Will of Andrew Smith III

Will of ANDREW SMITH III

Hunterdon County, New Jersey Wills, File #1692J.
[Recorded Copy, Hunterdon County, New Jersey Will Book 35, p. 114.]
Devised October 16, 1784
Proven April 25, 1794

I, ANDREW SMITH, of Hopewell in the County of Hunterdon in the Western Division of the State of New Jersey, yeoman, this Sixteenth day of October Anno One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty four, Being advanced in years but of Sound mind and memory, God be blessed therefore, Calling to mind the Mortality of my body and knowing all men once must die do make this my last will and Testament and as touching such worldly Estate as it pleased God to bless me with in this life, I give and dispose of in the following manner, Viz., it is my Will that all my Just debts and funeral Charges be fully paid and Discharged by my Executors Hereafter Named, Imprimis I give and Bequeath unto my Wife ANNA one Negroe Girl Named Vilet to be forever at her Disposyl, and also a good Comfortable and Reasonable mentenance for her and her Servant, at all times and in all things necessary for her comfort during the life of my said Wife to be Provided and made Convenient out of my Estate by my Executors hereafter Named.

Item, I give and Devise to my Eldest Son CHARLES SMITH all that Plantation I Purchased of Jonathan Smith (Taylor) whereon he now lives bounded easterly by lands of my Brother Timothy Smith, Southerly by lands of Isaac Larowe and Cornell, Westerly by the lands of my Brother Jonathan Smith, Northerly by lands of Benjamin Price and Stephen Moore Containing by Estimation _____ acres be the same more or less with the appurtenances and Profits thereof with one good bed and beding for and during his natural life (but if he lives to have lawful issue of his body, I do hereby devise his Legacy jointly to them their heirs and assigns forever) if the Profits of the farm should not procure him a Reasonable mentenance, I do hereby order and Require my Executors to give such further reasonable supply out of my Estate that his life may be comfortable, and Whereas my said son Charles now is and hath been for many years last past Deprived of his Reason and like to Continue so, therefore I do will and order that both his person and Estate be in the Care and under the Direction of my Exrs. hereafter named.

Item, I give and Devise to my Daughter JEMIMA one Spanish Pistole to her forever, if it should so happen that my Daughter Jemima should become poor and Needy in this life, I do Require my Exrs. to give her Reasonable Relief out of my estate. I also give and Devise to my Daughter Jemima's Children that she bear to BENJAMIN MERRIL, to wit, SAMUEL, JOHN, ANDREW, WILLIAM, CHARLES, ELIJAH, and JONATHAN MERRIL, ANNA McCLEARY and PENELOPE MERRIL to all and Each of them Severally fifty Pounds a piece to be paid to them Respectively in four years after my Decease (or as they come of Age afterwards) and I do hereby further will and order that if either of my said Grand Children aforenamed die leaving lawful issue before this will is in force, their Children that is to Say all the Children of the Deceased, to the full share of their parent legacy being fifty Pounds Share and Share alike all to be paid out of my Estate by my Exrs. hereafter named.

It is my will and Order that my old Negroe wench Rene may live with my Son ANDREW or else where to her own liking and when all the legacies as above said are paid and the Duties injoined on my Exrs. to perform as above Required according to the true Intent and meaning thereof, then I Devise all the Residue and Remainder part of my Estate both Real and personable of all kind and nature whatsoever to my Son ANDREW SMITH to be Enjoyed by him his heirs and Assigns forever. And I Constitute, make, and appoint the said ANDREW SMITH, JOHN SMITH (son of JONATHAN) and ANDREW HIXON Executors to this my last Will and Testament and I do hereby utterly Revoke all and Every former will or Testament by me in any wise before this made, Ratifying and Confirming this and 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.
Signed, Sealed, Pronounced, and Declared by the said
ANDREW SMITH as his last Will and Testament
in the Presents of us the Subscribers
JACOB SNYDER ANDREW SMITH
JOHN REED
OBADIAH HUNT

JOHN REED and OBADIAH HUNT, two of the Witnesses to the within Will, being duly Sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, did severally depose and say, that they saw ANDREW SMITH, the Testator therein named, sign and seal the same and heard him publish, pronounce, and declare the within writing to be his last Will and Testament; and that at the doing thereof the said Testator was of sound and disposing mind and memory, as far as these Deponents know and as they verily believe, and that JACOB SNYDER the other subscribing Evidence was present at the same time and signed his name as a witness to the said Will, together with these Deponents in the presence of the said Testators.
Sworn at Trenton the 25th day of April 1794 Before me
RD. THROCKMORTON, Surrogate JOHN REED
OBADIAH HUNT

ANDREW SMITH, one of the Executors in the within Testament named, being duly Sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, did depose and say, that the within Instrument contains the true Last Will and Testament of ANDREW SMITH, the Testator therein named, so far as he knows and as he verily believes, that he will well and truly perform the same by paying first the debts of the said Deceased, and then the Legacies in the said Testament specified, so far as the Goods, Chattels, and Credits of the said deceased can thereunto extend, that he will and render a just and true account, when thereunto lawfully required.
Sworn at Trenton the 26th day of
April 1794 - Before me
RD. THROCKMORTON, Surrogate ANDREW SMITH

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