Will of Cornelia Schuyler - 1758



In the name of God, Amen. I, CORNELIA SCHUYLER, of Albany, widow of John Schuyler, Gent. I leave to my son, Philip Schuyler, £30, in full satisfaction of any claim as heir at law.

I leave to my sons Philip and Stephen all that my farm or tract of land in the Manor of Cortlandt, on the east side of Hudson river, adjoining the farm where Philip Ver Planck now lives, To be divided between them, but my son Stephen is to have the choice.

I leave to my daughter Gertruyd, widow of Peter P. Schuyler, all that my tract of land and two dwelling houses in New York on the south side of Queen street bounded west by the lot formerly of Elizabeth Van Cortlandt, east by the lot now, or late, of Gertrude Van Cortlandt, north by Queen street, south by the river, as given to me by my mother, Gertrude Van Cortlandt, by deed October 27, 1719.

My executors are to sell so much of my land in North Lot No. 4 in the Manor of Cortlandt as will make £1,800, and pay it to my son, Cortlandt Schuyler, as an equivalent for the houses and lands given to my sons Philip and Stephen and to my daughter Gertrude, "it being my intent that my children shall have an equal share in my estate." I leave all the rest of my estate to my four children, and make them executors.

Dated November 29, 1758.

Witnesses, Petrus Stuyvesant, John Stephenson, James Stephenson.

Codicil.-- My executors are to sell so much of my estate left to my daughter Gertrude as will make £1,700, and to be put at interest, and the interest on £700 is to be for her benefit, and the interest on £1,000 for the benefit of her two children, Cornelia and Peter Schuyler, And £600 of the principal are to be paid to her daughter Cornelia when of age or married, and £400 to her son Peter. Dated August 26, 1760.

Witnesses, William Ashton, John Stephenson, James Stephenson. Proved, November 24, 1762. Confirmed by Governor Monckton, January 17, 1763. At that time Cornelia Schuyler was wife of Dr. John Cochran.

[NOTE.-- The mother of Cornelia Schuyler was Gertrude, wife of Stephen Van Cortlandt. The two houses and lots on Queen street are now Nos. 258-260 Pearl street. They were sold by the executors of Cornelia Schuyler to Jasper Drake, November 13, 1764, for £1,760. He left wife Hester and two children, Sarah, wife of Isaac Sears, the famous leader of the "Sons of Liberty," and Rebecca, wife of John Blagge. The latter sold her part to her sister, Sarah Sears, who sold the whole to Pascal N. Smith in 1791 for £4,500. Upon this and adjoining lots Stephen Holt erected the "United States Hotel," at one time very popular. It was first opened in January 1833, and was finally torn down in the spring of 1903.-- W. S. P.]

notes

Will dated November 29, 1758. Probated Novbember 24, 1762. Printed in Abstract of Wills volume 30, pp. 204-05.

Transformed from an online posting by SB


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first posted: 9/5/07