Downs Family Wills
Source: Ancestry.com
submitted by KayDev30@aol.com
Database: New York City
Wills
Page 421.--In the name of God, Amen. I, JOHN DOWNS, of Southold
in Suffolk
County, yeoman, being weak and sick. "I give my Soul to God,
in hopes of a
kind reception through Jesus Christ, my Lord, and my body to the
Earth to be
decently buried in hopes of a Joyfull and Comfortable
Resurrection at the
Last Day." All debts and funeral expenses are to be paid by
my executors. I
leave to my eldest son John 1/2 of my land northward of the Long
Hole, and he
shall have his half on the east side joining to my brother
William Downs; I
also leave him 1/2 of my Little Neck, that is the south end of
both land and
meadow; and he is to allow his mother, my now wife, the
improvement of the
same till he is of age, and then she is to have the use of 1/3 so
long as she
remains my widow. I leave to my third son, James, the other half
of my land,
from the middle of the Long Hole to the Sound upon the west side;
also 1/2 of
my Little Neck, both land and meadow upon the north; my wife to
have the
improvement of it till he is of age. And my son James shall have
a drift way
through the land which I have given to my son John to the bridge.
And my sons
John and James shall have a drift way from the bridge to the
south road. I
leave to my second son Daniel all my land and meadow which I have
not
disposed of, except 1/2 of the swamp called the Long Hole which
lieth against
the land which I give to my son John: And my wife is to have the
use of it
till my son is of age. I leave to my wife Margaret the use of all
lands as
above and all movable estate for her "to dispose among my
children as she
sees fit, and when she sees fit," except 4 cows, which I
give to my 4
daughters (not named), and I make my wife executor.
Page 555.--In the name
of God, Amen. "I, WILLIAM DOWNS, of Southold, in
Suffolk County, yeoman, am of sound mind and memory, and calling
to mind the
mortality of my body." After just debts and funeral expenses
are paid, I
leave to my oldest son Peter the use of 1/3 of my land lying
north of the
King's Road, called the North road, and 10 acres of the land I
lately
purchased of Richard Sweezy, Jr., bounded south by a certain
ditch, in said
land, a little north of my son Daniel's house, west by my son
Daniel's land,
and running east 22 poles, and so far north as to make 10 acres;
Also the
meadow I purchased of Henry Pike, and lies in the Neck which is
called Saw
Mill Brook Neck, with a convenient way through gates and bars,
from the North
Road to the South road, on the lot of land I now live on,
"to him during his
life and no longer." I leave to my second son David 2/3 of
all my land lying
north of the North Road, and a piece of meadow lying in my Neck,
bounded east
by the creek, called Veales creek, north by the meadow of David
Cleaves, west
by upland, south by a certain tree called meadow white oak, and
by a small
ditch dug in the meadow by the creek, with a cartway from his
land to said
meadow. I also leave him, after the death of my son Peter, all
the land the
use of which I left to him. I leave to my third son William all
the rest of
my lands and meadows, and the 10 acres the use of which I left to
my son
Peter, with all buildings. I leave to my two daughters, Bethiah
and Deborah,
œ40 each; To my daughter, Anna Wells, 20s. I leave to my
grandsons, John
Reeve and William Reeve, œ10 each, when they are 23 years
old. I leave to my
son Peter œ47. My sons, David and William, are to pay all
debts and legacies,
and they shall each pay to my son Peter 30 shillings yearly. And
they shall
provide for my daughter, Mary Davis, sufficient maintainance for
life. I make
my two said sons, executors.
Page 458.--In the name
of God, Amen. I, WILLIAM DOWNS, of Southold, in the
County of Suffolk, yeoman, being weak in body, but of sound mind.
After my
just debts and funeral expenses are paid, I leave to my eldest
son, William,
all my lands which my father purchased of Richard Sweasy, Jr.;
and all my
lands lying between the said lands and the North Road; also
one-half of all
my meadows lying northward of the neck called Little Neck. I
leave to my
second son, Nathaniel, that part of my lands lying northward of
the North
Road, bounded as follows: South by the Highway, west by the land
of Samuel
Wells, north by the Sound, and east by the land of Daniel Terry.
Also, my
meadow lying in Saw Mill Brook Neck, that I lately purchased of
William
Hallock. I leave to my third son, Benjamin, all my lands that I
lately
purchased of Colonel Phineas Fanning, lying northward of the
North Road; also
my part of Indian Island, so called, land and meadow; also my
little island
lying in the River. I leave to my fourth son, John, all the rest
of my lands,
meadows, and buildings not yet mentioned, except the land lying
at the Batin
Hallows that I lately purchased of James Downs; which land my
executors are
to sell, if need be, to pay my debts. I leave to my two
daughters, Anna and
Sarah Downs, œ100, when eighteen. Also two cows and calves,
six ewes and
lambs, to each of them. To my well-beloved wife, Sarah, two cows
and calves,
five ewes and lambs, with all the household goods she brought to
me. Also,
the negro girl. I make my trusty friend, Daniel Wells, and my
brother-in-law,
Manly Wells, executors.
Page 19.--In the name of
God, Amen. I, DANIEL DOWNS, of the Manor of St.
George, County of Suffolk, yeoman, being sick and weak in body.
After all my
just debts and funeral expenses be paid and satisfied by my
executors, I
leave to my well beloved wife Desire, all my household goods, my
negro girl
called Zipora, my brown horse and riding chair, and two cows; all
which she
is to dispose of as she shall think proper. Unto my eldest son
Daniel œ20.
Unto my four sons, namely: Nicols, Parshall, John, and Ira, all
my lands,
meadows, and buildings (except my right in the undivided lands)
to be equally
divided between them. Likewise all my moveable estate (except
that given to
my wife). Unto my eldest daughter, Desire Rogers, œ20; to my
second daughter,
Joanna Wells, œ20; to my youngest daughter, Huldah Downs,
œ100, payable when
she is eighteen years old. My said four sons shall pay all my
just debts and
legacies above mentioned, equally between them. Unto my five sons
above
mentioned, the use and improvement of my right in the undivided
land before
mentioned until it is laid out, and to go to my son Daniel after
it is laid
out. I make my endeared wife Desire, my son Nicols, and my trusty
friend,
David Hallock, executors.
This page was last updated September 21, 2000.