Will of Martin Cornelise Van Buren 1638

Will of
Martin Cornelise Van Buren
1638(9) - 1703

April 10, 1703

In the name of God, Amen. Know all men by these presents that I, the undersigned, Mart Cornelise van Beuren, husbandman and inhabitant of the colony of Rensselaerswyck, in the county of Albany, hale and sound of body, having full possession of my mind, memory and speech, considering the frailty of life, desiring to dispose of my temporal effects, commend first of all my soul to the gracious hands of God, my Creator and Savior, and my mortal body to a Christian burial, annul and cancel all former testamentary dispositions and now make and determine this my last will in the form hereinafter written:

First, I appoint as my sole and universal heirs all my six surviving children and my child's child, to wit, Cornelia Martense van Buren, wife of Robert van Duesen; Peter Martense van Beuren; Marte Mertense van Beuren; Maria Martense van Beuren, wife of Cornelis Gerritse (Van den Bergh), Catelina Martense van Beuren, wife of Jonathan Janse (Witbeck); Magdalena Martense van Beuren and Cornelise van Beuren, all of my estate, real and personal, lands, houses lots, cows, horses, farm implements, beds, bolsters, household furniture, gold, silver coined and uncoined, nothing whatsoever excepted. It is furthermore my will and desire that after my death my son Peter aforenamed, before any partition is made, shall first have six morgens of the Great Parcel's flat (grotstucks fley), together with the that lot of woodland that was apportioned in company with the participants Peter Vosburgh, Jan Teysen and Van Alen, lying to the north without the fence of the land called the Great Parcel (het grote Stuck), in consideration of any prior right he may have by reason of his being now my eldest son.

It is further my will and desire that my daughter Magdalena shall first have for her outfit what her sisters have had, together with the sum of nine pounds current money of this province; and that furthermore my whole estate as it then may be found, after the debts shall be paid, shall them be divided into seven equal parts and my daughter Cornelia, wife of Robert van Deusen, shall have the preference of my lands lying at the Kinderhoeck with house, barn, rides and all that appertains thereto, acquired by me from Dirck Wessellse, only excepting what I have heretofore given to my son Peter as aforementioned, and that the same shall be appraised by four impartial persons therefore first chose, and Peter and Cornelia shall then pay the appraised value placed upon it by said impartial persons within the six after-following years, every time a just sixth part to be divided equally among the seven of them.

And I appoint as guardians and administrators my sons Peter and Marte aforenamed, together with Mr. Albert Ryckman and Mr. Dirck Wessells, that this my last will and testament may be observed in all its parts. All that is hereinbefore written, the testator declares to be his last and ultimate will, desiring that after his death it may be observed and maintained in all its parts by all lords, courts, tribunals and judges. In witness whereof the testator has subscribed and sealed this in the manor of Renselaerswyck, at the house of Capt. Gerrit Teunise, this tenth day of April in the second year of the reign of our queen Anne, over England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith. A. D. 1703.

(signed)
Marte Cornelisen
Signed and sealed in presence of
Gerrit Teunise
Wessel Ten Broek
Dirk Wessels, Justice

Albany the 7th, June 1710.

Then appeared before me Dirk Wessels Esq. Judge of ye Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Albert Ryckman and John Schuyler, Esq., Justices of ye said Court, Peter and Marte van Beuren Sons of Marte Cornelise van Beuren deceased, and produced the Last will and Testament of the said deceased, the witnesses thereunto Sworn on the Holy Evangelist and did desire to have ye said will and Testament proved, and we do therefore hereby Prove approve and Insinuate the Said will and Testament and ordered to be Entered in the Publick Records held for Such Instruments,

was signed, Dirk Wessels Judge

Recorded ye 10th, of June 1710.