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Will of Harmen Jansen Knickerbacker

In the name of the Lord, Amen. Know all men by these presents that on this seventeenth day of January in the year of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ one thousand seven hundred and seven and eight I Harmen Janse Knickerbacker of Dutchess county in the province of New York, being in reasonable health and having full power of mind and understanding (the Lord be praised), considering the shortness and frailty of human life, the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the hour thereof, and being desirous to set all things in order, make this my last will and testament in form and manner hereinafter written, revoking, canceling and annulling by these presents all such testament or testaments, will or wills heretofore made or executed whether by word of mouth or in writing and [intending] this alone to be acknowledged as my last will and testament, and no other.

First. I comment my soul to God Almighty my Creator and to Jesus Christ my Redeemer and to the Holy Ghost my Sanctifier, and my body to the earth from whence it came, to be buried in a Christian manner and there to rest until my soul and body shall be united at the last day and receive the everlasting joy of immortality which God through His grace and the sole merit of our Savior has promised and prepared for all those who unfeignedly believe in Him and from the heart repent.

2 And as regards such temporal estate of houses, lands, goods, debts, horses, cattle, money, gold and silver coined and uncoined, and whatever else appertains to my estate (which the Lord far above my deserts has been pleased to grant), I order, give and dispose thereof as follows:

3 I order that all my just debts in a due time shall be paid.

4 It is my will and desire that my worthy wife Elizabeth Knickerbacker shall have and enjoy the income and profit of my whole estate, real and personal, during my aforesaid wife's life and that at her death my aforesaid estate shall belong to my heirs hereinafter written in manner following:

5 I give to my seven children lawfully procreated with my aforesaid wife, to wit, Johannes, Lowrens, Cornelis, Evert and Pieter Knickerbacker, Jannetie Lansing, widow of Hendrick Lansing, junior, and Cornelia Knickerbacker, my whole aforesaid real and personal estate, to be divided equally among them and their heirs after the death of my aforesaid wife, on this condition, however, that none of my heirs shall have the right to sell his portion of the real estate to anyone but the aforesaid Knickerbackes, only it is my will that Johannis shall first draw three shillings current money for his right of primogeniture, without making any further claim on that account.

6 It is my will that if I before my death happen to set off any portion of my land for one or more of my children, then after the death of my aforesaid wife, such portion or portions shall belong to that child or children to whom I shall have set it off, provided it shall appear under my hand, [written] in the presence of two or more witnesses, what and how I have set it off.

7 I appoint as executors of this my last will and testament my aforesaid wife and my two sons Johannis and Lowrens Knickerbacker, desiring that what is herinbefore written shall in all respects be followed and observed. Thus done at my house in the aforesaid county, the day and year as above.

Was signed,

Heermen Jansen Kynckbacker (L.S.)

Signed, sealed and declared by Harmen Janse Knickerbacker this to be his last will and testament in presence of us.

Jan I P Ploey, his mark
Pieter P P Pile, his mark
D'Meyer Clarke



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