Columbia County,

New York

Deed & Wills

[Transcribed from SAMPUBCO COPY

 by Susan Stalker Mulvey on 6 September 2005]

Will

of

Samuel A. Miller

Book D, Pages 441-442

  The Last Will and Testament of Samuel A. Miller of the Town of Claverack in the County of Columbia deceased. 

     I Samuel A. Miller of the Town of Claverack in the County of Columbia Yeoman being of Sound mind and memory do make this may last Will and Testament in manner following that is to say, I give and devise unto my two sons Frederick and Samuel all my real and personal Estate to have and to hold to them their heirs and assigns the same respectively forever / except my wearing apparel which is to be equally divided among my other sons, Andrew, Michael, Jacob and Christopher and the wearing apparel of my wife after her decease to be equally divided among my four daughters, Regina, Margaret, Elizabeth and Catherine, and the said Samuel and Frederick in consideration of the above devise shall pay or cause to be paid unto my four other sons Michael, Andrew, Jacob and Christopher each the sum of three hundred dollars to be paid to them their several heirs, executors & administrators at the expiration of two years after my decease, and the said Frederick and Samuel shall also pay unto my four daughters, Regina, Margaret, Elizabeth & Catherine each the sum of three hundred dollars to be paid to them and their heirs at the end of one year after my decease.  It is also my Will that my beloved wife Margaret shall have the control of the said real estate devised to my said two sons Frederick and Samuel during the minority of them the said Frederick & Samuel, and when the youngest of them shall become of age, then the control of the said real estate shall be vested wholly in them the said Frederick and Samuel their respective heirs or assigns, and they the said Frederick & Samuel shall support and maintain my said beloved wife Margaret during her natural life in a decent becoming manner, if she shall not demand her Dower, but if she shall elect to take her Dower out of my said estate, then the said Frederick and Samuel shall not be bound to give her any other support as her income in that can will be fully sufficient to support her decently through her life.  And the said Frederick & Samuel my said sons shall also give unto my said two youngest daughters  Elizabeth & Catherine the same and so much as my other daughters have had at their marriages, and the said Elizabeth and Catharine shall also be permitted to live with them the said Frederick and Samuel until they shall severally marry, and if they shall marry before my decease, and I shall give them as much at their marriages as my other daughters have had then and in such case the said Frederick and Samuel shall not be bound to pay the same after my decease, the said Frederick and Samuel are to pay all just debts I may owe at the time of my decease.  And I do hereby appoint Andrew S. Miller, Michael Miller and John I. Miller executors of this my Last Will & Testament.  The words “Regina Margaret Elizabeth and Catherine” first interlined between 16 and 17 lines first page.   

Signed Sealed published & declared by the Testator to be his last will & testament the eighth day of April in the year one thousand and eight hundred & sixteen.

In presence of                                                                           Samuel A. Miller [L.S.]

Frederick Picktel

John [his X mark] Stickle Junr

John I. Miller 

State of New York County of Columbia  / Be it remembered that on the twenty first day of March in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and eighteen personally appeared before me James I. Van Alen Surrogate of the County of Columbia Frederick Picktel who being duly sworn did depose and say that he saw Samuel A. Miller execute the preceding instrument as and for his last Will and Testament that at the time of the Execution thereof he the said Samuel was of sound disposing mind & memory to the best of the knowledge and belief of this deponent, and that John Stickle Junr. Made his mark and John I. Miller and this deponent severally subscribed their names as witnesses thereto in the presence of the Testator and of each other. 

James I. Van Alen Surrogate