Teunise DE MELTSELAER

  General Notes:

New York State Library Hist. Bulletin 11

EARLY RECORDS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF ALBANY AND COLONY OF RENSSELAERSWYCK; translated from the original Dutch by Jonathan Pearson, revised and edited by A.J. F. Van Lear, Albany, The University of State of New York, 1919, Vol. 4, pg. 117 ~ 119.


[pg. 117]
Part 2

WILLS, INVENTORIES AND SETTLEMENTS OF
ESTATES JANUARY 5, 1680/1 ~ OCTOBER 30, 1765

RECORDED IN DUTCH IN

WILLS, PARTS 1 AND 2, 1691-1835

Record of Letters of Administration &a Begunn ye. 6th of Octobr, 1691

Will of Teunis Teunissen Metselaer and Egbertie Egberts, his wif e

[6] In the name of the Lord, Amen. Teunis Teunise d'Metselaer,46 farmer, dwelling in the colony of Renselaerswyck in the county of Albany, at present sick in body but of sound mind and memory, and Egbertie Egberts, sound in body and mind, married people, who, considering the shortness and frailty of human life, the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the hour thereof, deliberately and advisedly, without inducement, persuasion or misleading of anyone, declare that they have made, ordained and determined this their respective and reciprocal last will and testament in form and manner following:

First and foremost committing their immortal souls, whenever they shall be separated from their bodies, to the gracious and merciful hands of God, their Creator and Savior, and their bodies to a Christian burial, likewise revoking, canceling and annulling all and every testamentary disposition heretofore made either jointly or severally, and herewith arriving at the principal disposition of their temporal effects to be left behind, these testators have nominated and constituted, as hereby they do reciprocally nominate and constitute the survivor of the two as his and her sole and universal heir of all their estate, real and personal, claims, credits, money, gold and silver coined and uncoined, jewels, linen and woolen clothing, [pg. 118] household furniture, etc., nothing whatsoever excepted or reserved, thereof to dispose, so [7] long as the survivor lives, without interference or contradiction of any person, and whenever the survivor shall decease, it is the will and desire of both the testators that the estate and effects left behind which shall then be found shall be equally divided among their seven children or their heirs, to wit: Maritje, wife of Harme Lievese; Egbert Teunise; Gerrittje, wife of Andries Hanse; Dirkje, wife of Bastian Harmense; Willemtie Teunise, aged 23 years; Anna Teunise, aged twenty-one years; and Martyn Teunis, aged nineteen years; that is, each to inherit and receive a just seventh part, one no more than another, provided nevertheless that the survivor be holden properly to support and provide for their three unmarried daughters and whenever they shall enter into the marriage estate, to give to each of them a proper outfit such as the other married sisters have had, without being holden to do more. But in case the survivor of the testators marries again, the same shall beholden to divide and apportion the whole, namely the just half of the whole estate, to the behoof of their aforesaid seven children, to be divided equally among them, no one receiving more than the others, and the other half shall be for the behoof of the survivor. Finally, the testators hereby exclude and debar (saving all honor and respect) the honorable orphan masters of this place and of any other place where the testators may die from the supervision and administration of their aforesaid children and property, not wishing that the same shall [8] meddle therewith,47 but instead appointing as guardians of the same the survivor of the two, with power one or more persons to choose and take as fellow guardians. All that is hereinbefore written they, the testators, declare to be their last will and testament, desiring that the same after the death of either of them shall have full force and effect, whether as will, codicil, donation, gift in anticipation of death, or otherwise, as may be most consistent with the contents, notwithstanding that certain formalities of law or custom may herein be omitted, neglected, or not included or observed, requesting of all lords, courts and judges, wherever the testators may die, the enjoy- [pg. 119] ment of the utmost benefit herefrom; one or more copies hereof to be made and delivered by me, the secretary, as the case may require. Done in Albany, at the house of Eghbert Teunise, son of the testators, on this, the seventh day of August, in the first year of his majesty's reign, Anno Domini 1685.

Teunis Teunise Metselaer
Egbertien Egberts

Signed and sealed in presence of,
Cornelis van Dyck
Myndert Harmense
In my presence,

Robt. Livingston, Cl.

__________________________________________________________________________ _______________

46 Literally: Teunis Teunise, the mason.

47 It was a common practice for testators to exclude the orphan masters from the administration of their estates, not because they were in any sense distrustful of these officials or wished to avoid the fees of such administration, but because the investments of funds by the orphan masters, which possessed a high degree of security, were as a rule less profitable to the orphans than those that were open to relatives and friends whom the testators appointed as guardians. See on that point Nicolaas de Roever Az., De Amsterdamsche Weeskamer, Amst. 1878, P.35-36,

  Noted events in his life were:

• Will, 7 August 1685.

Teunise married Egbertje EGBERTS. (Egbertje EGBERTS was born on an unknown date and died on an unknown date.)