John Skeel (Hannah2) Will - 8 June 1711
(See the original Will & Inventory: PDF, 2.9 MB)
Decbr 4th 1721 John Skeel of Woodbury came to ye court and Exhibited ye Will and Testament of his Father John Skeel late of Woodbury decd which was read of, approved, and ordered to be Recorded and also presented an Inventory wc was ordered to be Recorded:
The Will
In ye name of God, Amen, I John Skeel of Woodbury in ye County of Fairfield in ye Collony of Connecticutt in New England yeoman being att presnt in good health & sound memory but stricken in years & not knowing when my change shall come, & considering that it is my duty to set my house in order, do make constitute & ordain this my last Will & Testament.
Imprimis I do bequeath & resign my soul into ye hand of God who gave it stedfastly hoping for Eternal Salvation thru Jesus Christ my Savior & my body to be decently buried & as for what temporal estate God hath bestowed on me, my Funeral charges & just debts being first paid discharged: I do give and bequeath as follows---
It: I do give & bequeath unto my dear & loving Wife Hannah Skeel all my moveable estate within ye house, & one cow, to be at her disposal as she shall see cause while she liveth and at her death & and one third part of my buildings & land during her natural life.
It: I do give & bequeath unto my dutiful & beloved son John Skeel all my buildings & lands & ye Residue of my personal Estate, not disposed of to my Wife, if he shall pay the Legacies hereafter mentioned;
Viz Unto my daughter Hannah Hickcok, ye sum of ten pounds in pay: also unto my daughter
Elizabeth Smith, the sum of ten pounds in pay: also unto my daughter Abigail Barnum the sum of twenty pounds in pay, all these beside what they have already Recd.
It: My will farther is that if my son aforesd shall depart this life without a male Heir, that then I do give unto my three grandsons David Hickcok, Gideon Barnum, and John Smith, to each of them five pounds apiece, all ye Rest to be to my son John's Heirs, ^ That this is my last Will and Testament, I do pronounce & declare & set my hand and seal this 8th day of June 1711.
| John Skeel Senr |
| . his ^ mark (seal) |
Declared to be his last Will and Testament
& signed & sealed in our presence
John Sherman Senr
Isaac Castle
John Sherman Junr
Novbr 19th 1713, I John Skeel do make this addition to my Will bearing date June 8th 1711 viz: that my son John Skeel shall have beside wt I have before given to him all ye tools & tackling belonging to my Estate, & to my Wife Hannah, half my sheep that I shall die possest of, if she be then surviving:
And I do constitute & appoint my son John Skeel ye sole Executor of my whole Will & Testament: as witness my hand & seal ye date first written declared to be his Will and signed
| John Skeel Senr |
| . his ^ mark (seal) |
And sealed in ye presence of
John Sherman Senr
Samuel Brimsmaid
July 16th 1717, then I John Skeel do make this alterattion in my Will that my daughter Hannah Hickcock shall have five pounds more than is on ye other side given to her, as witness my hand ye date above written---
| John Skeel Senr |
| . his ^ mark (seal) |
declared before us
John Sherman
Elizabeth Sherman
[There follows an Inventory of the estate of John Skell Senr, taken 3 December 1721, amounting to 178£ 18s.]
Transcribed by Nancy Tyrrel Theodore, September 2009