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Showing posts with label Halstead Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halstead Family. Show all posts

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Richard Halstead Puts his House in Order, 1700-1785


On May 27, 2018, I published The Halstead Ancestors quoting an Orange County, New York history introducing Richard Halstead to my readers. You can view the blog post here.

Today I’ll share his last will and testament with you. As you’ll see, he wanted his wife provided for as long as she remained his widow. Land, household items, livestock and money gifts were left to his heirs. Digital images appear at the end of my post.

His will was dated May 5, 1774, and proved December 1, 1785 in New York City, New York.

   In the name of God Amen I Richard Holstead of Goshen in Orange County in the Province of New York being now in health of body but through God's goodness in sound perfect and disposing mind and memory for I am thankfull being mindfull that it tis appointed once for all men to dye and that the hour of death is uncertain and also that it Behoves every one to set his house in order while in this life do make this my last will and testament in manner following

   first of all I bequeath my soul to God who gave it recommending on his mercy through Christ my redeemer for Salvation and my body I recommend to the earth to be decently interred at the discretion of my Exr's hereafter mentioned and touching and concerning my worldly estate 

   I give, bequeath, devise will and order in the following manner desiring everyone concerned in the Distribution thereof will be contented and satisfied therewith Imprimis I give and do order unto my Exrs hereafter named so much of my movable estate for them to dispose of for the payment of all my just debts and funeral charges in some convenient time after my Deceas 

   Item I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Esther Holstead all the remainder of my household furniture excepting my large cubbord and I do give and order that my said wife shall have sufficient house room in my said dwelling house and the benefit of the equal half of my homestead lot adjoining to my said dwelling house also one riding hors, two cows, six sheep the above said benefit of my said dwelling house and homestead lot shall remain to her no longer than she shall remain my widow and the above mentioned furniture and creatures she shall have them forever and be at her own disposal 

Esther Holstead was born Esther Oldfield (1707), a daughter of Joseph Oldfield and Martha Grasset. Richard gifted Esther with all his furniture with one exception. He also directed his executors that Esther should have a place in his dwelling house and some farm stock to call her own.

   Item I give and bequeath to my son Michael Holstead all my whole farm or tract of land I now do live upon scituate lying and being on the west side of the Drowned land and the Wallakill within the Patten of Wawayanda in the County and Province aforesaid which I did lately purchase from Henry Davee his Deed of conveyance being had refference thereto will give the boundaries of the said tract or farm of land which said tract or farm shall remain together with the approvements and appurtenances thereunto belonging and also my working horses mairs and all others creatures of cattle kind and sheep and all my farming utensils to him my said son Michael Holsted and to his heirs and assigns forever 

Richard’s son, Michael, inherited his father’s homestead lot along with the livestock. I couldn’t locate the deed referred to in Orange County records. From the description, it sounds like this was the property Michael Halstead owned in the town of Minisink.

   Item I do give and bequeath to my daughter Sarah Seely my above mentioned large cubbord and the equal moiety or half part of all my whole right that I have to a certain tract or lot of land which was set of land containing about three thousand acres for the benefit and use of all those persons that hath town rights belonging to the township of Goshen scituate within the Patten of Wawayanda which said moiety or half part of all my whole right to the above mentioned tract shall remain to my said daughter Sarah Seely and to her daughters and their assigns forever 

I was wondering who was going to get that large cupboard.  Richard bequeathed one-half of his 3,000-acre Goshen tract to Sarah and the Seely granddaughters.

   Item I do give and bequeath unto my grand son Samuel Holstead my other equal moiety or half part of my whole right as his above mentioned and described and to be equally divided with my said daughter Sarah which said half part shall remain to him and to his heirs and assigns forever. 

A grandson, Samuel Halstead, got the remaining half of the Goshen tract. Perhaps Samuel’s father was Isaiah Halstead.

   Item I do give and bequeath unto all my said sons Richard Holstead, Joseph Holstead, Isaiah Holstead, Benjamin Holstead and Michael Holstead the remainder of all my town right of lands within the patten of Wayawanda aforesaid to be equally divided between them which shall remain to them and their respective heirs and assigns forever. 

   Item I do give and bequeath to my son Benjamin Holstead all the remainder of my southeast Division lot of land situate in the township of Goshen aforesaid supposed to be about ten acres of land be the same more or less which shall remain to him and to his heirs and assigns forever. 

   Item I do give unto my sons Richard and Isaiah each five shilling New York money to be paid to them out of my moveable estate by my Exrs which shall remain to them and their respective heirs and assigns forever my will is

According to The Michael Shoemaker Book, Richard and Isaiah Halstead left Orange County, New York and migrated to Luzerne County, Pennsylvania where they remained for many years.

and I do order my said son Michael Holstead to provide maintain sufficiently all necessarys and fire wood for my said wife Esther and also to provide for her creatures during her widowhood and

Taking care of Mom falls to Michael and rightly so.

   Lastly I do hereby nominate and appoint my loving wife Esther Holstead and my sons Joseph Holstead and Michael Holstead or in case of death the survivours of them to be the Executors of this my last will and testament and for them to see that the above devisions be as equally as maybe and I do revoke and disannull all other wills and testaments and do declare this to be my last  In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seal this fifth day of May and in the year of our Lord Christ seventeen hundred and seventy four 1774

     Richard (X his mark) Holstead   Signed, sealed, delivered and and Declared by the Testator to be his last will and testament 

    Note before signing and executing hereof my will his that my Said Pue in the Presbyterian meeting house in Goshen shall remain to the use and benefit of all my family until such time as they shall so cause to dispose of it)

As early as 1721/22, Richard and others contributed land to establish the Goshen Presbyterian Church. Great Grandfather insured the Halstead’s standing in the Goshen Presbyterian Church reserving his family pew for their benefit.

and the words enterlined in the fifth line from the top of this side of this half sheet (for my said wife Esther)
   Henry David, Daniel Everett, Susanna [V] Huge 

   Orange County}  Be it remembered on the first day of December in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty five personally appeared before me James Everett Surrogate of the said County Daniel Everett of the Precinct of Goshen in said County Esquire who being duly sworn deposeth and saith that he saw Richard Halsted deceased make his mark to and seal the within written instrument purporting to be the last will and testament of the said Richard Halstead bearing date the fifth day of May in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy four and that he heard him publish and declare the same as and for his last will and testament that at the time thereof he the said Richard Halsted was of a sound disposing mind and memory to the best of the knowledge and belief of him the Deponent that his name subscribed to the said will is of his proper handwriting which he subscribed as a witness thereto in the Testator's presence and that he saw the other witnesses subscribe their names as witnesses thereto in the Testator's presence.   James Everett Surrogate

    The People of the State of New York by the Grace of God Free and Independent to all to whom these presents shall come or may concern Send Greeting Know Ye that in Orange County on the first day of December instant before James Everett Esquire thereunto by us delegated and appointed the last will and testament of Richard Holsted deceased (a copy whereof is hereunto annexed) was proved and is now approved and allowed by us and the said deceased having whilst he lived and at the time of his death goods, chattels or credits within this State by means whereof the proving and registering the said will and the granting Administration of all and singular the said goods, Chattels and credits and also the auditing allowing and final discharging the account thereof doth belong unto us The Administration of all and singular the goods, chattels and credits of the said deceased and any way concerning his will is granted unto Joseph Holstead and Michael Holstead Two of the Executors in the said will named the being first duty sworn well and faithfully to Administer the same and to make and exhibit a true and perfect Inventory of all and singular the goods, chattels and credits and also to render a just and true account thereof when there unto required  In Testimony whereof we have caused the seal of our Court of Probates to be hereunto affixed
Witness Thomas Tredwell Esquire Judge of our said Court at the City of New York the fourteenth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty five         Dav Judson Clk
New York Co., NY, Wills and Administrations, Volume 38, pages 264-267
  

Richard Halstead’s Will begins last paragraph p 264
Continues on p 265


Richard Halstead’s Will pages 266-267



Sunday, May 27, 2018

The Halstead Ancestors


Today’s post marks my first blog about the Halstead’s. Thanks to the work of earlier researchers, I’ve learned much about my Halstead ancestry.

Today I’ll begin telling you about 4th Great Grandmother Esther. She was born Jan. 15, 1779 in Orange County, New York to Michael and Phebe Halstead. I knew a little about Esther from Ruttenber & Clark’s ‘History of Orange County, New York’. Esther’s grandfather, Richard Halstead, was an early Goshen settler featured in the book. Esther married and is identified below as “Mrs. William Hemingway”.
  

Transcript:  Ruttenber & Clark’s History of Orange County, New York, published 1881, page 524


“Richard Halstead was an early settler of Goshen. He lived on the Florida road, near the present Snyder place, over the "Rio Grande," and it is claimed by his descendants that he was the first merchant in Goshen. He afterwards bought 600 acres of land in what is now Wawayanda, adjoining the Fullerton farm. The tradition in this family is that his son Michael was born there. If so (as Michael died in 1820, at the age of seventy- two), it determines the settlement of Richard in Wawayanda to have been as early as 1747 or 1748, not more than ten or twelve years later than the Dolsens. Michael Halstead left several children, Michael Jr., Jesse, Aaron, Mrs. William Hemingway, Mrs. Silas Hemingway, and Mrs. Alma Bailey. Michael, Jr., had one daughter, Mrs. Charles T. Jackson, from whom most of these particulars are obtained. It is understood that the pioneer Richard Halstead had a brother Joseph, who came to Orange County about the same time. He had no children, but an adopted son, bearing the family name, became the owner of the well- known Cash farm in Wawayanda.”

Esther and William lived in Orange County, New York until some time in the 1820’s when they moved to Wantage, Sussex County, New Jersey.

4th Great Grandmother passed June 22, 1842 and is buried in the Wantage First Methodist Episcopal Church Cemetery. Great Grandfather William Hemingway passed March 9, 1855 and rests alongside her.


If you’re interested in the Hemingway family, you might like


Mystery Monday, The Hemingway’s Part 2