Johannes Finger's Will




In the Name of God Amen, I Johannis Finger
of the Manor of Livingston in Albany County & State of New
York, being of Sound mind and Memory, and Considering the
uncertainty of this frail and Transitory life, do therefore
make and ordain this my Last Will & Testament
that is to say / First, after all my just Debts be paid
and discharged I give and bequeath unto my Son Mich
=el Finger
, and to his heirs and assigns for Ever, One Mi[lk]
Cow, or in Lieu thereof the Sum of Four Pounds Hard
Money Either Silver or Gold, in bar of any farther claim
he may make to my Estate, Either real or personal as
heir at Law; Item I give unto my said Son Michael['s]
children, the Sum of Fifteen Pounds in like hard
Money, Each as Equal Share and to their heirs &
assigns for Ever. Item I give unto my Daughter Elisabeth
the wife of Hendrick B. Smith and to Her Heirs and assigns
for Ever, the Sum of Twenty One Pounds like hard Money
and one Negros wench1 Child Named Suze aged abt 3 year.
Item I give unto my Son David the sum of Twenty One
Pounds like hard Money and to his heirs and assigns for-
ever, Item I give unto my Sons, to wit, Jacob, Coenrat. and
Petrus and to their heirs and assigns for Ever, Each the sum
of Twenty One Pounds like hard Money, and to Each of them
One [Gunn] and to Petrus my Sword, powderhorn and ???????
Item. I give unto my Daughter Anna the wife of Jacob Blass
and to her heirs and assigns for Ever, the Sum of Twenty One
Pounds like hard Money. Item I give unto Johannis Blass
Son of my late Daughter Catherine, the late wife of Peter M
Blass
and to his heirs and assigns for Ever the Sum of
Twenty One Pounds like hard Money, and as to the residue
and remainder of my Estate Either real or personal I
give unto my children, to wit, David, Coenrat, Jacob
[Anna &] Elizabeth------------------------------------
and Petrus each an equal part or Share and to their Heirs
and Assigns forever. Item it is my will and I do order -
that the whole of my Estate shall be divided ?????????
after my Decease by my Executor hereafter named, to wit,
my Sons David, Coenrat, Jacob, and my Loving friend Dirck
Jansen who I appoint and Constitute to be my Executor
of this my last will and Testament, hereby utterly -
disavowing and revoking of all former Wills by me made.—


In witness whereof I have [hereto] set my hand on
this twelfth day of August in the year of Our Lord One Thou
=sand seven hundred and seventy Nine

Signed, sealed, published                   his
and declared by the said     Johannis JF Finger
Johannis Finger, as his last                mark
will & Testament, in the
presence of us the subscribers
/the named/Anna & Elisabeth
in the 32nd line on the other side
being interlined before the
signing & sealing hereof

Albertus Simon
Neal McFall
Jesaias Lup


Albany County}
Be it remembereth, That on the Thirteenth Day of February
One Thousand Seven Hundred & Eighty Two, personally came
and Appeared before me John DePeyster Surrogate of said County Albe[rtus]
Simon & Jesias Lup of said County farmers / And being duly sworn
on their Oaths declared, That they and each of them did see Johannes Finger
sign and Seal the Within written Instrument, purporting to be the Will
of the said Johannes Finger bearing date The Twelfth Day of August, One
Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy Nine, And heard him publish
and declare the same, as and for his last Will and Testament: That
at the Time thereof he the said Johannes Finger, was of sound Disposing
Mind & Memory, To the best of the knowledge and belief of them Deponents
And that their Names Subscribed to said Will are of their respec
tive proper Hands Writing, which they Subscribed as Witness of to the
said Will in the Testators2 Presence. And that they saw the Other
Witness Neal McFall singn his Name to the said Will as Witness there
to in the Testators Presence.

Jn DePeyster3 Surrogate4



Albany}
County} Be it also remembereth That on the Thirteenth Day
of February One Thousand Seven Hundred & Eighty Two, David Fin
ger and Conrat Finger, two of the Executors of the Within Written Will of
Johannes Finger likewise Appeared before me the said John DePeyster
And were duly Sworn to the true Execution and Performance of
Heresaid Will, by Severally taking the Oath of an Executor as by
law appointed; before me.

Jn DePeyster Surrogate



Notes:
  1. Wench: a female servant - Merriam Webster
  2. Testator: a person who dies leaving a will or testament in force - Merriam Webster
  3. Mr. De Peyster was the first Surrogate of Albany Co., having been elected to that office April 3, 1756. He was re-elected to that office March 23, 1778, holding the office till 1782. - From The History of the County of Albany, by George Howell, (c)1886.
  4. Surrogate: a local judicial officer in some states (as New York) who has jurisdiction over the probate of wills, the settlement of estates, and the appointment and supervision of guardians - Merriam Webster


Home