Middlesex County

 Manning, Jeffrey ~ Will

WILL OF JEFFREY MANNING

In the Name of God Amen, The thirtieth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred ninety two I Jeffery Manning of the town of Piscataway in the County of Middlesex and Province of East Jersey Yeoman being sick in body but of good & perfect memory thanks be to the almighty God, and calling to remembrances the uncertain estate of this transitory life and that all flesh must yield unto death when it shall please God to call, do make constitute ordain & declare this my last will and Testament in manner & form following. Revoking and annulling by these presents all and every Testament and Testaments Will & Wills heretofore by me made and declared with or by word or writing and this to be taken only for my last will and Testament and none other.And first being penitant and sorry from the bottom of my heart for my sins past most humbly desiring forgiveness for the same, I give and commit my soul unto the almighty God my Saviour and Redeemer in whom and by the merits of Jesus Christ I trust and believe assuredly to be saved and to have full remision and forgiveness of all my sins and that my soul with my body at the general day of resurrection shall rise again with joy and through the merits of Christ's Death and passion possess and Inherit the Kingdom of Heaven prepared for his elect and chosen, and my body to be buried in such a place where it shall please my Executors hereafter named to appoint.And now for the setling of my temporal estate and such goods chattels and debts as it hath pleased God far above my desires to bestow upon me I do order give and dispose the same in manner and form following . That is to say first I will that all those debts and duties as I owe in right or conscience to any manner of person or persons whatsoever shall be well and truly contented and paid ordained to be paid within convenient time after my decease by my executors hereafter named.Item - I give and bequeath unto my son John Mannin one hundred acres of land lying at Shingle Hill, to him the said John Mannin his heirs executors, administrators and assigns forever. Item -I give unto my said son John Mannin two cows two yearling steers and three ewes to be delivered to my said son by my executors hereafter named after my decease.Item - I give unto my son Joseph Mannin half of the land at Dales Brook and my seventy five acres of land at Ambrose Brook with the improvements to have & to hold the said lands to him his heirs executors administrators & assigns forever, also I give and bequeath unto my son Joseph Mannin the young horse that is now at home and also the old mare he giving unto his brother Benjamin the first colt that the said mare brings, the said horse and mare to be delivered presently after my decease by my executors hereafter named.Item -I give and bequeath unto my son James Mannin all the rest of my land at Shingle Hill, that is, his brother John to have one hundred acres and he the said James Mannin to have the rest to him his heirs, executors administrators and assigns forever.Item - I give and bequeath unto my son Benjamin Mannin the other half of my land lying at Dales Brook & after his Mother's decease my house and land where I now live with the medow with all the improvements thereunto belonging to him his heirs executors administrators and assigns forever always provided as above said that his mother is to have the house and home lot and meadow with the improvements during her natural life. Item - I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth FitzRandolph two ewes and the horse colt that now sucks the mare and also my little bible. Item - I give & bequeath unto my servant Patience Walker one cow & calf or a cow fair with calf and two ewes to be delivered to her upon the day of her marriage by my executor's hereafter named. Item - I give & bequeath unto my dearly beloved wife Hepsibah Mannin the house where I now live and the house lot and the medow with all the improvements and privileges thereunto belonging to have & to hold the same during her natural life & then to go to our son Benjamin Mannin as above said. Item - all the rest of my goods & chattells of what degree or quality forever I do give & bestow to my said beloved wife for the more comfortable living and to dispose of the land to her children as she in her discretion shall think meet.Item - I do make constitute & appoint my wife Hepsibah Mannin my sole executrix to administer and dispose of my estate according to the contents of this my will and testament in witness thereof

I have set my hand & seal the day & year above written Jeffery Mannin *** his mark.

Testes Edward Slater John Molleson Edward Slater & John Molleson came into open court this third Tuesday on this month of March 1692/3 and then & they did testifie that the above written was the last will & testament of Jeffrey Manning late of Piscataway and to this best of their judgement he was then in good & perfect understanding & memorie. Testes Edward Slater Clerk. April 20th 1694 Edward Slater came before me under written commissionated for ye probate of last wills & testaments & did make oath upon the holy evangelists of Almighty God that he did see the within written Jeffrey Mannin sign seal publish and declare the written will to be his last will & testament & that at the time thereof he was of a sound mind & perfect memorie for the best of his knowledge & understanding sworn afore me Thomas Gordon 18th> Sept 1694 John Molleson came before me under written commissionated for ye probate of last wills and testaments and did solemnly believe at in presence of almighty God that he did see ye within written Jeffrey Mannin sign seale publish & declare ye within written to be his last will & testament and at ye time thereof he was of a sound mind & perfect memorie to ye best of his knowledge & understanding taken before me Thomas Gordon.