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In the name of God, Amen. Know all men by these presents that I, the undersigned, Mart Cornelise van Beuren1 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, the certainty of death and the uncertain hour thereof and therefore 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 Beuren, wife of Robert van Deusen; Peter Martense van Beuren; Marte Mertense van Beuren; Maria Martense van Beuren, wife of Cornelis Gerritse2; Catelina Martense van Beuren, wife of Jonathan Janse3; Magdalena Martense van Beuren and Tobyas Cornelise van Beuren, of all my estate, real and personal, lands, houses, lots, cows, horses, farm imlements, beds, boldters, household furniture, gold, silver coined and uncoined, nothing whatsoever excepted. It is furthermore my will and desire that after my death my son Peter afornamed, before any partition is made, shall have six morgens of the Great Parcel's flat (grotstucks fley), together with that lot of woodland that was apportioned in company with the participants Peter Vosburgh, Jan Teysen and Van Alle, lying to the north without the fence of the land called the Great Parcel (het grote Stuck0, 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 son's son, Tobias Cornelise aforenamed, in consideration of any claim he might make on account of the fact that his father was my oldest son, shall have a horse with saddle and bridle.
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 then be divided into seven equal parts among them, it being well understood that my son Peter aforenamed and my daughter Cornelia, wife of Robert van Deusen, shall have the preference of my lands lying at the Kinderhoeck with house, barn, ricks and all that appertains thereto, acquired by me from Dirk 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 therefor first chosen, 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.
It is the testator's will and desire that his son Marten aforenamed shall have for himself and his heirs forever the half island with all the rights thereunto belonging, house, barn and rick, now occupied by the testator, provided that he shalll pay therefor within the six after-following years after the death of the testator on hundred and sixty-five pounds current money of this province, say 165 pounds, every time a just sixth part to be apportioned 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 Rensselaerswyck, at the house of Capt. Gerrit Teunise, this tenth day of April in the second years of the reign of our queen Anne, over England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, A. D. 1703.
Signed and sealed in presence of,
Gerrit Teunise
Wessel Ten Broek
Dirk Wessels, Justice
1In Pearson's Genealogies of the First Settlers of Albany, he is erroneously identified with "Black Barten," a nickname applied to Marten Cornelissen van Ysselsteyn.
2Cornelis Gerritsen van den Bergh, according to the account of Marten Cornelissen van Buren in the above-mentioned Genealogies, though under the name Van den Bergh he is entered as Cornelis Gysbertse.
3Jonathan Jansen Witbeck.
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