Hunterdon County NJ Archives Wills.....Baldwin, Moses January 25, 1783 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nj/njfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: David Hoffman dvh592341@fastmail.fm July 28, 2006, 10:04 pm Source: Will Packet 1194j For Hunterdon County, Located At The Nj State Arechives In Trenton, Nj. Written: January 25, 1783 Recorded: February 9, 1783 In the Name of God Amen, I Moses Baldwin of Hopewell in the County of Hunterdon & Western Division of the State of New Jersey, Cordwainer, Being This the Wonderfull Goodness and Mercy of God, tho [?] weak in Body Yet of a Sound and Perfect Understanding and Memory do Constitute this my last Will and Testament and Desire it may be Received as Such Imprimis, I most humbly Bequeath my Soul to God, My Maker, Beseeching his most Gracious Acceptance of it at Judge Day [?]. I give my Body to the Earth from whence it was taken in full Assurance of its’ Resurrection at the Last Day, as for my Burial I desire it may be Decent without Pomp or State at the Discretion of my Executors hereafter Named, who I doubt not will Manage it with all Requisite Prudence. As to my worldly Estate as it is Pleased God to Bestow on me, It is my will and sole Desire that it may be managed in the following Manner. Item It is my Will & Desire that the House & Plantation . . . to Belonging where I now dwell be Left in Possession for the Benefit of my Well Beloved Wife Mary—and my Brother Thomas Baldwin for & During the natural Life or the widowhood of my wife Mary. And then it is my will that the Place be Sold by Publick Sale and the Moneys Arising therefrom to be Distributed as follows Item I will & Bequeath unto my Grandson James Baldwin the Sum of One Hundred Pounds Lawfull Procklamation Money—also I will & Bequeath unto my Grand Daughter Deborah Baldwin Sixty Pounds Money Aforesd. to be paid them when they arrive at the Age of Twenty-One the Grandson & Eighteen Years the Daughter. If either should Die Before they come to Age the Remaining to have the whole One Hundred Sixty Pounds. Item It is my Will & Desire that the Residue of what the Place Bring over & above the One Hundred & Sixty Pounds Aforesaid be for the use & Benefit of my Beloved Son David Baldwin his Heirs & Assigns. Item I will & Bequeath unto my Beloved Daughters Mary Hunt & Elizabeth Titus one Equal Moiety of Half of my Moveable Estate. Item I will & Bequeath unto the Daughters of John Morgan Viz. Deborah Hannah & Keziah Two thirds of the Remaining part of my Moveable Estate. Item I will & Bequeath unto my Belovd Daughter Keziah Allen the remaining one Third part of the one Half of my Moveable Estate to be by Them Divided, or Sold & the Moneys Arising be Divided as may appear the most Equitable to the Parties and my Executors hereafter named. It is my will & Desire if my Beloved Wife Mary Should Marry that she should have Liberty to take away with her such Household Furniture as She brought with her to me. And I do Hereby Appoint my Beloved Son David Baldwin and my Worthy Friends Edward Cornell & Jonathan Bunn, the Sole Executors of this my Last Will & Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Affixed my Seal this Twenty-fifth day of January in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred & Eighty-Three. Signed Sealed Pronounced Published by the said Moses Baldwin to be his Last Moses Baldwin will & Testament in the Presence of us the Subscribers____________ The words . . . (thereunto Belonging) in the 16th Line Before the Signing & Sealing of the written will N. B. It is the Will & Desire of the Testator that his Son David Baldwin Pay unto his Brother Daniel Baldwin out of his Part the Sum of Thirty Pounds—it Being Omitted inserting in the Body of the Will—Done & Concluded upon Before Signing these Present. Samuel Fitch Benjamin Cornell Tho. Bullman The will was proved 9 February 1783. Will packet 1194J for Hunterdon County, located at the NJ State Arechives in Trenton, NJ. Additional Comments: The Keziah Allen mentioned in the will is in error. Moses Baldwin’s daughter Hannah Morgan married Elijah Allen and is remembered also in the will of her step-mother Mary Baldwin, who calls Hannah Allen her daughter-in-law. Moses Baldwin’s daughter Keziah, who is not mentioned by name, married John Morgan; hence the legacies to the 3 daughters of John Morgan. Considering him leaving out his son Daniel until the very end, it's likely Moses was not quite as clear headed as conventional will phraseology of the time would suggest. The signature of Moses Baldwin is very unsteady. This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/njfiles/ File size: 4.9 Kb