JOHN WOODRUFF WILL, CUMBERLAND, NEW JERSEY

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WILL OF JOHN WOODRUFF
May 1, 1755
Township of Hopewell, County of Cumberland,
Province of New Jersey

In the Name of God, Amen. The first day of May, Anno. Dem. 1755. I, John Woodruff of the
Township of Hopewell in the County of Cumberland $ Province of West New Jersie, Weaver,
being very sick & weak in Body, but of perfect mind & memory, Thanks be given to God:
Therefore calling to mind the Mortality of my Body, I do make & ordain this my last Will &
Testament. That is to say, principally & first of all, I give & recommend my Soul into the
Hands of Almighty that geave it & my Body I recomend to the Earth to be buried in a decent
& Christian Burial, at the Discretion of my Executors, nothing doubting but that at the
general Resarrection I shall receive it again by the mighty power of God. And as touching
such worldly Estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this Life, I give ------
-------, & the same in the following manner and form:

First I give & bequeath to Lidia, my dearly beloved Wife the use of one half of my
homestead and the Land which I bought of Othneal Johnson, and of my Marsh & Barn and all my
------, to help in bringing up my Children, till they be of age; & also the one Third Part
of my moveable Estate, after my Debts and one Legacy of --oint pound is paid. Also i give
to my said wife the ---- of one third Part of said lands, House & Barn, after all the
Children are of Age dureing her Life.

Also - I give to my Son John the other Half of the Land, Marsh & Barn mentioned above to be
possesed by himself at the age of twenty-one years and when all my Children are of age to
possess two Third Parts of then, & when my Wife Dies, to possess the whole, to him and his
Heirs forever:

Item I give to my Son Jesse all that Land I bought of the Widow Rigen? to him & to his
Heirs forever.

Also I give to my Son Benjamin the sum of twenty Pounds, to be paid out of my movable
Estate one yer after my demise.

Also, my Will is that the other two Third Parts of my moveable Estate be equally Divided
among the rest of my Children, viz, Esther, Lidia, James, David, Timothy & Catura, Each
one's part to be paid to them when they are of age, vis. the Boys at Twenty one, & the
girls at Eighteen & the use of their estate until then to be applyed to help to bring them
up. Further, My Will is that if My Son John Shall die without lawful Heir, then all of
Land & apurtinances bequeathed to him shall decend to My Son Jessie, his Heirs & Asigns
forever; and the Land bequeathed to Jesse to Decend to James & his Heirs & Asign forever.
If Jesse die without lawful Heir then said Land & Marsh bequeath to John Shall decend to
James, his Heirs & asigns forever, & that Land bequeath to Jesse, to decend to David, his
Heirs & Asigns forever. If James Shall die without lawful issue, then the Lands & Marsh
bequeath to John Shall decend to David, his Heirs & Asigns forever, and that bequeathed to
Jesse to decend to Timothy, his Heirs & Assigns forever.

Item. If any of my Sons, who have no Land left them, Shall by the death of their elder
brothers, come to possess Lands as aforesaid, then their or his part of my moveable Estate
Shall be divided among or decend to my younger Sons or Son.

Item. I make, ordain, constitute & appoint my dearly beloved Wife, & my trusty Friend,
Jonathan Holmes, Esq. Executor of this my last Will & Testament, revoacking all former
Wills by me made, ratifying & confirming this to be my last Will & Testament.

Sealed, Signed, Declared & Pronounced by ------ John Woodruff
to be his last Will and Testament, in the in the Presence
of us the Subscribers.

Andrew Hunter John Woodruff
Samuel Miller
Isaac Penton

PROBATE -- 23 MAY 1755

SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE -- NOV. 4, 1772

CUMBERLAND CO., NJ #134F