Note: My Special Thanks
to Phillip L. Crane, a descendant, who transcibed the following
wills from a copy of the orginal hand written wills on record at the Library
of New Jersey, and who has researched the Cox genealogy for almost 30 years.
Phillip published 13 issues of the Cox ups and Downs in the 70's and 80's,
has written articles for the Warren County New Jersey Genealogical Society
and is now in the process of writing a book based on his research of this
family.
Will of Phillip Cox written
in 1728 and probated in 1736
In the name of
God amen, The twenty seven(th) Day of September one thousand eight* hundred
and twenty eight, I Phillip Cox of the Blue Hills in Somersett County being
infernally in bodily helth and good and perfect memory thanks be to Almighty
God and Calling to Remembrance the uncertinty of my transitory Life do
make constitute ordain and declare this my last will and Testament in manor
and form following revoking adnulling by these presents All and every testament
and testamony wills and wills heretofore by me made and declared either
by word or writting and this is to be taken only as my Last will and testament
and none other. And I am penitent and sory from the botom of my Hart
for my sins most humbly desiring forgiveness for the same. I give and comitt
my Sole unto Almighty God my Savior and Redemer. In him and by the merits
of Jesus Crist I trust and believe (Lord help my unbelief) assurdedly to
be saved and to have full remission and forgiveness of all my Sins and
that my Sole with my body at the given day of ressurrection Shall rise
Again with Joy and through the merit of Crist' death and passion possess
and inherit the Kingdom of heaven prepared for his ... chosen. And my body
to be buried in such a place where it shall please my executors hereafter
named to appoint. And now for settling my temporal estate and such goods
Chattels and Debts as it has pleased God (far above my diserts) to bestow
upon me. I do order give and dispose the same in manor and form the following
that is say first I will that all my debts.. that I owe in Life.. to any
manner of person or persons whatsoever Shall be well and truly paid or
ordered to be paid within convenant time after my Death by me executors
hereafter named. Item: I give unto my well beloved wife the house and land
where I now live so long as she remains a widow. And then to my four Childern
as followoth that is to say to my oldest son John twenty pounds to be paid
within convenant time after his mother's decease and then the house and
Land to be evenly divided between my other two sons, that is to say Philip
and Phinas paying unto there sister Elizabeth twenty pounds within convenant
time after there mother decease. And the moveables to be divided evenly
between my four children that is John Philip Phinas Elizabeth. (N)ow if
it please god any of those children shall die before the time then there
part shall be divided to the survivors. To which end and purpose I constitute
made and ordain my dearly beloved wife with John Kinsey, Junior, executors,
In witness... I sett to my hand the day and year above written.
* the orginal
has the year of this will as 1828. Of course it should read 1728. [PLC]
Before signing
and sealing this my Last Will and Testament I do further give and devise
to my Said Executors or the Survivor of them full power to Sell and dispose
of in fee simple to Any person who shall purchase the One hundred Acres
of land by me purchased of John Budd and lying in Somersett County and
out of the moneys arising by the Sale to pay the debts which or maybe due
at the time of my Demise to Any person or persons whatsoever.
Wittnessed to
this will and that the Same was published and Declared to be the Last will
of Phillip Cox were John Kinsey, William Thompson and Joanna Kinsey.
Signed Phillip Cox
Probate for the
will of Phillip Cox (1736)
Be it Remembered
that on this present Eighteenth Day of August Anno Dom. One thousand Seven
hundred and thirty six personally came before the Honerable John Hamilton,
Esq., President of his Majesty's Council and Commander in Chief of the
province of New Jersey, William Thompson, One of the Witmesses Subscribed
to the within will who on his Solomn Oath which he took on the holy Evangelist
of Almighty God Doth Depose that he was present and Saw the within named
Philip Cox Sign and Seal and heard him publish pronounce and Declare the
within written Testator was of Sound Mind and Memory to the best of his
knowledge and understanding and that at the Same time John Kinsey and Joanna
Kinsey to other Subscibed Witnesses were present.
Signed John Hamilton
Be it also Remembered
that at the Same time Dorcas Cox, the Executrix within Named personally
appeared before Me and was Sworn to the Due Execution and performance of
the within will.
Signed John Hamilton
The
Will of Philip Cox (1785)
In the name of God Amen...
I Philip Cox of the County of Somerset and State of New Jersey Being in
present Health of Body, Sound in Mind and Memory thanks be given unto God
calling to mind the mortalallity of my Body, and knowing that it is Appointed
for all Men once to Die Do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament
that is to say, first of all, I give and Recommend my Soul into the hand
of Almighty God that gave it, and my Body I recommend to the Earth, to
be buried in (a) decent Christian burial at the Discretion of my Executors;
nothing doubting but at the Resurrection, I shall receive the Same by the
mighty power of God. And as touching Such worldly estate as it hath Pleased
God to bless me with in this Life I do hereby give, demise, and dispose
of the Same in the following manner and form:
Item: I do order all
my Just Debts to be paid out of my moveable Estate.
Item: I give unto my
grand Daughter, Sarah Riggs, the Sum of eight Pounds to be paid to Her
in one year after my Decease to be the whole that She is to have out of
my Estate Real and Personal.
Item: I give unto my
great grand Son Peter Riggs, son of David and Sarah Riggs, two pounds to
be paid to him one year after my Decease to be the whole he is to have
out of my Estate Real and Personal.
Item: I Give, Grant,
Demise and Bequeath all my Homested Plantation where I now live together
with all my out land and Rights of Land throughout the State of New Jersey
to my Son Isaac Cox, his Heirs and Assigns, forever. Provided he pays the
Sum of one hundred Pounds proclamition money to his two Sisters, the Said
Hannah Sutton and Susannah Suton, in two years after my Decease. Which
if he Refuses or neglects to Do then my will is and I do order my Executors
herein after mentioned or named to Sell as much of my Lands as to Pay the
Said Sum of one hundred Pounds as aforesaid to the said Hannah and Susannah
Sutton. And I do hereby Appoint my said Son Isaac Cox and my trusty Friend
Anthony Cosart Executors to this my Last Will and Testament. Ratifing and
Confirming this and no other to be my Last will and Testament. And revoking
all former Wills and Testaments by me made. In Testimony where-of I have
hereunto Set my Hand and Seal This tenth Day of March and in the year of
our Lord one thousand Seven hundred and Eighty-five.
Signed Philip Cox
Witnesses: Samuel Tingley,
Janet Tingley,
Rhoday Corton, Abner
Sutton
Probate For the Will of
Philip Cox
Someret, to wit. Samuel
Tingley and Abner Sutton, two of the witnesses to the within Will, being
duly sworn on the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God, did depose and say that
they saw Philip Cox, the Testator, therein named sign and seal the same;
and heard him publish pronounce and declare the within writing to be his
last will and Testament; and that at the doing thereof, the said Testator
was of sound and disposing mind and meory, as far as they know and as they
verily believe; and that Jannet Tingley and Rhoday Corton the other subscribing
witnesses, were present at the same time and signed their names as Witnesses
to the said will, together within the presence of the said Testator.
Sworn at Somerst this
20th. day of Sept., 1785, before me, Frederick Frelinghuysen, Surrog.
Signed, Samuel Tingley and Abner Sutton
Somerset, to wit. Isaac
Cox and Anthony Cosart, the Executors in the within Testament named, being
duly sworn on the Holy Evanglelist of Almighty God, did depose and say
That the within contains the last will and Testament of Philip Cox the
Testator therein named so far as the know and as they verily believe, that
they will well and truly perform the ame by paying first the Debts of the
said deceased... so far as the goods, Chattlels and credits of the said
deceased will there-unto extend, and that They will make and exhibit into
the office of New Jersey a true and perfect Inventory of all and singluar
the goods and Chattels and Credits of the said decd., that have or shall
have to his knowledge or possession or to the possession of any other person
or persons fro their life, and under a just and true amount when thereunto
lawfully assigned.
Sworn as before, Frederick
Frelinghuysen, Surrog.
Signed, Isaac Cox and Anthony Cosart
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