Will of Johannes Wendell- 1691


WILL OF JOHANNES WENDEL, OF ALBANY.

In the name of God Amen., the Twenty-third day of November, 1691, in the Third Year of our most Sovereign Lord and Lady, William and Mary, by the Grace of God, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King and Queen, I, Johannes Wendel, of the City of Albany, Merchant, although weak and sickly in body, yet of good, perfect and sound Memory, praised be Almighty God therefor, do Make and Ordain this my present Will and Testament, in manner and form following; that is to say :

First I commend myself and all my Whole Estate to the Mercy and Protection of Almighty God, being fully Persuaded by His Holy Spirit, through the Death and Passion of Jesus Christ, to obtain full Pardon and Remission of all my sins, and to inherit everlasting life, to which, the Holy Trinity, one coequal Deity, be all Honor and Glory forever, Amen. And Touching such Temporal Estate of Lands, Houses, Goods, Chattels and Debts, as the Lord hath been pleased, (far beyond my Deserts), to Bestow upon me, I do Order, Give, Bequeath and Dispose the same in manner and form following :

my Will is that my well-beloved wife, Elizabeth Wendel, shall Have and Keep, Hold and Possess my Whole Estate, both Lands, Houses, Lots, Goods and Chattels, and all my moveables during her Natural Life, out of which she is to Bring up, Educate and Maintain my Eleven Children, vizt: Elsie and Mary Wendel, begotten by my first wife Marytje Jillisse (Meyer), to which two daughters my Wife is to pay as soon as they come to Age, or to be Married, Three Hundred and-forty Beavers, and the other moveables due to them for their Mother's Portion, or Inheritance, according to the Instrument made thereof, which I Will shall take its Effect to all Intents and Purposes, and moreover have an Equal Share of my Estate with my Other Children, and also to Bring up, Educate and Maintain my Nine Children begotten by Elizabeth, my Present Wife, called Abraham, Susanna, Catalyntje, Elizabeth, Johannes, Ephraim, Isaac, Sarah and Jacob Wendel, and such other Children as it shall Please God to send me by her, until they shall severally come of Age, or to be Married, but if my Wife shall happen to re-marry, then my Will is that she give and Exhibit a Perfect Inventory upon Oath of all the Whole Estate, Real and Personal, which is to be apprised by Indifferent and Judicious Men, and Equally Divided,

one Moiety [half or two equal parts] thereof for the Behoof of my said Eleven Children, which half I Will to be Equally Divided among them, or so many of them as shall then be alive; and the other Moiety for my said well-beloved Wife, which Portions of my said Children she is to keep until they come to Age or be Married, she giving sufficient Security for the same. Provided, Lands and Houses be also Apprised and Allotted to my Sons, as hereafter is Specified, they being accountable to the Children what the said Lands shall be Valued above their Proportion in the Estate, viz*: I do Give and Bequeath to my Eldest Son Abraham, and to His Heirs forever, all my Seventh Part of the Land commonly Called Saraghtogo, my share being that Farm that lies to the Southward of the Fish Creek, so called, which separates the land of Robert Livingston and mine, being Bounded on the South by Dirk Wessel's, with my Proportion of Wood-Land belonging thereunto, alway Provided the same Be Apprised by Indifferent Persons, when he shall come to Age or be Married, he paying the surplusage what it be more valued than His Portion with the other Children. I do Give and Bequeath unto my son Johannes and to his Heirs forever, all my Land commonly Called Steen Sable, on the East side of Hudson's River, with all the Houses, Barns, Yards and other appurtenances, the Island called Walvisch Island and that Belongs to said tract of Land, which is to be Apprised when he comes to Age, and if the apprisement amounts to more than his Equal Share in my Estate, he is to pay it to my other Children to make them equal. I do Give and Bequeath to my Son Ephraim and to His Heirs forever, all my Part, Share and Portion of the land Called Bleukenburgh, both at the Strand and upon the Flatts or Plains, which is Also to be Apprised, as the other Lands above mentioned, and if the apprisement amounts to more than the Equal Proportion in said Estate, he is to pay it to my other Children, to make them Equal with him. My Will is further, that if any of the said Tracts of Land Bequeathed to my Sons aforesaid should happen to be apprised less than their Portion in the Estate, that so much of the Estate be paid to them as to make it up with the rest of the Children.

I do Give unto my well-beloved Wife, my House which I now live in, situate and being between the widow of Jacob Glen and Peter Davidtse Schuyler, which is to be apprised and deducted out of the Moiety of the Estate which she is to have; and if she remains a Widow, she is to Keep, Hold, Enjoy and Possess the Whole Estate during her Natural Life, and to Give to my said Children such Portions and Outfitts as she shall see meet when they come to Age, or to be Married, and after my Wife's decease the Whole Estate, Real and Personal, to be Equally Divided among my Sons and Daughters,

Excepting that I do give to my Eldest Son, Abraham, the Sum of Three Pounds current money of this Province, besides his Portion with the Rest of my Children, wherewith he is to Rest Satisfied of any Pretence that he might make as my Eldest Son, and share then as the others do, and

whereas I have Ordered my Sons Abraham, Johannes and Ephraim, Lands for their Portion as above is Expressed, if any of the said Sons should happen to Dye before they come to Age, then my Sons Isaac and Jacob are to have the same successively on the said condition.

Lastly, I do Make, Constitute, Ordain and Appoint my dear and well-beloved Wife Sole Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament, who is to have the Administration of my Goods and Chattels as Administratrix, as by the Laws of this Government are Admitted to do. I do Nominate and Appoint my beloved brother-in-law Mr Jacob Staets, and Mr Joh : Lansingh, to be Tutors and Trustees over my said wife and Children, and to Aid and Assist my Wife in the Administration of said Estate.

In Witness wherof, I have Hereunto sett my Hand and Seal, in Albany, at my Dwelling House, the Day and Year first above written.

Signed and Delivered in the Presence of Barent Lewis, Gerrit Lansingh.



notes

Transformed from an online resource by SB

"Mr, Jacob Staats" - perhaps not the surgeon who married two other non Wendell women.



Will of WENDELL, Johannes, of Albany City, merchant.

Wife (second) Elisabeth, children by first wife Maritie Jillis, vizt. Elsie and Maritie, by second Abraham, Susanna, Catalyntie, Elisabeth, Johannes, Ephraim, Isaac, Sarah and Jacob.

Share in Saratoga Patent, land at Steenarabia (now Lansingburgh, Rensselaer Co.), do at Klinckenbergh (South part of Albany Co.), house and lot in Albany.

The wife sole executrix.

Witnesses Bernardus Lewis and Gerrit Lansing

Will dated November 23, 1691. Probated February 25, 1692. Printed in Calendar of Wills, number 2133.

Transformed by SB

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first posted: 2/10/07