WILL of NATHANIEL NORTON - 1684


In the name of God Amen I Nathaniel Norton being unsound in body but of good & perfect memory thanks be to Almighty God & calling to remembrance the uncertain state of this transitory life to make constitute ordain & declare this my last Will and testamt. in manner & form following reviking & annulling by these presents all & every testament & will heretofore by me declared either by word or writing & this is only to be taken for my last will & testamt. & none other--Imprimus--Being penitent for all my sins past most humbly desiring forgiveness for the same by the mediation of Jesus Christ my Redeemer I give and commit my soul unto Almightly God my Creator Redeemer & Preserver in whom by the merits of Jesus Christ I trust & believe assuredly that I shall be save have full and free remission of all my sins & be raised up to life & immortality at the day of the general resurrection & my body I submit to be buried in such place and decent manner as it shall please by Executors hereafter named to appoint. And now for the settling of my temporal estate & such good chattels & debts I do give and bestow in manner following willing & ordering that all those debts & duties which I owe to any person or person whatsoever in right or conscience shall be well & truly paid in convenient time after my decease by the the Executors hereafter named.

Item - to Isaac and Nathaniel my eldest sons I give my home lot to be divided as followeth, to my son Isaac the house garden & orchard with what buildings shall be raised thereon & all the land from the East side of the orchard unto the highway westward over against Abram Dayton's house & the remainder of the lot eastward of the said orchard I give to my son Nathaniel & the swamp or meadow joining to the Creek within fence I orde & dispose it to be equally divided between my sd sons Isaac and Nathaniel also my land either in the old field or little neck to be equally parted between them & likewise my shares of meadow at the oldmans Provided survivor that if either of them shall died defore marriage the survivor shall have all.

Item - to George and Jonathan my younger sons I give all my land & meadow at Mount Misery & at the south side to be equally divided & shared between them Provided that if either of them should decease before marriage the survivor these two sons shall enjoy all his brother part as is before Expressed.

Item - to my three daughters Mary, Sarah & Hannah I give to each of them at the day of marriage twenty-five pounds which is to be paid as followeth--Isaac my eldest son shall pay or case to be paid the sum of twenty-five pounds to Mary my eldest daughter in good current passable pay the day of her marriage & likewaid my son Nathaniel to Sarah my daughter shall pay ye sum oif twenty-five pounds at the day of her marriage & Hannah's portion of twenty-five pounds shall be in like manner paid at the day of her marriage by my wife, provided that is either Isaac, Nathaniel or my wife shall not be capable of the payment of the said portion at the day of their marriage above said then they shall have time to pay five pounds p. annum.

Item - to my beloved wife Mary I give & dispose all my other moveable estate as household goods utensils horses of any kind cattle sheep swine & with the furniture & guears belonging to them with the full & free use of the house such land as she shall have occasion for--Moreover I constitute order & appoint my sd wife to be my lawful & sole Executrix of this my last will & testamt to receive & pay all my just debts to see to & take care that the above legacies be fulfilled & to perform all such things pertaining to the office of an Executrix--I do request & desire that my wife shall take the advise of my friends Richard Woodhull Junr. & Timothy Brewster whom I nonimate to be the trustees to be helpful to my Executrix upon all occasions to the confirmation of the premises I do hereunto set my hand & seal this twenty second day of Dec 1684,

Nathaniel (X - his mark) Norton (Seal)


In presence of
Thomas Helme
John Wade

These are to testify that the sum of twenty-five pounds the potions of my several daughters is altered & ordered to be but twenty & that this proviso of the payment of their portions at the day of their marriage or at sour several payment sthat is five pounds at the day of marriage & so five pounds per annum for the three next years is consented to & agreed on by me Nathaniel Norton witnessed by us John Combes Thomas Helme

Thomas Helm according to the order of Court sworn before me Richard Woodhull November 7th 1685



NOTE: Nathaniel Norton came from Southampton to Brookhaven and bought the house and lot of Captain John Platt in 1668. By trade he was a carpenter and built the new meeting house at Setauket in 1669.
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