James Brintzinghoffer ← Theodore C. Brintzinghoffer ← Catherine Forman ← William Spencer Forman ← Robert Forman ← William Forman ← Lewis Forman ← Aaron Forman
Aaron Forman was my 7th great-grandfather. He died at the age of 52, leaving 7 children behind. The tone of his Last Will & Testament suggests he knew he was dying and had some time to prepare for it.
In the Name of God. Amen this thirty first day of December in the Year of Our Lord Christ~ one Thousand seven Hundred and Forty one I Aaron Forman of Freehold in the County of Monmouth in the Eastern Division of the Province of New Jersey, Trader; being Sick and Weak in Body, but of good & perfect Memory, Praised be Almighty God for same duly Considering the Frailty and Uncertainty of this Transitory Life, and that all Fleshmust Yield unto Death, when it shall please God to call; Do Make Constitute Ordain and Declare This my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following. That is to say, Principally & first of all, I Give and Recommend my Soul to Almighty God my most merciful Creator, trusting for Salvation in and thro His alone Merits of my Ever-Blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ. And for my Body, I recommend it to the Earth to be Decently Interred at the Discretion of my Executors hereinafter named; nothing doubting but at the Resurrection I shall receive this 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 do Order Give and Dispose of the Same in manner and form following. That is to Say,
First. I Will that all my those Debts & Duties which I do owe in Right or Conscience to any manner of Person or Persons whatsoever shall be well & truly Contented & Paid, or ordained to be Paid, within convenient time after my Decease by my Executors herein after named: And that as soon as the same be fully done, then my Mortgages in this same Office to be fully Paid off & Discharged.
Item. My Mind and Will is that so much of my Moveable Estate as shall be thought more than necessary for the Life & Service of my Family and Benefit of my Farm be sold off at the Discretion of my Executors ~
Item. my Will and Desire is that my Well-beloved Wife Ursilla continue & abide with my Children on my Farm or Plantation and have and Enjoy a Handsome and Comfortable maintenance, and my Children good Education out of the Profits of this Same until it shall be sold, if she shall so long continue my widow. And after my said Farm shall be sold, Then I Give and Bequeath unto my said WIfe Ursilla, the Interest of Two Hundred Pounds to be Paid her yearly & every year during the time she shall continue my widow but no longer; together with the Bed and its furniture she bought me. And if my said Wife shall choose to marry again before the Farm is Sold……of Thirty Pounds money out of the …. [this line is creased, but effectively she gets £30 flat from the £200]; together with the Bed & it’s furniture she bought me, the said Sum to be Paid to her within six months after such her Marriage. And if my said Wife shall not Marry till after my Farm is sold, Then I will and Bequeath unto my said Wife the Sum of Sixty Pounds like money aforesaid with the Bed and it’s furniture as aforesaid the said Sum to be Paid her within six months after such her Marriage by my Executor~
Item. If my Well-beloved Wife shall Continue my Widow during her Natural Life, Then my Mind and Will is and I do hereby fully Impower her at her Death, to Give and Dispose of the Principle Sum of Two Hundred Pounds (The Interest whereof after the Farm is sold is hers as before Bequeathed & Given unto her during her Widowhood) unto & amongst such of my Children as shall be most Dutiful & Obedient unto her & shall be most in want of it, at her Discretion~
Item. my Will and Desire is that my Farm should not be sold until my Son George shall come to and be of age, unless in case of my Wife’s Marriage, but this I leave to my Executors whom I do hereby fully Impower to Sell and Dispose of said Farm or Plantation at their Discretion~
Item. my Mind & Desire is, That after my Last & Lawful Debts are Paid, my Farm & Moveable Estate Sold & other Provisions made for my Widow, as things shall then be Circumstanced, as is above Expressed, That then all & Every part of my Estate whatsoever remaining, be divided into Nineteen equal parts, as in size as may be, which done, Four such equal Parts thereof I Thereby Give and Bequeath unto my eldest Son George Forman; and to my other three Sons, Lewis, Andrew and Robert, I Hereby Give and Bequeath 3 such equal parts thereof to Each of them severally; And to my Three Daughters Priscilla, Lydia & Phoebe, I hereby Give and Bequeath two such equal parts thereof to Each of them severally. The same to be Paid unto my said Children as they shall severally come to and be of Age, to wit, my Sons to the age of twenty one years, and my Daughters to Eighteen years of Age. And that the sizes and proportions of such of my Children as shall at this time of making such Division be under age, shall be Put to Interest, and Such Children’s Maintenance & Education until they shall severally come to the age of Fourteen years to be paid out of this Interest~
And when a Division of my Estate shall be made as above Directed; My Mind & Will is That none of my Children, as They shall come to age, shall Receive any more than the principle sum of the Proportion, by such Division falling or belonging to such Child. And that, after my Farm is sold, my Younger Children be handsomely Maintained & Educated out of the Interest of the Moneys so put out until they shall respectively come to the age of Fourteen Years after which Age, if any of my Children should be Inclined to follow and be put to such Businesses, as shall require further Expenses, such further Expenses shall be deducted out of such Child’s Principle part or Share: And that when my Youngest Child shall come of Age & Receive his or her Principal Share, That then, what Moneys arising by the Interest shall be left & Remain, shall be Divided amongst all my Children according to the foregoing proportion. And if any of my Children shall at that time be Dead, leaving lawful issue, his Child or Children of such of my Children so Dead shall Enjoy its Parents share, but if no issue left, then to be Divided amongst my Surviving Children.
And in case my Farm should not be sold before my Son George & my Daughter Priscilla shall come of Age, Then my Mind & Will is That my Executors Pay to Each of them when of Age, out of my Moveable Estate so much according to the foregoing proportions, as they shall think they may safely spare in part of their respective shares, to put them in a [way]. And That my Three sons Lewis, Andrew & Robert so soon as they shall be Capable, be put to or kept at such professions as they shall soon be inclined to follow at the Discretion of my Executors ~
Item. my Mind & Will is That in case any of my Children should die before they come to Age and be unmarried, the part of share of such Child or Children so dying under Age & Unmarried be parted & Divided amongst my Surviving Children according to the foregoing proportion, as near as may be ~
And Lastly I do hereby Nominate Ordain Constitute and Appoint my Well-beloved Wife Ursilla, my two Brothers Jonathan Forman & John Forman & my two Brothers-in-Law Samuel Craig & William Maddock to be the Executrix & Executor of this my Last Will and Testament hereby after utterly Disallowing, Revoking, Disannulling & making Void all & Every other former Testaments Wills Legacies and Executors by me in any ways before this time Named Willed and Bequeathed. Ratifying and Confirming this an no other to be my Last Will & Testament. Will and Testament.
Inventory… (see image)
