Person:Joseph St John (2)

Probate

"The will of Joseph St. John is as follows:

In the Name of God Amen—The 1st Day of Octob^r A. D. 1751.—

I Joseph S^t John of Norwalk in y^e County of Fairfield & Colony of Conecticut being in good Health of Body & of perfect Mind & Memory thanks be given to God for it: But calling to Mind y^e Mortality of my Body & knowing that it is appointed for Man Once to die, do make & ordain this my Last Will & Testament, that is to say; principally & first of all I give & recommend my Soul into y^e Hands of God y^t gave it, hoping thro' the Merits, Death & Passion of my Savior Jesus Christ to have full & free Pardon of all my Sins & to inherit Everlasting Life, And my Body I commit to the Earth to be decently buried at y^e Discretion of my Exec^rs hereafter named Nothing Doubting but at y^e general Resurrection I shall receive y^e Same body again by y^e Mighty Power of God.— And as touching Such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life: I demise & dispose y^e Same in y^e following Manner & Form viz—

I will y^t all those Debts & Duties as I owe in Right, or Conscience to any manner of Person or persons whatsoever shall be well & truly paid in a Convenient Time after my Decease by my Exec^rs hereafter named & I do hereby appoint & ordain my loving Son Stephen & my Brother Isaac Scudder & Mr. James Fitch to be my Exec^rs of this my Last Will & Testament.—

Item: I give & bequeath to my loving Son Stephen One Thousand pounds Money Old Tenor as it is now with New York at 7/ Old Tenor for 1/ York Money—

Item: I give & bequeath to my loving Son Stephen & my loving Daughter Susannah & my loving Son Hooker, & my loving Son William & my loving Son Buckingham All y^e rest of my Real & personal Estate both in y^e Town of Norwalk & elsewhere to be equally divided between them as soon as my Son Stephen arrives to y^e Age of twenty one Years—Also my Will is that all y^e Estate y^t I have given to my Children be let out & to keep y^e Money as Good as it is at my Decease, Also all y^e Buildings and Fences be kept in good Repair & be all let out in Good Money or old Tenor equivalent till each Child shall arive to be of Age or be Judged by my Exec^rs to be able to take of what is given them—Also my Will is y^t each Child shall have each of them a Bed & bedding & two pr of Sheet a piece—

Also my Will is y^t my Daughter Susannah shall have all the rest of any Household Goods & to go towards Part of her Portion & all of them to be prized to her part, excepting my waring Apparrel that I give to my Son Stephen & y^e Husbandry Tools out of his Part of Portion.—

My Will is that my Son William and my Son Buckingham be bro^t up to learning in y^e College at Newhaven out of their Part of y^e Moveable Estate, & if there be not enough of that, My Will is that my Exec^rs take so much Money out of the other Childrens Money as is Needfull for that Purpose & let them have Land in Lieu of y^e Money. Also my Will is that Each Child shall be maintained out of his or her Estate as far as is Needfull, Also my Will is that each Child shall be very well taught in reading & writing—And I do hereby acknowledge ratifying & confirming this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament in Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal y^e Day & Year above written.

Jos: S^t. John (Seal)

Signed Sealed published pronounced & declared by ye aforesd Jos: S^t. John to be his Last Will & Testament in the Presence of—Jabez Raymond : Thomas Hayes : James Fitch Ju^r :

Norwalk Octob^r. y^e 5^th. 1756. Then personally appeared Jabez Raymond Tho^s. Hayes & James Fitch Ju^r. the Subscribing Witnesses to y^e within written will and declared upon Oath that they saw ye within named Testator Sign, Seal, & heard him publish pronounce & declare the within written Instrument to be his Last Will and Testament & that they Set to their Hands as Witnesses in ye Presence of each other & of y^e Testator & y^t they Judged him to be of a sound mind & memory—Sworn before me Sam^el. Fitch Just^e, of Peace A true Copy of y^e Original Recorded p^r.—

At a Court of Probate held in Fairfield Octob^r. 5^th. 1756. Personally appeared Stephen S^t John, Isaac Scudder & James Fitch named Exec^rs, to y^e foregoing will & accepted y^e Trust committed to them by y^e Testator; At s^d Court s^d. Exhibited s^d will for Probation & y^e same being proved is by s^d Court approved & ordered to be recorded—

Test."^[1]