Beackman

Abstracts of Wills on File in the City of New York Surrogate’s Office 1660-1680

Sample Last Will and Testament

Abstracts of wills on file in the surrogate’s office city of New York 1660-1680. From May 1787 to the present, county surrogate’s courts have recorded probates. However, the court of probates and court of chancery handled estates of deceased persons who died in one county but who owned property in another. An 1823 law mandated that all probates come under the jurisdiction of the county surrogate’s courts. Each surrogate’s court has a comprehensive index to all probate records, including the unrecorded probate packets. Interestingly enough, there are wills existing and on record at the Surrogate’s Office in New York City for the time-span of 1660-1680. Genealogical extracts of these wills have been provided below.

Will of Cornelius Beackman – 1668

CORNELIS BEACKMAN, New Utrecht. “Being sicke in his bed, disposes his estate as follows.” First, he, the said Cornelis Beackman, and his wife Marihe Cornelis “do break and anull their first Contract of Marriage,” and do declare that of all they have in this world the said wife shall have one half, and his daughter Mellitie the other half. But if his wife should die before the daughter is twelve years of age, “which God forbid,” the testator appoints Lucas Dirckse and John ye Cooper, Jr., to be tutors of said child, they being both inhabitants of New York. Dated … Read more