Page images
PDF
EPUB

The full will is as follows:

In the Name of God Amen The twenty ninth Day of January in the third year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the second by the Grace of God King of Great Britain &c. and in the year of our Lord Christ (according to English account) one thousand seven hundred and twenty-nine; I James Sayre of Elizabeth Town in the County of Essex and Eastern Division of the Province of New Jersey being Ill and under great Indisposition of Body but of sound and perfect Mind and Memory thanks to Almighty God therefore Do Make and Ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following (That is to say) first I Commit my Soul and Spirit into the hands of Almighty God who gave it and my body to the Dust whence it was taken to receive a Decent Christian Burial, And for that Temporal & Worldly Estate which it hath pleased God in his Goodness to bestow upon me. I give Bequeathe Grant Devise and Dispose of the same (both personal and Reale) in manner and form following (That is to say)

First. I will and ordain by these presents that my funeral Charges and all such Debts as I shall happen Justly to owe to any Person or Persons at the time of my Decease shall be well and truly paid and Discharged In convenient Season after my Decease out of my movable Estate by the Executrix and Executor of this my last Will and Testament herein after by me named and appointed.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my well-beloved wife Sarah the sum of Ten Pounds over and above the one equal third part of my movable Estate (after all my funerall Expenses and Just Debts first thereout paid and Discharged) for the whole of her dowry without any other Pretence of Thirds or Title of Dower; and also I Give and Bequeath unto my said wife Sarah the whole use improvement & Benefit of all my now Dwelling House and house Lot so long as she shall remain Intirely my Widow And no longer.

Item. I give and Bequeath unto my Cousin and very Good ffriend Benjamin Price Jun' of Elizabeth Town abovesd the Sum of five pounds to be paid to him out of my said movable Estate in Convenient Season after my Decease.

Item. (All my Just Debts & above bequeathed Legacies first thereout Paid and Discharged) all the Residue and Remainder of my said movable Estate I give and bequeath unto my three nephews, namely Ezekiel Sayre, Benjamin Sayre and James Sayre (sons of Job Sayre of Southampton in the County of Suffolk and Province of New York my Brother) to be equally Divided to and amongst all three of them my said nephews part and part equal and alike.

Item. I give grant Devise and bequeath unto my well-beloved nephew Benjamin Sayre herein above named and to his heirs and assigns for Ever ali that my now dwelling House and home lott Scituate lying and being in Elizabeth Town aforesd with all the appendages and appurtenances thereto belonging and appertaining to be possessed thereof at the time of the Decease of my said Wife if she remain Intirely my Widow untill her Death or otherwise if she happen after my Decease to be married to another man then at the time of such her Remarriage and from thence forth To Have and to hold the said Dwelling House and home Lott with Liberties priviledges and appurtenances to the same belonging and appertaining unto him the said Benjamin Sayre his heirs and assigns forever -and Also all other my Lands in said Elizabeth Town-I give grant Devise and bequeath unto my said Nephew the said Benjamin Sayre his Heirs and Assigns forever to be possessed thereof Immediately after my Decease.

Item. I order and appoint my said Brother Job Sayre above named to Receive and take the care of all such Legacys above herein given and bequeathed to those who are under age till they arrive to full age. And to acquit and Discharge my Executrix and Executor thereof upon his receipt of the same Legacys.

Item. I make appoint and ordain my said Wife Sarah and my said Trusty ffriend said Benjamin Price Jun' the Executrix & Executor of this my last Will and Testament Praying them in the name of God to se the same Executed according to the true Întent and meaning thereof. And I do utterly Revoke and make void all former Wills and Testaments by me at any time heretofore in any wise made and Declared and do hereby Rattify and Confirm this to be my only last Will and Testament. In Wittness whereof I have hereunto put my hand and Seal the Day and year first hereinabove written [the words (thanks

to Almighty theref') over line five (now) over line sixteen (bequeathe) over line twenty-one (to be pp) over line twenty-six, being all first interlined]. JAMES SAYRE. (L. S.)

Signed and Sealed and published &
Declared by the said James Sayre
the Testator to be his last Will &
Testament In the presence of us
witnesses

DAVID MOREhouse,
BENJAMIN MAKER,

SAMUELL WHITEHEAD.

Elizabeth Town 24th October 1732 Then Personally appeared before me Michael Kearny Surro Duely Delegate & appointed Samuel Whitehead one of the Evidences to the within last will and Testament who being sworn on the holy Evangelist of Almighty God did Depose that he did See James Sayre the Testator within named Sign Seal publish and Declare the Within written Instrument to be his last Will and Testament & was at the same time of Sound mind and memory as far as he knew or believed and Did see the other two Evidences sign it as such in the presence of the Testator and this Deponent at the same time Sworn &c.

MICH. KEARNY Surro

Elizabeth Town 24th October 1732 Then Personally appeared before me
Mich. Kearny Surro duely appointed Sarah Sayres and Benjamin Price Jun' the
Executrix and Executor within named and Qualified themselves as such &c.
M. KEARNY.
(Liber B, folios 306-307-308.)

[blocks in formation]

Liber VIII, page 344, recorded in New York, March 27, 1712, names his wife Hannah; gives the property to her, she to provide for Uriah, the son of his sister Sarah Lyman, till he is fourteen. If he lives to the age of twenty-one, he is to have all the property. If he dies, then it is to go to Nehemiah, son of Job Sayre.

CHAPTER IV.

FOURTH GENERATION.

LINE OF FRANCIS.2

[ocr errors]

11 JOHN SAYRE was born in Southampton, L. I., January 6, 1665. September 27, 1689, he married Sarah He was pressed a trooper to go to Albany, October 14, 1687 (from papers in possession of Mrs. Sanburn). He was a Deacon of the church at Southampton. He lived at Flying Point, Southampton, L. I., southwest of Mecox Bay, where he died April 29, 1724. (The records below are from the old family Bible at Southampton.)

CHILDREN.

35* JOHN, b. Mar. 17, 1692, m. Hannah Howell.
36 SARAH, b. Oct. 12, 1694. Died in infancy.

37* THOMAS, b. at Southampton, July 1, 1696.
38 DAMARIS, b. May 9, 1698.

39 ELIZABETH,4 b. Mar. 23, 1701.

40* JONATHAN,4 b. Jan. 18, 1705, m. Sarah Percy.

41 SARAH,4 b. Aug. 11, 1709.

42 HANNAH,4 b. Jan. 23, 1712, d. May 13, 1713.
43 HANNAH,4 b. Apr. 17, 1715.

14 JONATHAN 3 SAYRE, born in Southampton, L. I.

Joseph Walters, of Newark, about 1688, gave his estate to "cousin Jonathan Sayre."

On May 1, 1697, the Proprietors of East Jersey deeded to Jonathan Sayre, of Newark, certain real estate.

In the Colonial MSS. at Albany (Vol. LV, p. 6), May 3, 1711, Jonathan Sayre is referred to as "Master of the good sloop Unity bound for New York."

Vol. LV, p. 116, July 11, 1711, records a receipt from "Jonathan Sayer," dated at New Haven, for 11 bbls. of pork and beef to be delivered to his Excellency Col. Hunter, in New York, "on my arrival there."

Newark, N. J., records:

In 1716 Jonathan Sayre had 70 links of fencing on the common line- - the fence beginning at Bound Creek and running north to Main River.

In 1721 he was surveyor of highways in Newark, N. J.

Early copies of the "New York Post Boy" mention Captain Jonathan Sayre's vessel as sailing from Boston to East Jersey.

He died at Newark, N. J., in 1732, aged fifty years, as stated on his gravestone. Probably an error in age, and more likely sixty years.

His wife,

died before December 14, 1727, the date of his will, which was probated June 23, 1732 (1733?).

His daughter, Hannah Ogden, was executrix. The witnesses were Caleb Sayre, Benjamin Coe, and Abigail Coe.

CHILD.

44* HANNAH, b. 1710, m. John Ogden.

16 CALEB SAYRE, born in Southampton, L. I., removed to Elizabeth, N. J., where, Nov. 13, 1706, he bought land of William White.

Removed to Newark, N. J., where he witnessed the will of Capt. Jonathan Sayre, Dec. 14, 1727.

He married at Southampton, L. I., Mary list of inhabitants there in 1698. He was a cooper.

CHILD.

45* CALEB,4 b. 1709, m. Martha Ogden.

whose name is found on the

17 ICHABOD3 SAYRE married at New London, Conn., 1697, Mary Hubbard, eldest daughter of Hugh and Jane Latham Hubbard, of Derbyshire, England. She was born Nov. 17, 1674. This is the first marriage recorded by Rev. Gurdon Saltonstall.

Ichabod Sayre is mentioned in a list of inhabitants of Southampton, L. I., in 1698.

He was part owner of a whaler, April 18, 1711. lonial MSS., Albany, N. Y.)

(Vol. LIV, p. 188, of Co

At a meeting at Southampton, April 7, 1712, to settle rights in common, Ichabod and Thomas Sayre each received one quarter by Samuel Cooper.

Ichabod was elected Clerk and Constable at Southampton, April 6, 1725, and Trustee in April, 1730, '33, '37, '41.

46* ICHABOD,4 m. Elizabeth

CHILDREN.

47* ANNANIAS, m. 1st, Mary Gibbons; 2d, Patience Reed.
48 STEPHEN,4 m. Patience (she perhaps married Jan. 4, 1766, Christopher
Rape of Gloucester Co.). He removed to Hopewell, Cumberland Co., N. J.
His will, dated Feb. 10, 1758, was probated July 1, 1758, and recorded in
Liber IX, folio 15, at Trenton, N. J. It mentions wife Patience, and three
sons, minors, not named. Brother Annanias, executor.

CHILDREN.

I SON, name unknown.

2 SON, name unknown.
3 SON, name unknown.

49* ABRAHAM, m. Mehitable

3

LINE OF DANIEL.2

[ocr errors]

18 JOSEPH SAYRE married Priscilla Oct. 1, 1686, he bought at Southampton lot No. 18. On July 15, 1690, he sold a lot he had of his grandfather Christopher Foster. He was chosen Trustee of Southampton, April 3, 1694. He moved to Fairfield, Cohansey, Salem Co., N. J., in 1697, being one of the company of original purchasers (from Connecticut and Long Island) who settled that place in that year. The terms of settlement are set forth in "Agreement between y purchasers of Fairfield," recorded in Salem Deed Book, No. 6, p. 169, &c. This "Agreement" assigns to Joseph Sayre two hundred acres as his portion of land. The land records show several conveyances to and from him. Fairfield is now in Cumberland County, which was set off from Salem County in 1748. He was named as a Justice of the first Court of Records, Salem, N. J., June 2, 1705, Sept. 17, 1706.

His will, recorded at Trenton, Liber I, folio 265, was dated April 10, 1710, and probated April 19, 1710. The inventory of estate was £337 155. od. The will reads as follows:

In the Name of God Amen the teth day of Aprill 1710 I Joseph Sayre of Cohansey In ye County of Salem In the provence of West New Jersey Being very sick And weak of Body But of perfect mind And Memory Thanks Be Given unto God for Itt Therefore Calling to mind the Mortallity of the Body And Knowing that Itt Is Apointed for all men once to Dy Doe Apoint And ordain this my Last will And Testiment That is to say prinsapally And first of All I Give And Recommend my soul In to the Hands of God that Gave Itt And my Body I Recommend to the Earth to Be Buried in A Christian Burell Att the discresion of my Executors Nothing Doubting But Att the Generall Reserection I shall Reseve the Same Again By the mighty power of God-And As Touching shuch worlly Estate As Itt Hath pleased God to Bles me with In this world — I give dimis dispose of In mamer And form As folloeth—

Inprimis. I will And Bequefe to my Loving Wife Presilah forty pounds of my moveable Estate for Hur part Thereof And the west Room of my Now Dwelling Hoos And what part of the Sellar She shall Need so Long As she Seas Cause to Live In Itt or during Hur widdow Hood

Item Second. I will And Bequefe to my Beloved son Joseph Sayre And to His Heirs And Asignes for Euer my now Dwelling House And All my Land And marsh on the North side of the Hye way And my Barn And fore Acres of Land on the south sid of the Hye way Begining Att the Norwest Cornor of that parsall of Land And so to Run East forty pearches

Thirdly. I will And Bequefe to my Beloved son Ebenezar the Rest of All the Remainder of my Land And Marsh Lying And Being on the south sid of the Hye way to Be His His Heirs And Asignes for Euer.

Fourthly. I will And Bequeall to my Beloved son Elisha that Land And marsh that I Had And Bought of Jacob Garrison desest to Him His Heirs Executors And Esignes for Euer

Fifthly. I will and Bequefe to my Beloued son Lemuell fifty Acres of Land In Merrigoold show Neck which was Thomas Dimond And All my part with the Town in Bellos Land which Is undivided when purchashed And If that shold Not be purchashed I will that He shold haue two Hundred Acres of Land purchesed for Him ye sd Lemuell His Heirs or Asignes for Euer And Likwise I will

« PreviousContinue »