In the name of the Lord, Amen. Know all men by these presents that I, Dirck van Vechten, of Schagtekoek in the county of Albany, husbandman, being sick in body, but in possession of my understanding and senses, God be praised therefor, and being desirous to set all things in order, make this my last will and testament in manner following:

Imprimis. I commend my soul to God my Creator and Redeemer and Savior and my body to the earth to be buried in a Christian manner, and concerning the temporal property, including lands, horses and cattle and whatever else belongs to my real and personal estate which the Lord far above my deserts has been pleased to grant me, I order and dispose of the same as follows: I desire that all my just debts shall be paid out of my aforesaid estate.

Item. I give to my eldest son Harmen van Vechte my large Bible containing the Old and the New Testament, &c., for and in consideration of his right of primogeniture.

First. My will is that my well-beloved wife Maragrieta van Vechten shall hold and possess my whole estate, my land, houses and buildings, cattle and all my movable goods, slaves and outstanding obligations during her widowhood and her natural life, nothing excepted, and it my aforenamed wife have occasion during her widowhood, she may sell or disose of my slaves, negroes and negresses, as well as of my outstanding obligations, to whom she may think fit, but none of my real estate, land and houses, shall my aforenamed have power to sell or disose of, but shall have the use and income thereof during her widowhood; but if my aforenamed wife marry again, then it is my will hat she deliver up and hand over my whole estate to my son or the heirs whom I shall hereinafter specify, also to give up all my personal property to my children or their heirs, saving one of my negresses whom I give to her during her life and after her death, the negress shall revert to my children or their heirs.

Second. I give and bequeath to my son Theunis van Vechten my farmland, houses, barn, ricks, orchard and all oubuildings, where I now dwell at Schagtekoek, in the county of Albany, lying north of the land of Johannes Knickerbacker, and according to writings as I came to me, and all my farming implements together with two gelding horses, two mares, three cows, three sheep and three sows, which I give to my aforenamed son Theunis van Vechten for him and his heirs and assigns forever, for which I will that he shall pay after my aforesaid wife's death, and six years after he comes to occupy, receive and peacefully till the land, to my four children or to their heirs, to wit, to Harmen van Vechten the sum of twenty-five pounds, to Anna van Vechten, wife of Hendrick Fonda, the sum of twenty-five pounds, to Philip van Vechten the sum of twenty-five pounds, and to Benjamin van Vechten the sum of fifty pounds, all current money of New York.

Third. It is my will that my youngest son Benjamin van Vechten shall have, after my brother Leendert van Vechten's death without natural heirs, the fifteen morgens of land called the Boght, lying at Schagtekoek on the Great Kill, according to writings thereof, whih I give to the aforenamed Banjamin van Vechten, for him and his heirs and assigns forever.

Fourth. I further give and bequeath after my wife's death all my movable goods, household furniture, etc., nothing excepted, to my give children or their heirs, Harmen va Vechten, Theunis van Vechten, Anna van Vechten wife of Hendrick Fonda, Philip van Vechten and Benjamin van Vechten, to be divided equally among them, except the large Bible which I now have in my house, that I give to my son Theunis van Vechten or his heirs forever.

Lastly. I appoint and make my well-beloved wife Maragarieta van Vechten executrix of this my last will and testament during her widowhood, who is to have the administration of all my movable goods, as an administratrix is required to do by the laws of the government. Furthermore, I appoint my good friends Livynes Lewisse and Dirck Ten Bro[e]ck to be guardians and overseers over my children that each may have and receive his rights, and to assist my beloved wife in the administration.

Thus signed and sealed with my own hand at my farm at Schagtekoek in the county of Albany the seventeenth day of August and in the thirteenth year of the reign of our King George the Second of England, Scotland, France and England, etc. Annoque Domini 1739.

Dirck Vechten (L.S.), his X mark

Signed, sealed and declared by the testator to be his last will and testament in presence of

Barent Egbertsen
Harmen Kneckerbacker
Dirck Ten Broeck

Albany den 17th of October 1752

Be it remembered that on the Day & Year above written personally Appeared before me Myndert Schuyler being thereunto Deligated and Appointed Hermen Knickerbacker on of the Subscribing witnesses to the within written will of Dirick Van Veghten and made Oath on the hold Evangelist of Almighty God that he Saw the Said Dirick van Veghten Sign and Seale publish and declare the Same to be his last will and that att the Time thereof he was of Sound Disposing Mind and Memory to the Best of his knowledge And also further Declared that he Saw Barent Egbers & Dirck Ten Broeck Sign as witnesses thereunto in the presence of the Testator.

Myndert Schuyler

Recorded this 29 Day of December 1756

Pr Ha: Gansevoort Clerk

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