Will of Evert Wendell - 1749


In the name of God, Amen. "God's will must be done upon Earth as in Heaven, and this is my last Will and Testament."

I, Evert Wendell, of the city of Albany, Attorney at Law. I leave to my oldest son Johanes all my surveying instruments, as Compass, etc., Also my Law Books, in bar of all claims as heir at law and eldest son, and I do hereby exclude him from all my real personal estate, and I quit cut him out of all, nothing excepted I have in this world, and my reasons are to me best known. However I give and bequeath to his dear pretty children, and the heirs of his body, all my real estate in the town of Schenectady, as house, land pastures, gardens, and lots. I give to my dear trusty, faithful, beloved, honest son, Abraham Wendell, all of my lands and premises in Albany, on both sides of the kill or creek called Beaver Creek, or Kill, as by several deeds made over to me, Together with the stream of water, and all buildings, saw mills, grist mills, brew house etc. and all my carpenter and joiner's tools, log sledge and log chains, and all that belongs to my saw mills, Also my large Holland Gun, marked with my name on the lock, Also two lots of ground in the south part of the city,, being Lots 10 and 5, as by deeds from the children and heirs of my father, Jeronimus Wendell may appear, Also another lot of ground in the Pasture ground of Jesse De Vrest, and have been always used for a Term pitches or Yards," as by the deeds of the heirs of my father may appear.

Dear son Abraham, my will is that you dispose of the said three lots, and the money shall go towards paying my just debts, or you may keep them yourself, and pay the value to my creditors. It is my will that the farm or tract of land at the Norman Kill, which Killian Van Rensselaer and his wife Elizabeth have given to me, I give it to my son Abraham, and humbly desire the Lord of the manor to confirm his ancestor's gift and give you a ample title. And you shall let your brother Philip Wendell have two acres, he paying the tenth of the produce, according to the custom of the manor of Rensselaerwyck. I leave to my dear youngest son, Philip Wendell, all that my dwelling house and lot of ground in the first Ward of Albany, as made over to me by several deeds, and also my pasture land on both sides of the kill or creek, called the Rutters Kill, adjoining to my lot, as the same was made over to me by my father in law, Jan Lansingh, by his deed. But my son Philip shall not sell the same while my wife is living and his two sisters Elizabeth and Engeltie remain unmarried, But they shall remain and dwell in the said house, except as they may agree in writing. My son Philip shall have pasture for a horse in my pasture and free grinding for his bread corn, And my son Abraham and Philip shall build a Chocolate mill for the use of my son Philip.

I also leave to my son Philip my wearing apparel and a gun. I leave to my three daughters, Ariantie, Elizabeth and Engeltie, all of my lot of pasture ground in the south part of the city, just behind the city Stockadoes. Which lot I purchased from my brother Dirck and Daniel Brett, as by their deeds.

I leave to my son Philip my large Clock, which I will shall remain in my dwelling house. I leave to my son Abraham all my Negroes after my wife's decease. All the rest of my estate I leave to my 5 children, Abraham, Ariantie, Elizabeth, Engeltie, and Philip, and I make my son Abraham and my daughter Engeltie executors.



notes

Will dated July 29, 1749. Witnesses, John H. Lydius, Tielman Schellyne, Peter Lansingh. Proved before Myndert Schuyler, Esq., in Albany, July 20, 1750. Printed in Abstract of Wills volume 29.


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first posted 3/23/01; last revised 4/18/13