Will and Inventory, John Stratton of East Hampton, d 1684

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

Contents 1 Summary 1.1 Heirs 1.2 Enslaved person 1.3 Executors and Witnesses 1.4 Land references 2 Last Will and Testament 3 Inventory

Summary

Last Will and Testament, and Inventory of John Stratton Sr (bef.1623-abt.1684), dated 30th day of August, 1684 and proved before the Court of Sessions held in Southampton, March 16, 1685.

Heirs

• wife, Sarah
• Eldest son, John Stratton
• 2nd son, Joseph
• 3rd son, Stephen
• 4th son, Cornelius
• grandchildren, Joseph Hand, son of Stephen Hand
• daughter Abigail, wife of Henry Norris
• daughter, Rebeka Busnell
• daughter Ruth White
• grandchild Stephen Hand
• grandchild Stephen Hedges

Enslaved person

• Hager (referred to as "negro girle")

Executors and Witnesses

Executors: Three sons John, Stephen and Cornelius along with their mother; overseers Stephen Hedges and Stephen Hand

Witnesses: Thomas James [note: first pastor of East Hampton] and Stephen Hand

Land references

• purchased land of George Miller, Sen'r, Jerrimy Conkline, Jenny Meecham
• abutters: Jeremiah Miller, William Mulford, Capt Talmage, Robert Dayton, Goodman Bishop, Samuel Parson, Samuel Mulford, Stephen Hedges, Thomas Osborne,

Last Will and Testament

Transcrption from: A Book of Strattons: Being a Collection of Stratton Records from ..., Volume 1, pp 120-1. Internet Archive. Note bolding added.

WILL OF JOHN STRATTON

The last will and testament of mee John Stratton, Sen'r, of Easthampton, in Suffolk County, upon Long Island in America, being at this present through gods mercy of perfect mind and understanding I give my soule to god who gave it and bequeath my body to ye dust from whence it came and my Estate as followeth:

1st I give to my beloved wife Sarah the south end of my house wholly from bottom to ye topp of it dureing her life, and halfe my home lott and addition to it dureing her life, and I give to her dureing her life halfe my cloase lying by the side of ye pond called Hook pond, also my will is shee shall have for her use dureing her life my peice of meadow I formerly bought of George Miller, Sen'r, lying at ye North West, also my will is my wife dureing her life shall have the use of all my goods lying within doors, and after all this to be disposed of according as I apointe in this my will.

2dly my will is my eldest son John Stratton shall have my hous I live in and barne (viz) one half of my dwelling hous, being the north end of it, dureing his mother's life, and after mine and her decease the whole shall be his and his heires forever, also I give to him halfe my home lott and the addition to it dureing his mother's life, and after mine arid her decease the whole lott and addition to it shall be his and his heires forever. Also I give to my son Jno. and his heires halfe my cloase lying by Hook pond, that parte next Jerimiah Miller's lott, also I give to him and his heires thirteen acres of land lying at Wainscott (viz) six acres of land to adjoyne to ye seven acres I formerly gave him, this to come downe to ye beach, also I give unto the nine acres he hath already fenced in eastward, also I give unto this my son John my woodland lott lying by William Mulford's lott eastward and Mr. Mulford westward, being ten acres or thereabouts, also I give unto my son John and his heires besides the meadow he hath possion of, all my meadow at wapeack and at akkabowak, also I give unto him halfe my lott of meadow I had of Jerrimy Conkline, lying at ye northwest, also I give to this my son John comonage soe much as comes to a share of a thirteen acre lott, both at ye towne and at montaukut; be it further known my will is that after my decease my son John shall take possession of halfe my house and lott at home as aforesaid upon this condition hee deliver up the house hee now lives in and the home lott and adittion to it to ye possession of his brother Stratton as I shall further apoint.

3dly I give to my 2d son Joseph fifty acres of land, more or lesse, lying at Wainscot (viz) all my land there undisposed of to my son John as aforsd. Also I give unto him two percells of meadow, one lying at ye north-west, the one by the west creek next Capt. Talmages meadow, the other percell lying with Capt. Talmage undivided, this land aforesd. I give to him and his heires forever.

4ly I give to my 3d son Stephen thirty-one acres of land lying in ye woods, bounded upon the south by Robert Dayton's lott, upon ye west by William Mulford's lott and the highway north, to him and his heires forever. Also I give him six acres of land more eastward, lying upon the plaine near the Indian Well, alsoe I give unto him and his heirs six acres and a halfe a land lying upon the Easterneplaine by Goodman Bishop's lott, upon the east; also I give this my son Stephen that percell of meadow is mine lying at ye little northwest by Samuell Parson's meadow. Also I give to him half my meadow at ye great northwest lying by Sam'll Mulfords meadow.

5ly I give to my 4th son Cornelius Stratton the house home lott and adition my son John now lives upon, to him, and the heires of his body to take possession of it at his marriage or after my decease; alsoe I give unto him after mine and my wife's decease half my cloase lying at hoock pond north, alsoe I give to this my son Cornelius and his heirs forever my ten acre cloase lying eastward, now fenced in, lying by Stephen Hedges lott. Also I give unto him six acres of land I bought formerly of Jenny Meecham, lying by Mr. Mulford's lott east; also one acre of land lying south of hoock pond by Tho. Osborne's lott west; alsoe I give him three acres and halfe more lying upon the Mill plaines; also I give him a percell of meadow at little northwest, bounded by Stephen Hedges upon the south; alsoe half apeice of meadow at ye great norwest lying by Sam'll Mulford south; also another percell of meadow lying upon the east side of ye norwest, the part being his brother John's as aforesd; alsoe a percell of meadow after my wife's decease, which I bought of Georg Miller.

6ly I give to my grand child Joseph Hand my three acres and halfe and sixteen pole of land lying north of Samuell Parson's cloase; alsoe foure acres of land lying by Tho Bee's Lott, he not to have this land aforesaid untill he comes at age, neither shall hee allinate or dispose of it anyway without ye advice and consent of his father Stephen Hand and his uncles John and Stephen; alsoe I give him twenty pounds out of my estate, to be paid him by my Executors one year after mine and wife's decease, in good current pay and price, he not to dispose of it without advice and consent as aforesd, of his father and my two sons.

7ly I give to my daughter Abigaile, wife of Henry Norris, ten pounds out of my estate to be paid by my executors after mine and wife's decease in good pay and price current within one year as aforesd.

8ly I give to my daughter Rebeka Busnell twenty pounds after mine and wife decease, to be paid her at price current in good pay within a year by my executors.

9ly I give to my daughter Ruth White my negro girle called Hager and five pounds besides out of my estate, to be paid aforesd, to my other daughters.

10ly I give to my son Joseph Stratton ten pounds out of my estate, to be paid as aforesaid to my daughters.

11—I give to my grand child Steven Hand five pounds to be paid by my executors in maner as aforesaid.

12—I give to my grandchild Stephen Hedges five pounds, to be paid in maner as aforesd.

13—I give to my son John all debts and leagacyes paid: a duble portion of moveable goods, both within doors and without, after his mother's decease.

14—I give to my two younger sons Stephen and Cornelious all debts and Leagacyes paid the remainder of my moveable goods, after their mother's decease, to be equally divided between them, and the remainder of my comonage I will to be disposed of to my three sons Joseph, Stephen and Cornelius both that at the towne and montauket.

15—Also my will is if any of my sons aforesaid should decease without any heirs of their body lawfully begotten the land bequeathed as aforesaid to any of them, shall goe to my other sons shall survive or their heires, to be devided in equal shares amongst them; due consideration being allowed for what charges hath been layd out by any one of them upon the lands aforesaid.

16—My will is my three sonns John, Stephen and Cornelious together with their mother, soe long as shee lives, be executors of this my will and testament.

Lastly I desire Stephen Hedges and Stephen Hand to be overseers of this my will, with due consideration to be paid them by my executors for what pains and charge they may be at concerning it, and in confirmation of this my will and testament I set to my hand and seale this 30th day of August, Anno Domini 1684.

John Stratton.

Signed, sealed in presence of us

Thomas James, Stephen Hand.

Inventory

The exact date of John Stratton's death is not known, but it was before March 12, 1685-6, as an inventory of his estate bears that date. This was presented, with the will, to the Court of Sessions.*

* March the 12: 1685-6, the inventory of John Stratton's Estate:

£ s. d.

9 pewter platters, 2 quart potts and 3 small bassons and 2 old potts,

the rest of the things being old .....................................2 8 0

2 brass kettles, one of them old ....................................5 0 0

3 candle sticks, 2 of them old .........................................0 4 6

2 pairs of fire tongs and a gridiron ................................0 7 0

1 brass ladle and a choping knife ..................................0 4 0

1 old driping pan, 1 old man ...........................................0 2 0

1 tub, 1 churn, 1 wheele .................................................0 13 0

8 old chavres, two table and form .................................1 05 0

Beding blankets and sheets ............................................7 14 0

2 negro and child .............................................................50 0 0

7 potts, cettles and scellets .............................................03 5 0

Cart and plow takleing, being all old .............................03 10 0

1 grindstone 12s, boules, keelers and pailes lie ...........01 3 0

3 howes, 2 tramils 12s, I old wheel 2s, a musket 7s .......1 1 0

9 cowes 18£, 2 oxen 6£, 10s.............................................24 10 0

2 steers 6£, 6 more small cattle 10£, 8s..........................16 08 0

6 more young cattle 7, 10s................................................07 10 0

6 calves 4£, 1 mare, one horse, 1 yearling horse 6£. ... 10 0 0

36 sheep 8£ 10, 8 small swine 40s.....................................10 10 0

The Total................................................................................145 14 6

By Stephen Hand and Stephen Hedges.