Will of Thomas IRELAND (1773), Atlantic/Gloucester County, MD Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Ray Steelman http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************************** " WILL OF THOMAS IRELAND " (GLOUCESTER CO.) In the name of God Amen the Eleventh day of January in the year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy three, I THOMAS IRELAND of the Township of Great Eggharbour County of Gloucester and Province of West New Jersey, Husbandman, being sick and weak in Body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto God, Therefore calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, Do make this my last Will and Testament. That is to say, Principally and first of all I Recommend my soul into the Hands of God, that gave it and for my Body I Recommend it to the Earth to be Buried in a Christian like and decent manner at the discretion of my Executors, nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall Receive the same by the mighty power of God, and as touching such worldly Estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this Life I give, Demise and Dispose of the same in the following manner and form Imprimis it is my will and I do order in the first place that all my Just Debts and Funeral Charges be paid and Satisfied: ItemFirst: I Give and Bequeath to my son GEORGE and his heirs forever All my Plantation where I now live with one hundred Acres Joining which I Purchased of GIDEON SCULL, Likewise I give and Bequeath to my son AMOS IRELAND and his Heirs forever the one half of the Tract of land belonging to the Sawmill with one half of her which is in Partnership between me and ELIAS SMITH with the one half of the Meadow which I own lying on the West Side of Great Egg Harbour River, the Meadow which DANIEL IRELAND purchased of CHARLES DINGEY, Likewise I give and Bequeath to my Son THOMAS IRELAND and his Heirs forever, the one half of the sawmill upon Great Run, with one half of the Cedar Swamp which is in Partnership between me, and THOMAS CHAMPION, Also three pair of Oxen to be made up to him for the use of the mill, Also the half of the Partnership Wagon Also all my part of the Boards and Logs which are at the aforesaid Mill I Order the Mill to be Rented out untill the Swamp is paid for, and the Rest to be Use untill the Boy comes of Age, I give and bequeath unto my daughter ABIGAIL and her heirs forever One Bed and Bedding more than the other Girls, and then the movable Estate to be Equally to be Divided between her, and my other four younger Daughters, SOPHIA, JAMIMA, MARY and SILVY. I order that My Daughter SILVY shall have the Priviledge of the New House Joining the old one, as long as she Remain Single I Order that all of them shall be paid their Legacie as they come to the age of Eighteen years and if any of them should die without Lawful Issue, then their Estate shall be Equally Divided between the other Girls, if either of my Sons that are entitled to Land should die without Lawful Issue I Desire that their Estate shall be equally Divided be-the other Survivors that are Intitled to Land, I order that my wife MARY IRELAND shall have the Priviledge of the Place where I now live and of the movable Estate with paying the Legacies as they come due, I order that my Sons GEORGE and THOMAS shall have trades as my Extore think most proper, I order that five Shillings a piece shall be paid unto SARAH, JAPHET and HANNAH if demanded, I appoint my wife and JOHN SOMERS son of JAMES SOMERS to be my whole and sole Executors of my last Will and Testament I acknowledge pronounce and declare this to be my Last Will and Testament as Witness my Hand and Seal this Eleventh Day of January in the year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy three. Signed Sealed in the Presence of THOMAS IRELAND ADAM M ORRIS, JABISH CLARK SAMUEL ALEXANDER ADAM MORRIS one of the witnesses of the within Will being one of the People called Quakers , on his solem Affirmation doth affirm and say that he saw THOMAS IRELAND the Testator sign and seal The same, and heard him publish, pronounce and declare the within Insrument to be his last Will and Tesatament, and that at the doing thereof the said Testator was of sound and Disposing mind and memory as far as this deponent knows and as he verily believes, and that JABISH CLARK, and SAMUEL ALEXANDER the other Subscribing Witnesses were present, and signed their names as Witnesses to the said Will together with these Deponents in the Presencs of the said Testator, ADAM MORRIS Affirmed before this 16th day of February 1773. James Bowman. The foregoing Will being Proved, Probate was Granted by his Excellency William Franklin Esqr. to MARY IRELAND, Executrix in said Will named who being duly Affirmed to perform the same to Exhibit a true Inventory and render a just and true Account when thereto lawfully required. Given under the Prerogative Seal at Burlington the Day and Year aforesaid. Cha Pettit Reg r. Recorded in Liber 16 of Wills page 110 &c. NEW JERSEY PREROGATIVE COURT I David S. Crater, Register of the Prerogative Court of the State of New Jersey, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the Last Will and Testament of THOMAS IRELAND, Deceased, as the same is taken from and compared with the original Recorded in Liber 16 of Wills, page 110 &c.,and now remaining on file and of record in my office. Witness my hand and the Seal of the Prerogative Court, at Trenton, this Twentieth day of July A.D. 1914. David S. Crater Register.