The Last Will & Testament
of
William Edwards
In the name of God amen. I William Edwards Senior of the town of Coxsackie in the county of Green in the State of New York being weak in body but of perfect mind & memory thanks be to Almighty God for the same and calling to mind not only the uncertainty of this mortal life but also the certainty of death and also believing the holy Scriptures which declares we ought to do justly to love mercy and walk humbly with God. Therefore in compliance with this request of doing justly I shall endeavor to make a just distribution of my earthly property amongst my children & earthly companion that they all may enjoy the same after my decease peaceably which I shall mention in the following manner and 1 sly. My wish is that my widow should possess and enjoy the farm on 100 acres I now live on and all the profits thereof during the time of her remaining my widow in conjunction with my two youngest sons Aaron & Moses and it is to be noted that this privilege is granted to my widow in order to enable her to school and maintain my children during their age of minority and expecting her also to ______ in & pay out all my just debts and I hereby constituting her my sole and only executrix of this my last will and Testament. My intent and further to be understood that if after my two sons Aaron & Moses comes to lawful age or twenty one years or more that they then should become spendthrifts and act imprudently my meaning is that their mother should no longer be under any obligations to possess _______ or enjoy the farm in conjunction with them or either of them that shall they be imprudent but should have the entire control of the farm & property during her remaining my widow but if they behave prudently then to have each their equal share of the income of my farm & property according to their prudence industry and merit during their mother’s lifetime if she remains my widow and after her decease. I wish my two said youngest sons to have forty acres (last line unreadable)
The said forty acres to be set off in the following manner, by actual survey that to say beginning at the north east corner of the field east of the orchard north of the Turnpike road joining the woodland running nearly south to a certain pile of stones and thence in a southerly direction to what is called the garner line or south line of my farm and to extend westerly on said line so far as to be in range with the Eastside or fence of the field where John Bogardus planted corn the last season or summer, and from thence to run northerly & westerly so far as to embrace the said forty acres so as to have it take in the house barn & orchard and lie in as nearly a square form as is possibly consistent with the first two lines. This I wish my two youngest sons their heirs & assign to possess & enjoy forever and the residue of my land & personal property if any of the personal property & I wish to be equally divided amongst my sons & daughters hereafter named _____
George William, Stephen & instead of John his oldest daughter Rachel and then my daughter Betsey Claw, Rebecca Hallenbeck, Sally Barr, Rosetta Edwards & Rhoda my youngest daughter and as to Aaron & Moses their portion has been mentioned as as to Morris Edwards my third son having given him all I intended I only request my widow & Executrix within five years if convenient to purchase for & give him a large bible worth four or five dollars that he may look thereon & therein & remember that he had an earthly father & still has a heavenly Father who requires his obedience and loudly calls on him to prepare to meet his God. And as further explanation of the aforesaid grant to my widow I wish to take no reasonable privilege from her while she remains my widow but if she married I then request and direct that she should only have of my property her third as the law directs & the two youngest sons to have their forty acres immediately set off to them and the remainder sold and the money divided among them as is aforesaid or else the land divided among them if they shall choose. I also direct that those who are under age should have their maintenance and schooling from the increase or products of my property during their minority & more especially in case of sickness or misfortune and because my widow & two youngest sons will have the increase of all my personal property I direct that Rhoda also should not be neglected but have at least all her earnings from the time of my decease untill of age and as much more assistance as the income of my property will admit of & finally as it is impossible for me to foresee future events or every circumstance that may occur I hereby leave and expect many things to be done and transacted discretionary by my Executrix who I trust is as anxious for the happiness & welfare of her children as I am I therefore leave it discretionary with her whether she will have any income or increase from the little lot of land that I own now in the possession of Samuel Barr & even to convey the title of said lot to his wife (last line unreadable)
Receive it as their full portion _ and I hereby certify that this & no other is my last will and testament hereby revoking all other & former wills by me made _ In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this twenty sixth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & twenty four.
Sealed & delivered in the presence of us who in the presence of the testator subscribed our names as witnesses.
Henry Cornwell
John Hollister William Edwards (seal)
Ruben Brundydge
Greene County SS – be it remembered that on the twelfth day of May one thousand Eight hundred & twenty four before Dorrance Kirtland Surrogate of the said county came Henry Cornwell on of the subscribing witnesses to the original instrument purporting to be the last will & testament of William Edwards deceased of which the foregoing is a copy and being duly sworn made oath that he saw the testator the said William Edwards execute the said instrument & publish & declare the same to be his last will and testament and that as well he as the other subscribing witnesses to wit John Hollister & Ruben Brundydge were all present at the time the said William Edward executed the said instrument & subscribed their names as witnesses thereto in the presence of the said testator & in the presence of each other and that the said testator was then of sound & disposing mind and memory and be it further remembered that on the day & year aforesaid before the said Surrogate came Rachel Edwards the widow and Executrix in the said Instrument named & was by me the said Surrogate duly qualified into office.
Dorrance Kirtland
Recorded May 22d 1824
background: Bee & Evelyn Knapp,
great great grandchildren of William Edwards