Jonathan Brown's Will

Dated April 21, 1845

In the name of God Amen, I Jonathan Brown of the Town of Granville in the County of Washington and State of New York, being of sound disposing mind and memory do hereby make publish and do share the following to be my last Will and Testament -

First: Whereas I have given and advanced unto my sons Edmund Brown and Arnold Brown all I consider it my duty to give unto them of any worldly property and estate and therefore hereby declare them hereby excluded from any further bounty & benefit from my estate.

Secondly: I give and devise unto my son Charles Brown all that parcel of land called my house farm bounded east by John Alderman's Manuel Northrup farm, south by Arnold Brown's land to his northwest corner and to continue west on a post and wall fence till it strikes Captain Northrup's land. Thence north on said Northrup's post line to the highway. Thence along the highway to said Alderman's land being his west line and it ------- his north west corner. To Have and to Hold the same and to his heirs and assigns forever upon this express condition that the said Charles Brown pay unto Leonard Brown my son the sum of [can't read] dollars in two years after my decease and further maintain and support my sons Rowland Brown and my daughter Lucy Brown and Mary Brown in sickness & in health during their natural lives respectively in a decent and comfortable manner in case of the marriage of my said daughters or either of them then the said Charles Brown shall give unto them a cow and also on the further condition that the said Charles Brown pay unto Baizilla Brown the son of my deceased son of Ellis Brown deceased, the sum of fifty Dollars, when he shall arrive at the age of twenty one years.

And I further devise unto my said son Charles Brown on the condition aforesaid all that certain lot of land commencing on the line running west of Arnold Brown's northwest corner at the east side of the Woods, & running thence southerly along the east side of said woods and south of said woods westerly till it strikes Captain Northrup's land – Thence northerly along said Northrup's east line until it strikes the line running from said Arnold Browns northwest corner named in the description of the house farm above mentioned, thence on said line to the place of beginning to have & to hold the said last described premises as a wood lot forever unto his heir and assigns.

Thirdly: And as I am desirous of reserving out of the house farm a family burying ground to be kept and reserved forever as a family burying ground. I reserve for that purpose a piece of land sufficiently large for myself , my children and grandchildren to be located next north of the long stemmed apple tree so called south from my present dwelling house notwithstanding the aforesaid devise.

Fourthly: I give and devise unto my son Reynolds H. Brown all the rest & residue of my ----- real estate not herein before devised situated in the Town of Granville aforesaid to have to Hold unto him the said Reynolds H. Brown his heirs and assigns on condition that he the said Reynolds H. Brown shall pay unto William Bliss the son of my deceased daughter Mercy the sum of one hundred dollars as follows; fifty dollars on year after my decease & fifty dollars in two years after my decease.

Fifthly all my outdoor moveables I give and bequeath unto my said sons, Charles Brown and Reynolds H. Brown to be divided equally as to value between them as near as may be.

Sixthly- I give and bequeath unto Leonard Brown the sum of two hundred Dollars payable by Charles Brown to him in two years after my decease.

Seventhly- I give and bequeath unto my daughter Lucy Brown one half of all my indoor moveables except the bed I sleep upon with its bedding & bed stand which I give unto Charles Brown aforesaid and the other half of my indoor movables I give and bequeath unto Rowland Brown my son and Mary Brown my daughter.

Lastly- I hereby nominate, constitute and appoint as fully as I can do my son Charles Brown and my friend Levi Martin to be Executors of this, my last will and testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made.

The testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty first day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty five.
Signed sealed published and declared by the said Jonathan Brown to be his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereto set our hands as attesting witnesses hereto: John C. Parker of Granville, Wash. Co: N.Y. Saml Daily ditto ditto

Jonathan Brown

Codicil to Jonathan Brown's Will

Dated December 11, 1847

Whereas I Jonathan Brown have made and executed the foregoing as my last Will and Testament and have devised to Reynolds H. Brown all the use and residue of my Real Estate as in the foregoing will is expressed to Have and to Hold forever to his heirs and assigns on condition that the said Reynolds H. Brown shall pay unto William Bliss the son of my daughter Mercy, the sum of one hundred Dollars, as follows, fifty Dollars one year from my decease and fifty Dollars in two years from my decease as will appear by the above will heretofore made. I do therefore now make this as a codicil to my said last will and declare that the said devise to the said Reynolds H. Brown as aforesaid, to be without the condition above in my said Will expressed so that he shall hold the same residue of my Real Estate without paying the said William Bliss the said one hundred Dollars, or any part thereof, hereby withdrawing and revoking my said bounty to the said William Bliss and it is my will that he the same William Bliss shall not be entitled any part of my real or personal estate after my decease, but be fully excluded from receiving any part thereof and my bounty to him is hereby fully revoked and withdrawn.

In testimony whereof I set my hand and seal the Eleventh day of December one thousand Eight hundred & forty seven.
Signed sealed published and declared by the said Jonathan Brown to be a codicil to his last Will and Testament hereto attested in presence of us who have set our names as witnesses. John C. Parker of Granville Samuel Daily Granville

Jonathan Brown

 
Note: The will was contested, recorded April 12, 1852. Death date appears to be Jan 27 1852.