Last Will and Testament Rowland Nichols of Essex County, NY

A record of the Last Will and Testment of Rowland Nichols late of Elizabethtown deceased, recorded July 10th 1813.

Be it remembered that I ROWLAND NICHOLS of Elizabethtown in the County of Essex and State of New York being of sound mind and memory thanks be rendered to our god for the same do make and publish this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following/ that is to say,

I give and bequeath unto my well beloved wife all my household furniture to dispose of as she may [sic - may think] proper.

I also give and bequeath to my son in law JOHN CHAPMAN and my Daughter MARY his wife the sum of fifty dollars to be paid in one year after my decease.

I give and bequeath unto my son in law ABNER SLATER [sic - Slaughter] and to his wife SUSANNAH the sum of fifty dollars to be paid unto them in one year after my decease.

I also give and bequeath unto my son in law ROBERT DAVIS and to his wife HANNAH my Daughter the sum of fifty dollars to be paid unto them in two years after my decease.

I also give and bequeath unto my son in law LYMAN SMITH and to his wife KATHERINE my Daughter the sum of fifty dollars to be paid unto them in two years after my decease.

I likewise give and bequeath unto my Daughter in law PATIENCE NICHOLS widow and to her three children viz REUBEN NICHOLS, SARAH NICHOLS and SYLVESTER NICHOLS one dollar each.

I also give and bequeath unto my son NATHAN NICHOLS the sum of one dollar.

I also give and bequeath unto my son JOHN NICHOLS the sum one hundred dollars to be paid in six months after my decease.

I also give and devise unto my son BENJAMIN NICHOLS and to his heirs and assigns forever the third part of all my real estate and order that he shall pay the one third of all my Just Debts and the one third part of the above gifts and legacies herein mentioned.

I also give and bequeath and devise unto my son ABRAHAM NICHOLS and to his heirs and assigns for ever the other two thirds of all my real estate and hereby order that he shall pay two thirds of all my Just Debts and also two thirds of the gifts and legacies herein mentioned.

And I also give and bequeath unto my Said son BENJAMIN NICHOLS the one third part of all my Debts that are or may be due to me at the time of my decease and likewise the one third part of my goods and chattels.

I also give and bequeath unto my above said son ABRAHAM NICHOLS the other two thirds of all Debts that are or may be due to me at my decease and likewise the two thirds part of my goods and chattels and

I do hereby appoint my sons BENJAMIN NICHOLS and ABRAHAM NICHOLS Executors of this my Last Will and Testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made

in Witness I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty fifth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twelve.

Rowland Nichols (LS)

Signed sealed and published and declared by the said Rowland Nichols to be his Last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses in presence of the Testator.

Nathan Nichols
Caleb Nichols
Elnathan Nichols.

The submitter adds: "NB Note that the word fifty in the bequest to John Nichols was erased before signed and the word one hundred added. This will was accepted for probate by Judge James McCrae, Surrogate Judge for Essex County, New York, on 14 July 1813."

"This Rowland Nichols", the submitter writes, "resided according to the 1790 and 1800 Federal Censuses in Hoosick, [Rensselaer County] NY. Of the heirs, John Chapman lived in Pittstown [Rensselaer County]. Benjamin Nichols lived in Pittstown in 1800. Rowland Nichols was the son of Benjamin Nichols and Susannah Norton Nichols of Amesbury, Massachuetts. He was named for his grandfather Rowland/Roland/Rouland Norton. Of the 129 Nicholses who show in the online cemetery records for Rensselaer County, more than one-third are related and are part of this family. All of the witnesses to this will lived in Rensselaer County."

[Alternative search values: ROLAND NICHOLS, ROULAND NICHOLS, MARY NICHOLS CHAPMAN, SUSANNA NICHOLS, SUSANNAH NICHOLS, ABNER SLAUGHTER, HANNAH NICHOLS DAVIS, KATHERINE NICHOLS SMITH, KATHARINE NICHOLS SMITH, CATHERINE NICHOLS SMITH, CATHARINE NICHOLS SMITH, CATY NICHOLS SMITH, KATIE NICHOLS SMITH, ROWLAND NORTON, ROLAND NORTON.]

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