see Mercy Cutter the testator within named sign and seal the written instrument and heard her publish pronounce and declare the same to be her last will and testament, that at the doing thereof she was of sound mind and memory to the best of the deponent's knowledge and as he verily believes and that at the same time Joseph Thorn and Benjamin Jackson the other evidences were also present and signed as evidences as he the deponant did in the testatrix's presence.
John Smyth
"Also that at the same time Ebenezar Cutter one of the executors in the with-in will named came before me and was duely qualifyed by takeing the oath of an executor as appointed by law. John Smyth
"Probat granted by Gov'r Bernard &c (in the usual form &c) dated the same twenty eighth day of May 1760. Chas Read Reg'r
"Examined and agrees with the original, the word (wittnesses) obliterated in the proof was by mistake in recording . Smyth Reg'r"
Mercy (Kelsey) Cutter was buried in the First Presbyterian Church graveyard, but no stone or inscription survives[7].