Will of John SOMERS (1785), Atlantic/Gloucester County, MD Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Ray Steelman http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************************** " WILL OF JOHN SOMERS " (SON OF JAMES SOMERS SR.) In the name of God Amen, this Twelfth Day of January in the Year of our Lord one Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy Five.I JOHN SOMERS of Grait Eggharbour in the County of Gloucester in the Province of West New Jersey Being in Perfect health of Body and of perfect mind And Memory Thanks be Given to God Calling unto mind the Mortality of my Body and Knowing that it is appointed for all men once to Die do make and 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 Almighty God that Give And my Body I Recommend to the Earth to be Burried in a Christian Burial at the Discretion of My Executors Nothing Doubting but at the general Resuuection I Shall Receive the Same Again by the Mighty Powers 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. First I Give to me well Beloved wife the Sume of Five Pounds to be Raised and Levied out of my Estate: Also I Give to my well Beloved Son JAMES SOMERS his heirs and Assigns all that part of the Land he now Live on Lying Situated in the Township of Great Eggharbour and County of Gloucester in the Provence afforsaid Bounded as Followeth (viz.)Beginning at the Mouth of the Bridg Creek Near Great Eggharnour River thence up the Several Courses of Said Creek to A post Marked A. Standing in the Forks below the Cimon Island and from thence to A post by the Fence in A range of the Dam Mark'd B And So Along the fence to A post Standing Near the End Of the Dam Mark'd C and from thence to a post Standing by the Side of the Dam Creek Marked D from thence up the Several Courses of the Dam Creek to the First Branch and from thence North East to the Tract of Land I Bought of JOHN ALFORD from thence North East ward A Direct Line to A post Standing in my Back line Sixteen chain from Harkers Brank, then by the Back line South Forty nine Degrees East Sixteen Chains to Harkers Branch then Down the Several Courses of sd Branch on the West Side So far as to bring JOSHUA SMITH & RICHARD MANERY corner pine to bear South West from thence South West to Smith & Manery crner pine from thence North Westwardly along Smith line to Smith North Corner from thence South Westward by Smith Land to the Dam Creek and Crossing Still by the Said Smiths Line to the Said Dam Creek Again, and thence Down the Severall Coursses of Said creek to Lakes Creek the Severall Coursses to the place of Beginning Together with all the Previledges and Advantages there Belonging be the Same more or less, Also I Give and Bequeath to my son DAVID SOMERS his heirs and Assigns all this Tract of Land and Mash, Situated in the township afforsaid Lying Between my Son James Land and my Son John Land Bounded as followeth(viz)Beginning at the Mouth of Bridge Creek Near Eggharbour River it Being the Begning of my son James Land and Mash thence up severall Coursses of Great Eggharbour River to the Mouth of Middle Creek then up the Severall Coursses of midle creek to the Ditch and Fence and from thence up the sd Ditch to the Goose hole and from thence A Direct Line A post Lettered A at the head of the Lain by the Road then up the Said Road the Severall Coursses to the Oak Ridge Road then down Said Ridge Road to a Large Hickery Lettered D.S. from thence North East to the head of my Land then South Forty nine Degrees East Along the head Line to my Son James Corner post then South westward binding by the Severall Coursses of my son James Land and Meadow to the place of Beginning Together with all the Previliges and Advantages thereto Belonging be the Same more or Less Also I Give and Bequeath to my Son JOHN SOMERS his heirs and Assigns all this Tract of Land and Marsh whereon I now Live Situated in the Township and County Aforesaid Lying between my Son Davids Land and DAVID BADCOCKs Land Bounded as Foloweth(viz)Beginning at the mouth of Middle creek by Eggharbour River: it being the Bounds of my son Davids Land then up Several Coursses of Eggharbour River to the Mouth of Crambry creek then up Several Coursses of Crambry creek to DAVID BADCOCK corner Mapel in the Branch, then North Thirty Eight Degrees West by David Badcocks Line to the Line of A tract of land I Bought of JOHN ALFORD by which it is Bounded the Several Coursses as the Line goes to my Son Davids Corner post Standing in the Back line then South Westward Binding by the Several Coursses of Son Davids Land and Mash to the place of Beginning Together with all the Previligess and Advantages thereto Belonging be the Same more or less.Also I Give and Bequeath to me Son JEREMIAH SOMERS his heirs and Assigns all thi Tract of Land and mash Situate in the Township and County aforesaid at a place called Gregcrys Neck; Bounded as followeth (viz): Beginning at A post Standing by the Side of back creek where JOSEPH SCULLs Line comes to the creek being the Land and Mash Scull Bought of JAMES SOMERS, from thence up the Several Coursses of the Creek north East ward to A black Oak Marked 4 Blazes 12 Notches and it Standing by the Road that leads to Bens Bridge that crosses two Nile Swamp, from thence up the Several Coursses of two Mile Swamp by the Middle of the Run or Branch to the line of 600 Acres of land I Bought of JOHN SOMERS then Eastwardly Along the line of the 600 Acres to JOSEPH SCULLs Land and then Along Scull Line and the Eastwardly Side line of 400 Acres I bought of JOHN SOMERS to a Gum corner of sd 400 Acres Standing in Gregorys Neck Branch near the head thereof then down the Several coursses of Gregory Neck creek it being the Bounds of PETTER STEELMANs land to JACOB SOMERs Line Ditch then Northwastwardly along the Ditch to Back creek, then up the Several Coursses ofBack creek to the place of Beginning Together with all the Previligess and Advantages thereunto Belonging Be the Same more or less. Also I Give and Bequeath to my Son THOMAS SOMERS his heirs and Assigns all this Tract of Land wheron JOHN LEE now lives Lying Between my Son James Land and my Son Jeremiah Land Situate in the Town and County Aforesaid Bounded as Followeth (viz) Beginning at A post Standing by the Side of Back creek it being the Beginning corner of my son Jeremiah Land and Mash, it being Also a corner of JOSEPH SCULLs Land and from thence Northwestwardly Binding by Sculls Land to Lakes Creek then down the Several Coursses of Lakes creek to RICHARD MANERYs Line then North West by manery line to JOSHUA SMITH Corner and my Son James Corner then north East along my Son JAMES SOMERS line to harkers Branch then up Said Branch on the west Side the Several Coursses thereof Including the branch to my Back line then Eastwardly Binding JAMES BINGHAMs Lines to A_600 Acre Tract I bought of JOHN SOMERS by which it is Bounded to two Mile Swamp which is the Bounds of JEREMIAH SOMERS Land then Down the several Coursses of Said two Mile Swamp Binding by Jeremiah land to Bens Bridg and Still along the line of Jeremiah land the Several Coursses to the place of Beginning Together with all and Singular the Priviliges and Advantages thereunto belonging be the Same more or less, also I Give to my son THOMAS SOMERS And to his heirs and Assigns Thirteen Acres of Salt Meadow Lying on the South west Side of Great Eggharbour River at the Ceader Wammox it being the Same that I purchased of JOHN SOMERS with other Lands Also I give and Bequeath To my two sons JEREMIAH and THOMAS SOMERS A Tract of Land Containing Six Hundred Acres and the usual Allowance it Being one of the Tracts I Purchased of JOHN SOMERS Lying Ajoyning to thare other land at the head of two Mile Swamp And to be Equally Divided Between them Together with all the Previledges And Advantages thereto Belonging And it is my will that in case JAMES SOMERS, DAVID SOMERS or JOHN SOMERS my three Sons Should Either of them Die without Lawful Issue the Survivers Shall have the Land Equally Between them And Also it is my will that in Case my two Sons JEREMIAH SOMERS and THOMAS SOMERS, either of them Should die without Lawful Issue the Survivers Shall have all his Land. Item: I Give and Bequeath to my two Daughters ESTER SOMERS and ABIGAIL SOMERS fifty pounds A peace, one Hundred pounds in Good and Lawful money of the Provence Aforesaid to be Raised and Levied out of my Estate, to be paid to them at my Decease Also I do Constitute and Ordain my wife ESTHER SOMERS the Sole Executor of my Last will and Testament and I do hereby Utterly Disalow Revoke and Disannul all and Every other former Testament, Wills Legacies Bequeaths and Executors by me in Any ways before Named willed or Bequeathed Ratifying and Confirming this and no other to be my Last will and Testament, in Witness hereof I have hereunto Set my hand And Seal Dated the Day and Year first Above writen. Signed JOHN SOMERS. (L.S.) Signed Sealed Published Pronounced and Declared by the Said JOHN SOMERS as his Last will and Testament in the precence of us who in his Presence and in the presence of Each other have hereto Subscribed our Names, DAVID BADCOCK, RICHARD (his X mark) MANARING DAVID BADCOCK one of the witness to the within will being Duly Sworn According to Law doth depos and Say that he Saw JOHN SOMERS the Testator therin Named Sign and Seal the Same and heard him publick Pronounce and Declare the Writing to be his last will and Testament and that at the doing thereof the Said Testator was of A Sound Disposing mind and Memory as far as this Deponent knows and he Verrily believes, and that he Signed his name as A Witness to the Said will in Presence of RICHARD MANARING and in the Presence of the Said Testator Sworn at Burlington June 23d 1783 Coram me HERBERT Mc ELROY Surre t The foregoing will being proved Probate was granted by his Excellency WILLIAM LIVINGSTON Esq r unto ESTER SOMERS Sole Executrix in the written will Named, She being Duly Affirmed truly to Perform the Same, Exhibit A True And Perfect Inventory And Render A just and True Account when thereunto Lawfully Required Given under the Prerogative Seal the Day and Year Above Said. BOWES REED, Reg r. Recorded in Liber 24 of Wills, page 208 &c. NEW JERSEY PREROGATIVE COURT I GEORGE WURTS, 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 JOHN SOMER, deceased, late of Great Eggharbour as the name is taken from and compared with the original Record, Recorded in Liber 24 of Wills, page 208 &c. now remaining on file and of record in my office. Witness my hand and the Seal of the Prerogative Court, at Trnton, this Twenty- fifth day of February A.D. 1902 GEORGE WURTS, Register.