BENJAMIN HERITAGE WILL, GLOUCESTER, NEW JERSEY Copyright (c) 2001 by Aryl-Jeanne Reed (arylreed@earthlink.net). ************************************************************************ USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submittor has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ************************************************************************ Will of Benjamin Heritage (3041H W-I 1815) Gloucester Co, NJ, Book A-544 Be it Remembered that I Benjamin Heritage of the Township of Deptford County of Gloucester in the state of West New Jersey being in good health and of Sound mind and memory do this sixteenth Day of February in the year of our LORD one thousand eight hundred and thirteen make and ordain this my last will and Testament in manner and form following first it is my will and order that all my Just debts and funeral Charges be duly paid Item I give and bequeath __ unto my wife Priscilla Heritage my lodging Room during her natural life also I give unto my said wife one Bed and Beding one case of Drawers and other Furniture that are necefsary to furnish the aforesaid Room likewise one cow which I give unto my said Wife her heirs and afsigns forever and further it is my Will and order that my said wife shall have the privilege of my Kitchen and Seller where I now live for necefsary uses during her natural life also Sufficient of Meat and Flour out of my personal Estate for her maintainance one year next after my decease and also I do give and Bequeath unto my said wife eight Hundred Hundred Dollars to be paid unto her out of my personal Estate, in manner following one Hundred dollars part thereof in one month after my decease and one hundred Dollars more thereof at the expiration of one year after my decease and two hundred Dollars more part thereof at the Expiration of one year then next following and two hundred Dollars more part thereof at the expiration of one year then next following after that and the Remainder two hundred Dollars at the expiration of one year then next following after that. Also it is my will and order that my said wife shall not Rent the aforesaid Room to any person whatsoever but only to occupy the same to and for her own use during her natural life and it is my will and order that all the above bequeaths that I have devised unto my said Wife are in Lieu of her dower in all Lands I now hold or heretofore have held and further it is my will and order that if my said wife should claim her widow dower in any Lands I now hold or heretofore have sold the aforesaid eight hundred Dollars I order my Executors herein after named to keep in their hands for the use of Defraying Charges and Rebuting her Claim of Dower if any she makes Item I do give and bequeath unto my Son Benjamin Heritage all that Plantation on Tract of Land whereon he now lives Situate in the Township of Woolwich which I purchased of John Blackwood Sheriff and part of Samuel Ogden which said Plantation I give and Bequeath unto my said Son Benjamin Heritage his heirs and Assigns forever he paying thereout Fourteen Dollars to his Mother Priscilla Heritage during her natural life in Lieu of her widow Dower of said Plantation Item I do give and bequeath unto my son Ephraim Heritage the sum of sixteen Dollars to be paid out of my personal Estate which I give unto my said son Ephraim Heritage his heirs and assigns forever he being heretofore provided for by Deed Item I give and bequeath unto my son Stephen Heritage the Sum of sixteen Dollars to be paid out of my Personal Estate which I give unto my said son Stephen Heritage his heirs and assigns forever he being heretofore provided for by Deed __ Item I do give and bequeath unto my Son Samuel Heritage the sum of Sixteen hundred Dollars to be paid unto him by my son Josiah Heritage after the following manner two hundred Dollars part thereof at the expiration of one year after my decease and then the remainder two hundred Dollars a year untill the whole be paid to come out of my Landed property which I hereafterwards shall devise unto my said Son Josiah Heritage and further it is my Will and order Whereas at this time my said son Samuel being absent and if he never should return back again I do give and devise the aforesaid Sixteen [ ] Hundred Dollars unto my said Son Josiah Heritage and to his heirs and afsigns forever and further my will and order is that if my said son Samuel does not return to receive the aforesaid Legacies as they become payable my said son Josiah shall not pay no Interest therefor Item I do give and bequeath unto my Son Josiah Heritage all the remainder of my real Estate which I have not heretofore devised off To wit the plantation whereon I now live my landing Lot on Mantua Creek my two Lots of Cedar Swamp on Squancum Branch and my two Lots of Cedar Swamp on Scotland branch all which devised property are situated in the Township of Deptford all which devised premises I give unto my said Son Josiah Heritage his heirs and assigns forever my Said Son Josiah [ ] paying thereout Sixty Dollars yearly unto his mother Priscilla Heritage during her natural life in Lieu of her widow Dower in the aforesaid devised premises and further it is my will and order that my said Son Josiah Heritage shall find and provide sufficient keeping for his mothers cow and also sufficient firewood at her Door for her use for the aforesaid Room which I heretofore devised unto his said Mother provided that she pays for the choping thereof Item I do give and [ ] Bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth Leonard the sum of three hundred and fifty Dollars to be paid out of my personal Estate at the expiration of one year after my decease also I do give unto my said Daughter Elizabeth all the goods that I heretofore purchased at the Constables Sale of William Leonard husband of my Daughter Elizabeth all which Bequeaths I do give unto my said Daughter Elizabeth her heirs & afsigns forever Item I do Give and bequeath unto my Daughter Sarah Driver the sum of four hundred Dollars to be paid out of my personal Estate at the Expiration of one year after my decease which I give unto said Daughter Sarah her heirs and assigns forever Item I do give and bequeath unto my Daughter Hannah Shute the sum of four hundred Dollars to be paid out of my personal Estate at the Expiration of one year after my Decease which I give unto my said Daughter Hannah her heirs and assigns forever Item I do give and bequeath unto my Daughter Priscilla Dilks the sum of four hundred Dollars to be paid out of my personal Estate at the Expiration of one year of my Decease which I give unto my Daughter Priscilla her heirs and assigns forever Item I do give and bequeath unto my Daughter Martha Prat the sum of four hundred Dollars to be paid out of my __ personal Estate at the expiration of one year after my decease which I give unto my said Daughter Martha her heirs and assigns forever Item my will and order is that my Executors herein named do __ make Sale of all my personal Estate Together with one half of the grain Growing on the premises whereon I now live as soon as convenient After my decease and After the aforesaid Legacies are paid thereout the remainder if any there should be shall be equally divided between my Son Josiah Heritage and my four Daughters to wit Sarah, Hannah, Priscilla and Martha which I give unto them their heirs and assigns forever Lastly I do make ordain Constitute and appoint my son Josiah Heritage and my Son in Law John Driver to be my Sole Executors of this my last will and Testament and if in case either of them do decline or depart this life before my Estate be settled then I do ordain and appoint my Son in Law Andrew Dilks in the place thereof I do hereby revoke and disannul all former wills and Testaments by me made ratifying 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 first above written __ Signed Sealed Pronounced and Declared by the said Benjamin Heritage to be his last will and Testament in the Presence of us John Porch Jesse Leonard Benjamin Heritage seal Isaac Morgan John Porch and Jesse Leonard two of the subscribing witnesses to the foregoing will being duly affirmed according to Law saith that they say Benjamin Heritage the Testator within named Sign and Seal the same that they heard him publish pronounce and declare the foregoing Instrument to be his last will and Testament that at the doing thereof the said Testator was of sound disposing mind and memory as far these affirmants know and as they verily believe that Isaac Morgan the other Subscribing Witness was present at the same time & signed his name thereto together with these affirmants and witnesses thereunto in the presence [cut off]