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 John Larrison – 1670

JOHN LARRISON, Sr., New Town. “My will is that Wm. Ileyward be disposed of by my daughter Abigail until he be 21.” Leaves to son John 55 bushels of wheat, due from John Cleve of Utrecht. Rest of estate to son John and daughter Abigail. Leaves to wife (not named) 20s. and makes her executrix. Dated December 5, 1670. Witnesses, Wm. Loveridge, Gershain Moore, John Ramsden. Inventory taken September 7, 1671, by John Burroughs, Thomas Lawrence, and Ralph Hunt, mentions “House and land £75.” LIBER 1-2, page 57