Will of Thomas Baldwin of Southeast Town, Dutchess County, New York
Will written in 1794 and recorded March 10, 1795
Transcribed by Sharon Buckley
(The text contains misspelled words, which I have transcribed in their original form.)
Dutchess County, New York Wills, Vol. AA, A 1751-1796
Vol. A, Pg-440-443.
I, Thomas Baldwin of Southeast town, county of Dutchess and state of New York being of sound mind and memory, do this seventeenth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety four, make and ordain this my last will and testament.
That is to say it is my will that all my just debts together with my funeral charges be paid by my executors hereinafter named. Then it is my will and I hereby order that my wife Betty have and enjoy the improvement of the one equal third part of my real estate or bounded interest during the term of her natural life. And also I do hereby give and bequeath unto her my said wife all and singular my household furniture and wearing apparel together with a decent riding horse and woman's saddle, and also two good milke (sic) cows.
Then I give and bequeath unto my son David Baldwin the one mosity? or equal half part of my real estate. Then I give and bequeath unto my son Thomas Baldwin the one other mosity? or equal half part of my said real estate, and also my gun and sword.
Then in consideration of the bequeathments in this my will made to my said son David Baldwin it is my will and I do order that my said son David Baldwin pay to my daughter Deborah Sears thirty and two pounds New York money written twelve months from the time of my decease. Then it is my will and I do hereby order that my said son David Baldwin pay to my daughter Betthia Crane thirty pounds in like money as aforesaid within two years from the time of my decease. And it is my will and I hereby do order that he my said son David Baldwin pay to my daughter Elizabeth Crosley the sum of thirty pounds in like money within three years from the time of my decease. And I do likewise hereby order that my said son David Baldwin pay to my daughter Jennifer Knox the sum of thirty pounds within four years from the time of my decease. Then it is my will and I do hereby order that my said son Thomas Baldwin in consideration of the bequeathment to him made in this my will, pay to my daughter Betsey within 12 months the sum of seventy pounds New York money.
Then it is my will and I do hereby further order that my said son David Baldwin do pay annually from the time of my decease to my said wife the sum of four pounds in like money as aforesaid to be by her my said wife disposed of for the support and maintenance of my son Asa Baldwin on whom it has not been the pleasure of God to bestow ? mental faculties necessary to a prudent management of the common affairs of life, which sum of four pounds, I do hereby order to be paid by my said son David Baldwin to my said wife Betty whom I hereby appoint as agent for my said son Asa, annual during the natural life of my said wife or during the natural life of my said son Asa.. And in case my said son Asa should survive the decease of my said wife, then it is my will and I do hereby order that the like sum of four pounds be by my said son David Baldwin paid annually for the support or maintenance of my said son Asa during the term of his natural life to Isaac Crane, Baldwin Sears and Isaiah Crane whom I do hereby appoint as agents for my said son Asa to receive and dispose of the same for his support, and it is my will and I do hereby order that my said son Thomas Baldwin in consideration of the bequeathments made to him in this my will do annually pay in this manner as heretofore directed touching my son, David Baldwin this like sum of four pounds during the natural life of my said son Asa and that my said son Thomas be holden to the payment thereof for the same purpose and in all respects in like manner with what I have directed touching my said son David..
And that this my will may be ___ fully executed. I hereby constitute, ordain and appoint my said wife Betty and my said son David Baldwin as the executors thereof with full power and authority in case my personal estate my not be sufficient for the payment of all my debts at their discretion to sell such parte of my real estate as may be necessary for that purpose.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affix my seal thereto the day and year first above written.
Thomas Baldwin
The signer of this will by reason of ___ in his sight wrote his name with his left hand. Sign, seal ___his name and declared to be my last will and testament in the presence of Isaac Chapman, ___Roberts and Joseph Crane, Dutchess County.
Be it remembered that on the twenty second day of January one thousand seven hundred and ninety five personally appeared before me Gilbert Livingston surrogate of the said county ? Roberts, Dutchess County farmer who on oath declared that he did for Thomas Baldwin sign and seal the preceding written instrument purporting to be the will of the said Thomas Baldwin bearing date the seventeenth day of September one thousand seven hundred and ninety four and heard him publish and declare the same as and for his last will and testament. That at the time thereof he the said Thomas Baldwin was of sound disposing mind and memory to the best of his knowledge and belief of him the deponent , and that Isaac Chapman and Joseph Crane and the deposed severally subscribed the said will as witnesses thereto in the testator's presence. Gilbert Livingston.
The people of the state of New York by the grace of God free and independent: To all to whom shall come or may concern send greeting. Know ye that at Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County on the twenty second day of January one thousand seven hundred and ninety five before Gilbert Livingston Esq., surrogate of our said county the last will and testament of Thomas Baldwin deceased (a copy whereof is hereunto annexed) was proved and is now approved and allowed of by us and the said deceased having whilst he lived and oat the time of his death goods, chattels or credits within this state, by means whereof the proving and registering the said will and the granting administration of all and singular the said goods, chattels and credits and also the auditing, allowing and final discharging the account thereof doth belong unto us. The administration of all and singular the goods, chattels and credits of the said deceased, and any way concerning his will is granted unto David Baldwin one of the executors in the said will named, he being first duly sworn well and faithfully to administer the same, and to make and exhibit a true and perfect inventory of all and singular the said goods, chattels and credits, and also to render a just a true account thereof when thereunto required. In testimony where of we have caused the seal of office of our said surrogate to be hereunto affixed.
Witness Gilbert Livingston, Esquire surrogate of the said county at Poughkeepsie the twenty eighth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five and of our independence the nineteenth.
Gilbert Livingston.
Dutchess County, recorded the preceding will of Thomas Baldwin the word “four” wrote on ___, the certificate of the___and letters testamentary thereon, this tenth day of March 1795.
Gilbert Livingston Surrogate
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