In the name of God, Amen. On this thirtieth day of October, in the sixth year of the reign of our King George the third, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, etc., and in the year of our Lord and Sacior Jesus Christ on thousand seven hundred and sixty-five, I Casparus Knyn, of Claverack, in the county of Albany and province of New York, husbandman, being advanced in years but of sound mind and perfect memory (God be thanked therefor), considering the uncertain state of this life and that all flesh must yield unto death whenever it shall please the Lord to call, and being desirous of putting my affairs in order, make this my last will and testament in manner and form following (annulling, canceling and revoking all other testament or testaments heretofore by me made, and declaring this to be my ast and only will and testament).
First. I commend my soul to the Almighty God my Creator and to Jesus Christ my Savior and to the Holy Ghost my Sanctifier, and my body to the earth from whence it came there to be buried in a Christian and proper manner, to rest until my soul and boy be reunited on the day of general resurrection to become partaker of the insatiable joy of immortality, which God of His grace through the merits of Jesus Christ has promised and prepared for all such as . . .1 temporal goods which the Lord far and above my deserts has been pleased to bestow upon me, I give and dispose of the same in manner and form following:
First. I give to my son Casparus C. Konyn my clock (Klock) for his right of primogeniture as being my eldest son, that he may not have any further claim upon my estate.
2d. I give to my wife Eva Konyn all the goods which after my death shall remain of what she had when I married her, to dispose thereof as she pleases.
3d. I give to my said son Casparus as follows, Beginning at a great hickory tree (Noortsneuten Boom) standing on the east side of Claverak kill and marked with the letter K and running thence with a straight course to a great pin tree standing on the hindermost high land and also marked with the letter K and with the same course further to the Mill kill (Meulen kill), that is to say, all the land that I have or claim to the north of said course with buildings, orhard and all thereupon standing, to my said son Casparus, his heirs and assigns forever.
4th. I give to my son Laurans Konyn all the land that I have or claim to the south of the aforesaid course, for him, his heirs and assigns forever, and my son Casparus shall help him to build a house, forty feet long and twenty-five feet wide, if I in my lifetime do not do the same.
5th. It is my will and desire that my aforesaid two sons (afer my death) shall pay four hundred pounds current money of New York, that is to say, one hundred fifty pounds to my daughter Maria, one hundred and fifty pounds to my daughter Jannietje, and the remaining one hundred pounds to Maria, the daughter of my daughter Alida, deceased, whereof my said two sons must each pay a like half part within four years after my decease, a fourth part each year till paid.
6th. I will and desire that my said two sons shall give as good an outfit to my daughter Jannitie as each of my other daughters have had, if I in my lifetime do not give it myself.
7th. I give to my said wife one of my negresses to have for her use and service so long as she shall dwell with one of my children.
8th. I give to my daughter Maria my negress Dian and to my daughter Jannetie my negress named Bet, for them and their heirs and assigns. Furthermore I give to my said daughter jannetie three milch cows and two young animas, for her and her heirs and assigns.
9th. I give to my son Casparus my young negro named Symen and to my son Laurens I give my negro named Philip, for them, their heirs and assigns, and the remainder of my blacks who are not herein bequeathed are to be divided between them, to each a just half, provided that they pay my debts if there be any after my wife's death.
10th. It is my express will and desire that if my said wife dwell with one of my sons, my other son shall pay her yearly eight pounds, and if she come to dwell anywere else, then must each of my sons pay her eight pounds yearly during her widowhood.
11th. I give to my said two sons, Casparus and Laurans all the farm utensils belonging to my house, barn and land, to each a like half, also to each a like half of all my horses, cattle and other animals, (hereinbefore not bequeathed) for them, their heirs and assigns.
12th. I give all the rest of my personal or movable household goods or [effects] belonging to the house to my said two daughters Maria and Jannetie to be divided between them in equal parts, to the one no more than to the other.
13th. I give to my son Lawrens twenty-five apple trees in my orchard to have for his use, and the fruit thereof for ten years and no longer.
14th. I will and desire that all sums of money that may be due me at my death, be divided equally among my said four children now living.
15th. It is my will and desire that if either of my aforenamed sons comes to die without lawful heirs of his body, his portion of land herein bequeathed shall go to my oher son, for him, his heirs and assigns. I appoint as guardians, executors and administrators of this my last will and testament my said two sons Casparus C. Kenyn and Lawrens Kenyn and my friend Henry Van Renselaer, Esqr.
In acknowledgment of the truth of which I hereto set my hand and seal, the day and year first above written.
Casparus Conyn (L.S.)
Was signed, sealed and published in presence of us,
Nicklas Brissie
Albany County
Be it Remembered that on the 2nd day of October One Thousand Seven Hundred & Seventy on Personally Came & appeared before me John De Peyster Surrogate of the said County of Albany Nicklas Brissie farmer & Peter muller Farmer both of Claverack in the County of Albany And being Duly sworn on their Oaths Declared that they saw Casparus Conyn Sign & Seal the within written Instrument perporting to be the Will of the said Casparus Conyn beainf Date the 30th day of October one thousand Seven Hundred & Sixty five & heard him publish & Declare the same as and for his Last will & Testament that at the same Time thereof he the said Casparus Conyn was of Sound Disposing mind & memory to the best of their Knowledge & belief of them the Deponants & that their names Subscribed to the said will are of their Respective proper handwriting which they subscribed as witnesses to the said will in the Testators presence & Also further Declared that they saw the Other witness sign his name as a witness to the said will in the Testators Presence.
Jno. De Peyster Surrogate
I do hereby Certify the foregoing Record is a True Copy of the Original Exd. & Compared the same with the Original will this 4th Day of October 1771.
Pr. Steph. De Lancey Clerk
Peter Muller
Stephn. V: Dyck
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