JOHN WOODRUFF WILL, CUMBERLAND, NEW JERSEY

Copyright (c) 2001 by Beverly Portlock (geoport@fea.net).

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WILL OF JOHN WOODRUFF
May 1, 1755
Township of Hopewell, County of Cumberland,
Province of New Jersey


    In the Name of God, Amen.  The first day of May, Anno. Dem. 1755.  I, John Woodruff of the
    Township of Hopewell in the County of Cumberland $ Province of West New Jersie, Weaver,
    being very sick & weak in Body, but of perfect mind & memory, Thanks be given to God:
    Therefore calling to mind the Mortality of my Body, I do make & ordain this my last Will &
    Testament.  That is to say, principally & first of all, I give & recommend my Soul into the
    Hands of Almighty that geave it & my Body I recomend to the Earth to be buried in a decent
    & Christian Burial, at the Discretion of my Executors, nothing doubting but that at the
    general Resarrection I shall receive it again 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 ------
    -------, & the same in the following manner and form:

    First I give & bequeath to Lidia, my dearly beloved Wife the use of one half of my
    homestead and the Land which I bought of Othneal Johnson, and of my Marsh & Barn and all my
    ------, to help in bringing up my Children, till they be of age; & also the one Third Part
    of my moveable Estate, after my Debts and one Legacy of --oint pound is paid.  Also i give
    to my said wife the ---- of one third Part of said lands, House & Barn, after all the
    Children are of Age dureing her Life.

    Also - I give to my Son John the other Half of the Land, Marsh & Barn mentioned above to be
    possesed by himself at the age of twenty-one years and when all my Children are of age to
    possess two Third Parts of then, & when my Wife Dies, to possess the whole, to him and his
    Heirs forever:

    Item I give to my Son Jesse all that Land I bought of the Widow Rigen? to him & to his
    Heirs forever.

    Also I give to my Son Benjamin the sum of twenty Pounds, to be paid out of my movable
    Estate one yer after my demise.

    Also, my Will is that the other two Third Parts of my moveable Estate be equally Divided
    among the rest of my Children, viz, Esther, Lidia, James, David, Timothy & Catura, Each
    one’s part to be paid to them when they are of age, vis. the Boys at Twenty one, & the
    girls at Eighteen & the use of their estate until then to be applyed to help to bring them
    up.  Further, My Will is that if My Son John Shall die without lawful Heir, then all of
    Land & apurtinances bequeathed to him shall decend to My Son Jessie, his Heirs & Asigns
    forever; and the Land bequeathed  to Jesse to Decend to James & his Heirs & Asign forever.
    If Jesse die without lawful Heir then said Land & Marsh bequeath to John Shall decend to
    James, his Heirs & asigns forever, & that Land bequeath to Jesse, to decend to David, his
    Heirs & Asigns forever.  If James Shall die without lawful issue, then the Lands & Marsh
    bequeath to John Shall decend to David, his Heirs & Asigns forever, and that bequeathed to
    Jesse to decend to Timothy, his Heirs & Assigns forever.

    Item.  If any of my Sons, who have no Land left them, Shall by the death of their elder
    brothers, come to possess Lands as aforesaid, then their or his part of my moveable Estate
    Shall be divided among or decend to my younger Sons or Son.

    Item.  I make, ordain, constitute & appoint my dearly beloved Wife, & my trusty Friend,
    Jonathan Holmes, Esq. Executor of this my last Will & Testament, revoacking all former
    Wills by me made, ratifying & confirming this to be my last Will & Testament.

Sealed, Signed, Declared & Pronounced by ------ John Woodruff
to be his last Will and Testament, in the in the Presence
of us the Subscribers.

    Andrew Hunter           John Woodruff
    Samuel Miller
    Isaac Penton


        PROBATE -- 23 MAY 1755

        SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE -- NOV. 4, 1772

        CUMBERLAND CO., NJ  #134F