Josiah Woolsey ¹

  General Notes:

Will of Josiah Woolsey, Sr. 1738-1779

In the name of God Amen, the ninth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy nine, I Josiah Woolsey of the county of Westchester in the province of New York being sick in body but of good and perfect memory thanks be to Almighty God and calling to remembrance the uncertain Estate of this transitory life and that all flesh must yield unto death when it shall please God to call do make and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following, first being penitent and sorry for all my sins most humbly desiring forgiveness for the same I commend my soul unto Almighty God my Savior and Redeemer in whom and by whose merits I trust and believe assurdedly to be saved and to have full remission and forgiveness of all my sins and to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and my body I commit to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executors here after named and for the settling of my temporal estate and such goods, chattels, and debts as it hath pleased God to bestow upon me I do order and dispose the same in manner and following (that is to say) Imprimis I will and ordain that all executors herein after named in some convenient time after my decease. Item -- I give and bequeath unto my loving wife Mary the one third of all my real and personal estate to have and to hold to her heirs and assigns forever. Item -- I give and bequeath unto my four sons, Thomas, Stephen, William, and Josiah the three fourths of the remainder of my real and personal estate to have and to hold to them their heirs and assigns forever equally to be divided between them share and share alike. Item -- I give and bequeath unto my two daughters, Sarah and Mary the remainder one fourth of my real and personal estate to have and to hold to them their heirs and assigns forever equally to be divided between them share and share alike. Lastly -- I hereby nominate and appoint my said loving wife, Mary and my friend Joseph Owens of said County of Westchester, Executors of this my last Will and Testament, hereby revoking all former Will and Wills by me heretofore made.

In witness where of I have hereunto at the City of New York set my hand and seal, the day and year first above written. Josiah Woolsey (LS)
Signed, sealed, published, and declared by the said Josiah Woolsey as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have subscribed our name as witness thereto in the presence of said Testator.
William Craft, Thomas Burrill, Adryance Van Riper

Court of Probates -- Westchester County, N.Y.

Be it remembered that on this the third day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy nine, personally came and appeared before me, Richard Hatfield, Esquire Surrogate of the said County, William Craft of the said County, Yeoman, and being duly sworn on his oath declared that he did see Josiah Woolsey, deceased, sign and seal the within written instrument purporting to be the Will of the said Josiah Woolsey bearing the date of the ninth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy nine and heard him publish and declare the same as and for his last Will and Testament that at the time thereof he, the said Josiah Woolsey was of sound disposing mind and memory to be best of the knowledge and belief of him the deponent and that his name subscribed to the said Will in the Testators presence and that he the peponent was Thomas Burrill and Adryance Van Riper, the other witnesses to the said Will subscribe their names.

  Additional Information:

• Military Service: 2nd Westchester County Militia. He is DAR Ancestor #: A130323.

Josiah married Mary Owen, daughter of Joseph Owen and Hanah Helme, in 1757 in Bedford, Westchester County, New York. (Mary Owen was born in 1740 in Bedford, Westchester County, New York,¹ died on 31 Oct 1799 ¹ and was buried in Presbyterian Cemetery, Bedford, Westchester County, New York ¹.)