Thomas Stillwell (bef. 1651 - bef. 1705)

Born before 9 Jul 1651 in New Amsterdam, New Netherland

Ancestors

Husband of Marthe (Billiou) De Bonrepos — married 8 Jun 1670 in Staten Island, New York

Descendants

Died before 9 May 1705 at about age 53 in Staten Island, Richmond, New York

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Thomas Stillwell was a New Netherland settler. Join: New Netherland Settlers Project Discuss: new_netherland

Biography

Thomas Stillwell was the son of Nicholas Stillwell Jr and Annetje Van Dyke. He was baptized on 9 July 1651 in the Reformed Dutch Church of New Amsterdam. Witnesses were Thomas Hall, Marritie Geerards, and Susanna Bresert. The record reads "Eodem (1651 Page 28) den 9 Jul. Nicolaes Stillewel, Anna; Thomas; Thomas Hall, Marritie Geerards, Susanna Bresert."^[1]

Thomas Stillwell of Gravesend, was married on 8 June 1670 by Justice James Hubbard, Martha Beleuiu, (Billiou) (Balien) (Billop) of Staten Island, New York. After his death she married Rev. David Du Repos.^[2][3] Their children as named in his will cited below:

1. Thomas b 1671, d 1703
2. Frances b 1673, d May 7 1748, m Col Nicholas Brittain (Britten)
3. Anne b 1675, m Jacobus Billop (Belleau)
4. Rachel b 1677, m William Brittain (Britten).^[4][5]

Thomas was Sheriff of Staten Island from 1686 to 1691. On May 16, 1671, Matthew Force recorded an earmark for his cattle on Thomas's behalf. On Oct. 23, 1677, he obtained a grant for 73 acres under the hills on the S.E. side of Staten Island. On April 4, 1685, he got one for 145 acres at the old town also on Staten Island as shown on p. 144 of Vol. I and p. 45 of Vol. II of Land Papers in office of Secretary of State at Albany. He signed his name "Thomas Stillwell."^[6]

He died some time before 9 May 1705, when his will was proved. The will read:^[7]

"In the name of God, Amen. I, Thomas Stilwill, of Stattyen Island in ye county of Richmond, Esqr., being sick and weak in body but of sound and perfect mind and memory prasied be ye Almighty God for ye same calling to mind ye certainty of death but ye uncertainty of ye time & Howevr of Death Do make and declare this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say first and principally I commend my soul to the hands of the Almighty God my maker hoping for a blessed Resurrection of my body through the only merits of my saviour Jesus Christ & ye body I commend to ye earth to be Decently Interred at ye discretion of my Executrix hereafter named & as to that Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me I dispose thereof as followeth. Item I give and bequeath unto to Nicholas Stillwell, son of my son, Thomas Stillwell, deceased, all that Plantation or farm, commonly called Wallbour's farm, lyeing on the east side of ye Old Town, and also ye half of ye meadow belonging to it; that is to say, that part of ye meadow that lies next to the Ditch. The said Nicholas is to pay unto his two sisters, Mary and Ann Stilwill ye sum of 50 pounds a pece Current money of N.Y. when they shall attain ye severall ages of 18 yrs. or if either of them should happen to depart this life before ye said age of 18 yrs then ye whole to ye survivor & also that the said Nicholas Stilwill shall pay ouf of the said Land unto Martha Brittain, daughter of Benjamin Brittan when she shall attain ye so age & in case ye said Nicholas Stilwil shall happen to depart this life before ye age of 21 yrs then my will is that ye said farm and premisses shall come too ye and said Mary & Ann Stilwil his sisters equally to be divided between them they paying to ye said Martha Brittin ye sum of 100 pounds out of the same.

Item I give and bequeath to my Daughter Frances now wife of Nicholas Brittin, 60 acres of land joyning to ye land that I now live on, as it is now in his possession during her natural life, and after her decease then to her son Nicholas Brittin & his heirs for ever he paying out of ye same unto his sister, Mary Brittin ye sum of 25 pounds current money of N.Y. at her age of 18 yrs. I give and bequeath to my daughters Ann Stillwell & Rachel Stilwill ye messuage and Tenement with all the Housing and Buildings and all that Lot, and three quarters of a lot of land, with a lot of salt meadow at ye Great Kill Marked No. 2, which is ye land I now live upon, after ye decease of my wife hereafter named or her intermarriage & if either of ye said daughter do happen to depart this life leaving issue then living then such issue shall have nad enjoy all ye mothers equal share & part of ye said Lands & further that ye said Ann & Rachell shall upon the takeing of possession of ye same pay unto my said Daughter Frances Wiffe unto ye said Nicholas Brittin The sum of 50 lbs. if she should happen to depart this life before ye said time then to be equally divided amongst her children who shall be then living.

Item I give and bequeath unto my dear & loving wife, Martha, 1 negro woman called Jeno to her sole and proper use forever & all my estate that I now live upon both real and personal during her widowhood but in case she enter marry then only 1/3 part of my real and personal estate & I make her ye said Martha Sole Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament & I do also make and ordain my loving friends, John Stilwill and Abraham Taylor, Esqr. and Richard Murrell senjor. Trustees of this my Last Will and Testament desireing them to assist my sole Executrix in ye execution of this my Last Will & Testament &.......to be Trustees for ye use of my said children & I do hereby revoke Dissannul & make void all former & other wills, Gifts, Grants, Bequests & Legacies by me at any time before given willed or bequeathed Either by word or by writeing & this only and none other to stand for remaine and be as my Last Will and Testament."

Research Note

Dewitt Stillwell identifies Martha as a child of Peter Biyou and widow of Unknown Balein when she married Thomas Stillwell. The marriage record does not identify her as a widow in the marriage record image on this profile which is usually the case.

Sources

1. ↑ Evans, Thomas Grier. Baptisms from 1639 to 1730 in the Reformed Dutch Church, New York. New York, N.Y. New York Genealogical and Biographical Society:1901. Vol 1. Page 29. https://archive.org/details/baptismsfrom163921evan/page/29
2. ↑ Stilwell, Dewitt, and Lamont Stilwell. History And Genealogical Record of One Branch of the Stilwell Family, September 1, 1914. Solvay, N.Y.: The Martin Press, 1914. Page 43 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89066286154&view=1up&seq=71
3. ↑ Bergen, Teunis B copied from Gravesend records
4. ↑ Stilwell, Benjamin Marshall. Early memoirs of the Stilwell family, comprising the life and times of Nicholas Stilwell: New York, New York. The National Printing Company:1878. Pages 276-277. https://archive.org/details/earlymemoirsofst00stil/page/276
5. ↑ Stilwell, Dewitt, and Lamont Stilwell. 1914. Page 43. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89066286154&view=1up&seq=71
6. ↑ Bergen, Teunis G., 1806-1881. [from old catalog]. Register In Alphabetical Order, of the Early Settlers of Kings County, Long Island, N.Y.. New York: S. W. Green's sons, printer, 1881. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t2j67sx0n&view=1up&seq=286
7. ↑ New York (State). Surrogate's Court (New York County), John Keller, William S. (William Smith) Pelletreau, and New York (State). Prerogative court. Abstracts of Wills On File In the Surrogate's Office: City of New York. [New York: Printed for the Society, 18931913. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31822025845744&view=1up&seq=424

• Family member personal genealogy; Author: Helen Graves - hgraves@psln.com.

Acknowledgements

This person was created on 14 September 2010 through the import of 124-DeCoursey.ged.
Stillwell-303 was created by David Higgs through the import of Brown-12 Generations_2014-07-23.ged on Jul 23, 2014.
This person was created through the import of Jim Walker gedcom 4 Wikitree may 22 2011.ged on 24 May 2011.