Exton

Will of Thomas Exton, Capt. – 1668

CAPT. THOMAS EXTON, New York. “Being sick and weak.” Appoints his loving friends Capt. Sylvester Salisbury and Mr. John Rider, Gent, executors. “I leave seven Beavers to buy wine for ye officers and Gentlemen who accompany my Corps to the Grave.” “I leave six choice Beaver skins to be paid to Capt. Thomas Breedon, of Boston, to satisfy a credit. Captain Thomas Delaval gave to Mr. Isaac Bedloe.” To Mr. Matthias Nicolls “my fine new Holland shirts which lye in my Black trunk.” To Abigail, wife of Mr. Matthias Nicolls, “my silver boat, a silver meat fork, and a silver … Read more

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.