Samuel^{3 (John2)} Terrill Will - 25 September 1750

Nancy Tyrrel Theodore, October 2009

There were several Samuel Terrill's in early Milford. Roger¹ and Abigail had a son, Samuel² Terrill who moved to Long Island and had a son, also Samuel³, who is probably^† the Samuel referred to in Milford records as Samuel, Jr., who married Abigail Baldwin there 17 Aug 1710. (Milford Vitals 1:70)*. This Samuel, Jr.³, had a son Lemuel⁴ who was born 10 September 1711 (Milford Vitals 1:71)*, and a son Samuel⁴, using this son's will as proof. In his will of 25 September 1764, Samuel⁴ of Elizabeth, New Jersey, charged his son, Nathaniel⁵, with the care of "My Brother" Lemuel⁴. This Nathaniel⁵ may be the Nathaniel Tyrrel "from the Jerseys" who married Abigail Rumsey on 23 January 1770 in Redding, Fairfield, Connecticut, and raised a family there. (Click on the highlighted references above for an article, or a trancscription and copy of the document.)

The Samuel³ Terrill who made the will below is the son of John.² He names in his will "my dearly & well beloved Wife Mary Terrill," who is the Mary Smith who married Samuel 4 November 1707/8 [sic]. (Milford Vitals 1:65)*. Samuel's³ children are also named in the will... the eldest, another Samuel⁴; Jesse⁴; Abraham⁴; Phinehas⁴; Mary⁴ who married Josiah Tibbals; and, Rebecca⁴ who married Jacob Baldwin. There is no Lemuel.

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Connecticut Probate Court (New Haven District) Vol. 7, pages 687-689 - LDS #5297

(See the original: PDF, 4.7 MB)

Samuel Terrill Ex:^r of the last Will & Testament of M:^r Samuel Terrill late of Milford Dec^d, Exhibited said Instrument in this Court, y^e Witnesses to which being sworn before Nathan Baldwin Esq^r, said Ex:^r moved to have the Same approved, and Josiah Tibbals J^r & Jacob Baldwin & their Wives being summoned to appear before y^e Court to make their Objections, if any they had, why y^e said Will should not be approved, being Called 3 times, appeared not. Thereupon said Will is accepted as proved & approved for Record—

S^d Ex:^r accepts said Trust

In the Name of God Amen the 25:^th Day of Sep:^r AD 1750. I Samuel Terrill of Milford in y^e County of New Haven in his Maj^ties Colony of Connect:^t in New England in America being Sick & apprehensive of my approaching Change by Death, tho:^h of perfect Mind & Memory, Thanks be given unto God - Do make, constitute and ordain this my Last Will & Testament in manner & form following / that is say / Principally & first of all I Give & Recommend my Soul into the Hands of God y^t gave it, and my Body I recommend to y^e Earth to be buried in decent, Christian Burial at the Discretion of my Ex:^rs hereafter named, nothing doubting but at the general Ressurection I shall receive y^e Same again by y^e mighty --- of God. And as touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased the Lord to bless me in this Life, I Give, Demise & Dispose of in the following manner & form, after the Payment of all my just Debts, with funeral charges -

I Give & bequeath unto my dearly & well beloved Wife Mary Terrill the use & Improvm:^t of one third Part of my dwelling House & Homestead, to gether with one third Part of all my other Lands, Meadows, Pastures etc during her natural Life. I Give also unto my s:^d Wife the one third Part of all my Chattels or personal Estate to her & to her Heirs & Assigns for ever, also two Cows & their keeping in the Winter by Sam:^ll & Abram. -

[It]em I Give & Devise unto my oldest Son Sam:^ll Terrill over & above what I have heretofore given by Deed, & unto his Heirs & Assigns for ever, these several Peices or Parcels of Land or Meadow hereafter described lying & being in Milford aforesaid Viz:^t that Part of my Homelot from y^e Middle between the old House & y^e new House, it being y^e Eastward Half Part of my Homelot runing square, Including the two Rods thro:^h, already given to Sam:^ll [back] to Beards Line, in Consideration of his Birth Right, it being the Eastward Part or Side of said Lot. -

Item I Give also unto my s:^d Son Sam:^ll Terrill & unto his Heirs and Assigns for ever, so much Land as y^e Eastward Half of my Barn now Stands upon, together with that Part of s:^d Barn & also the Half of both my Yards round s:^d barn, & also 4 Rods square on y^e back Side of s:^d Barn & also twelve feet in Wedth Passage from his House to y^e s:^d Barn & also y^e one Half of my Well of Water with free Liberty to pass & repass from time to time, to him & his Heirs & Assigns for ever. -

Item I Give & Devise unto my s^d Son Sam:^ll Terrill & unto his Heirs and Assigns for ever y^e Southwestward Part of my Land & Meadow lying in y^e great Neck at a Place Called y^e Rock Lot containing twenty & fiv[e] Acres Be it more or less, being within these specified Limits, beginning at y^e Highway which leads to y^e Point, so called, leaving out the first mowing Peice, runing by y^e old Line, it being all y^e small Lots on y^e Southward Side of s:^d Line, taking in y^e first Cleared Land; next to y^e great Lots, a place so Called, to y^e mowing Peice to y^e old Gap, to y^e Well of Water and to the Camps Land, keeping y^e old Line & Fence -

Item I Give & Devise unto my s:^d Son Sam:^ll & unto his Heirs & Assigns for ever, y^e three Peices of Meadow at y^e great Lots, so Called, by us Called the Well Peice, the Mountain Peice & y^e round Peice. also one third Part of my Marsh or Sedge^§ Peice lying at y^e Mouth of the great Lots Creek, it being y^e Southward Part thereof next to y^e Cove: & also y^e one Half of all my Rights in y^e sequestred Lands, so Called. & also all my Rights in Rogers;^s Lots so Called, lately surveyed & laid out in y^e Common Land, & one of s^d Peices Containing about 6 Acres & lies near by M.^r Sam:^ll Treats now dwelling House, y^e other Peice lies on or near to a Place Called Turkey Hill, it being all my Land in them two Places. -

Item I Give & Devise unto my Son Jesse Terrill & unto his Heirs & Assigns for ever; five Certain Lots in the Parish of Amity above Bladens Brook together with the House & Half y^e Barn standing on one of s:^d Lots, which was Platts & y^e other four Northward thereof, & also Half the Lot bo^t: of Jerem^h Beard, with Privileges & Appurtenances thereof.

Item I Give or Devise unto my s:^d Son Jesse Terrill & unto his Heirs & Assigns for ever, the one Half of my own Lott in y^e Indian Purchase, both y^e one Bitt and the two Bitt, so Called -

Item I Give & Devise unto my Son Abraham Terril & unto his Heirs & Assigns for ever, the Remaining Part of my Homelot, y^e old House where I now dwell, with y^e other Half or west End of my Barn & Half the Yards & all my Land at y^e west field, & y^e Remainder of my Land at y^e Rock Lot, Even all my Land near or about y^e Town not before devised, to gether with my Meadows & Sedge at y^e great Lot Creek not before devised, upon the Condition & Limitations following, Viz.^t, my true Intent & Will is, y^t if my s:^d Son Abrh^m Terril dye without Issue male or female of his Body lawfully begotten, then y^e above s:^d houseing, Land, Pastures, Meadows & Premisses, be & remain to my eldest Son Sam^ll Terrill & unto his Heirs & Assigns for ever -

[I]tem I Give & Devise unto my youngest _^^Son Phinehas Terrill & unto his Heirs & Assigns for ever, the other five Lots lying Northward of Bladens Brook in y^e Parish of Amity before mentioned in this Will together with the westward Half End of my Barn there & all the Land between s:^d Barn & Highway & Convenient Privileges to pass & repass thereto, together with the one Half of my Yard there, & about four or six feet round y^e back Side as need shall require, also the Half of all my Lands lying there in y^e Indian Purchases, not otherwise disposed of: and also Convenient Cart Way thro^h Jesse's Part over the Brook & his Land -

[It]em My Will further is y^t my s:d Son Phinehas Terrill shall have paid him out of my Estate y^e Sum of fourty Pounds old Ten:^or, to help build his House by my Ex:^rs -

[I]tem I Give & bequeath unto my Daughter Mary Tibbals wife of Josiah Tibbals Jun.^r Besides what I have heretofore given her, y^e Sum of twenty _^^Pounds old Tenor to be paid within one Year next after my Decease to her & her Heirs & Assigns for ever

[I]tem I Give unto my Daught:^r Rebecca wife to Jacob Baldwin y^e Sum of twenty Pounds old Ten:^r to be paid by my Ex^rs within one year next after my Decease -

[I]tem My Will further is y^t y^e Reverssion of y^e Moiety of these Lands, Pastures, Meadows here in Milford & as given to my Wife during Life, be & remains to my two Sons Sam:^ll Terrill & Abrah^m Terrill & to their Heirs & Assigns as before defined in this Will, together with all ye Rest of my Chattell Estate upon Conditions they paying y^e several Legacies before mentioned, equally to be divided betwixt them & to their Heirs & Assigns for ever -

^† Well-respected and well-known early Connecticut genealogists including Donald Lines Jacobus, ("The Terrill Family of Connecticut," The American Genealogist, Vol. 25, pp. 37-54) and Susan Woodruff Abbott, (Families of Early Milford, Genealogical Publishing Co.,1979, p. 739) place the Samuel, Jr. of Milford who married Abigail Baldwin in Samuel² Terrill's family.

^* Milford (Conn.) Vital Records," The American Genealogist, Vol. 9, pp. 100-120 & 159-173. Transcriptions for all the entries in the first volume of Milford vital records.

^§ Sedge is a rush or grasslike plant that grows in wetlands.

Transcribed by Nancy Tyrrel Theodore, October 2009.