Gerland

Will of John Gerland – 1673

JOHN GERLAND, New York. Leaves to “dear wife Susannah, my riding horse, all other goods except as follows.” To my son Sylvester “my Sword Pistolls and furniture to them belonging.” Leaves legacies to second son, Matthias, and to Gulian Van Layer, “a son by my wife’s former husband.” “Earnestly desiring that my Trusty and well beloved brother Mr. Gulian Ver Planck, and my well beloved friend Francis Rumbout to be the executors of this will.” Dated July 15, 1673. Witnesses, John Carr, Wm. Tom, Edward Cantwell, Ralph Hutchinson. “Recorded for Mr. John Sharpe, who desired to be Administrator” etc., February … 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.