Daniel Warner, Last Will and Testament 1755, proved 1770

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: East Haddam, Hartford, Connecticut
Surnames/tags: Warner Dickinson Brainerd

In The Name of God Amen

This Sixth Day of March Annoque Domini, 1755, I Daniel Warner of Easthaddom in the County of Hartford and Collony of Connecticut, Husband man being in good health of Body and of Perfect mind and Memory, Thanks be given unto God; Yet calling to Mind the Mortallity of my Body, and knowing that it is appointed for men Once to dye, do make and ordain this my Last will and Testament, that is to say principal[ly][page edge torn] and first of all, I give and recommend my Soul into the Hands of God that gave it hopeing Through the Meritts, Death and passion of my Saviour Jesus Christ to have the free, and full, forgiveness of all my Sins, and to Inherit Everlasting Life; And my Body I commit to the Earth, to be Decently Buried att the Discretion of my Executors Hereafter Named, Nothing doubting but att the General Resurrection, I shall receive the Same again by the Mighty Power of God. And as touching such worldly Estate Wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I give demise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form. That is to say –––––––

Imprimis That all [my -- crossed out] those Debts as I do owe in Right and Justice to any person or persons whatsoever shall be well and truely, or ordained to be paid in Convenient time after my Discease by my Executors hereafter Named

Item Unto my well Beloved wife Elisabeth [mye[?] Dearly Beloved wife -- crossed out] I do give and bequeath -- All my moveable Estate to be Disposed off by her -- for her Comfort and to give to whom She pleases -- saving that my Lawful Debts be paid out of the same -- and also one hundred and fifty pounds to be paid (within one year) after my Discease -- to the Heirs -- or children -- of my Daughter Thankful Dickinson, Late of Hadly in the County of Hamshire -- and Province of the Massechusets Bay In New Englad -- Now Disceased -- (and while Living was wife to Nathan Dickinson of the d [symbol for "same"] Town County and Colony afforsd) i e One hundred Pounds to the Daughter and [illegible word crossed out] Fifty Pounds to be Equally Divided between Her sons. The Money to be of thee present Currency of this Collony -- or the Equovalency thereof in Proclimation Money -- which Sums are to be paid out of Said Moveables -- And I do also give her the Improvement of one third pairt of my House & Barn-- orchards and of all my Lands -- hereafter to be willed -- During her Natural life.

Item I Do give unto my Grand Son Daniel Brainard Son of my Daughter Eli[zabeth][page edge torn] Brainard Late of afsd Easthaddam Disceast, one Third part of my Homelot begining att [page edge torn] West [illegible letters crossed out] end of said Lot and Extending East -- Until the said third part be compleated together with the building & orchards are contained thereon (saving the third part mentioned in manner and form as above) And also my Lot of Land Laid out in the Ninth Division in said Easthaddom according as the Records Describes the Same -- with all the Priviledges and appurtenances thereof to him and his heirs

Item Unto my Beloved Daughters, Martha Sears & Anna Cone I Do give and bequat[h -- page edge torn] The Two thirds of my Homelot Joyning to that part I have above given to my Grand Son Daniel [&? -- page edge torn] viz the sd East End of my Homelot to be Divided Equally [Divided -- crossed out] between them to them and [yr?] heirs.

And Further -- It is my will that the Said Daniel Brainard Martha Seers or or Anna Cone or Either of them Die without heirs of their own Bodys, that the Estate above -- willed shall go to the Surviveing heirs and Providd they all Die without hiers as above that then it return to the Nearest of my other Hiers and Each and Every of this Sort that is [illegible word crossed out] or may Ever be, to be Divided Shall be Equally Divided Between the Said heirs Specified

And that this my Last will and Testament may be Kept and adhered to I do constitute my Sons [written above illegible word crossed out] Mathew Sears and Thomas Cone to be the Executors thereof and every part thereof -- And I do -- hereby revoke and Disannul all and Every other former Testament by me any ways before Named willed and bequeathed Ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my Last will and Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal the Day and year abovewritten

Signed, Sealed, Published, Pronounced and Declared by the Said Daniel Warner as his last will and Testament in the Presence of us the Subscribers viz

[Signature]

Daniel Warner

[Signatures]

Grindal Rawson

Christopher Holmes

Robert Hungerford

[Transcribed from image of original will of Daniel Warner III. Note that this document specifically proves the parentage of Thankful (Warner) Dickinson, wife of Nathan Dickinson -- ancestors of poet Emily Dickinson; Thankful's father Daniel Warner III naming her as a daughter also implies that her mother was his first wife, Thankful (Billings) Warner.]

Source: Hartford County, Connecticut, probate case files, estate no. 3086. Last will and testament of Daniel Warner of East Haddam, dated 6 March 1755. Presented 6 March 1770. Connecticut State Library (Hartford, Connecticut). In Connecticut, Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Ancestry Record USProbateCT #2945261