THE WILL OF JUDITH STUYVESANT.

Bee it knowne Unto all people that I underwritten Judith Stuyvesant widdow of Mr. Peter Stuyvesant deceased on the 29th day of January Last past being of perfect health and in ffull Senses of memory and understanding, have made my Last will and Testament and for severall weighty reasons have caused the same to bee here Inclosed and Sealed up declaring By these presents that the tennour thereof Is my last will and testament Willing and desiring that the same may bee of ffull force and effect and that Immediately after my decease this my testament may bee Opened in due manner and the contents thereof with all artickles and Clauses therein Inserted my bee duly ffullfilled and observed.

In Wittnes whereof I have hereunto Putt my hand & seale In New Yorke on the Isle of Manhattans in America this 15th, day of ffebruary Ao 1678.

Witnesses

WILLIAM BEECKMAN

JOHANNES VAN BRUGH

NICHO BAYARD

JUDITH STUYVESANT (Seal)

TRANSLATION OF THE WILL THAT WAS SEALED UP.

In the name of God Amen Bee it known by these presents Unto all whom this may Concerne That I underwritten Judith Stuyvesant widdow of Mr. Peter Stuyvesant deceased resideing on the Isle of Manhattans have thought ffitt to make my Last will and Testament in manner and forme following Impris Considering the mortality of Mankind The Certainety of death and the Uncertaine time thereof I have therefore Recommended my Immortall Soul after my decease in the mercifull hands of the almighty God my creator and Redeemer and my mortale body to a decent Christian Buriall and concerning my temporall Estate I haveing in the first place Revoked and annulted all former testaments and Instruments Last will made or caused to bee made by myselfe. Now soe itt is That I the said Testatrix for severall

Causes and Consideracons Myselfe thereunto Especially moveing have thought fitt to dispose of my said temporall Estate in the manner and forme following Impris I do bequeath as a Legacie to my son Nicholas William Stuyvesant or his Children lawfully decending (for and in consideracon of the portion and other Extraordainary gifts and benefitts heretofore Received by my Eldest son Balthazar Lazar Stuyvesant deceased) all my Testatrices, gold and Silver Either Coined or uncoined Consisting in Jewells or otherwise none Excepted which shall bee found to bee in being at the time of my decease, Item my Testatrices greate case or Cubbard Standing att the house of Mr. Johannes Van Brugh, Together with all the China Earthen ware that is Lockt up in the sayd Cubbard and no more and I doe by these presents further make Ordaine Institute for to bee my Lawfull heires in the one Equall moyety or halfe my said son Nicholas William Stuyvesant or his Children Lawfully descending and in the other Moyety or halfe the Lawfully Children of my Eldest son Balthazar Lazar Stuyvesant deceased by name Judith and Catharina Together with the Child whereof the widdow of my Eldest son att the time of his decease was Conceived, and that In all the Estate Reall and personal moveable and Immoveable actions Creditts Cloathes apparrell Linen Woollen household Stuff and otherwise none Excepted or Reserved In the same manner as they shall be found in being att the time of my decease. Provided allwayes that in Case it should happen that the sayd Children of my Eldest son do departe this life without any Lawfull Issue that then their Lawfull portion and Inheritance shall devolve to the Children of my younger son and in the same manner if my son Nicholas William Stuyvesant and his Children do departe this life with out any Lawful Issue that then and in Such Case their lawfull portion of Inheritance shall devolve and descend to the said Children of my Eldest son And in Case it should further happen that all the sayd Children As well of my elder as my younger Sonn Came to departe without any lawfull Issue then and in such Caice my Last will and desire Is that all the said Estate shall devolve and descend As a Lawfull Inheritance the one halfe to the next kindred of mee in blood the Sayd Testatrix and the other halfe to the next kindred in blood of my late deceased husband

And for the preventing of any alienateing of the sayd Estate It is my will and testament that in Case it should happen that my Sayd son Nicholas William Stuyvesant Came to Enter into new Matrimony that all the Inheritancyes, and Lagacyes wherein my sayd son by these presents Is invested after the time of his decease shall devolve and bee hereby settled Upon his Children and by want of his Children upon the Children of my said Eldest Sonn deceased with further Limitacon that the sayd Inheritance and Legacyes shall not In any wise bee mixt In the rest of the Estate which then shall bee Belongeing to my said Sonn or bee of any profitt or benefitt to his wife or his Relacons, And I have hereby further Appointed & authorized My Cousen Nicholas Bayard and my sayd son Nicholas William Stuyvesant to bee the tutors and overseers of the Children of my Eldest son And their portions and Inheritances dureing the time of the sayd Children being under age to the end the said Childrens parte and proporcons of the said Inheritances dureing the sayd time be governed and administered In such manner As by the sayd Tutors and Overseers shall bee thought most beneficiall Secure and Convenient I doe further bequeath to my said Cousen Nicholas Bayard and to his wife and Child or Children (if desired) a bureing place In the Tomb or Vaught of my Last deceased husband In the Chappell or Church att my Bowry; And In case it should happen that my sayd Church or Chappell did Come to decay or for an other Reason be demolished I doe hereby declare and publish it to bee my Last will and Testament that of the materialls and Rubbage of sayd Chappell bee made a buildeing Sufficient ffor a Coover upon the said Vaught and I doe further by these presents Establish appoint and Authorize my sayd Cousen Nicholas Bayard and my said son Nicholas William Stuyvesant to bee the Lawful Executors and Administrators of this my Last will & testament Giveing and granting unto them as full and ample power Strength and Authority As to all Executors Established by will and testament Lawfully doth belong and appertayne And I doe therefore Exclude from the administration of my sayd Estate all other persons Whatsoever who might claime or pretend to have any power or Jurisdiction upon the same and Lastly I doe hereby order and Require my said Children and heires to be observant to all the artickles and

Clauses of this my Last Will and Testament and to Rest Satisfyed with all and whatsoever therein is assigned unto them Under the penalty of Loosing and forfeitting the benefitt of the Sayd Legacyces and Inheritances By any of the partyes that shall directly or Indirectly Oppose the same which said fforfeited portion shail devolve and Is hereby Invested upon the obedient Children and partyes.

All the premises above recited I do declare to bee my Last will and Testament desireing that the same after my decease may bee of full Effect force and virtue although all formalityes in Law required not fully are observed craveing the same May be held & deemed in the best forme as to be Inserted.

In Wittnes whereof I have hereunto putt my hand and seale In New Yorke this 29th day of January in the yeare of our Lord Jesus Christ 1678.

Testor

JUDITH STUYVESANT (Seal.)

N. BAYARD

Entered in the records of the citty of New Yorke

JOHN WEST.

Supplemental Will of Judith Stuyvesant aforesaid, and Ratification of her former will.

In the Name of God Amen Know all people whom these may concerne that I underwritten Judith Stuyvesant Widdow of Mr. Peter Stuyvesant deceased Have thought it necessary for severall good Causes mee hereunto Especially moveing by these presents to Renew Confirme and Ratifye my last will and testament made by mee on the 29th day of Jany 167 and here Inclosed Sealed up Provided Allwayes and with these expresse Reservacons & enlargements

Impris Whereas by the Lawes of this Government all Lands within this Government are declared to bee Lands of Inheretance (Except otherwise disposed of by will) Now Soe it is that my last will and testament Is that all the Lands & real Estate which shall bee Left by mee att the time of my decease shall bee held and deemed as Chattells And that my heires & Executors shall have power to dispose and make sale thereof Accordingly As they

shall Judge ffitt and Expedient And that the division of the same shall be made and Regulated to all Intents and purposes as more att Large by the Inclosed Testament Is Exprest and Sett forth any former Customes and Laws to the Contrary in any wise notwithstanding And I doe by these presents further by forme of a Legacie Give and grante to the Reformed nether dutch Church or Congregation of the Citty of New Yorke My Testracies Church or Chappell Seituated On my bowry or farmes Together with all the Revenues proffitts & Immunityes As alsoe with all the Incumbrances to the said Chappell belongeing Or appertaininge To have and to hold the said Chappell and appurtenance after the time of My decease Unto the Overseers of the said Congregacon to the use aforesayd for Ever with further power iff they see cause to demolish or displace the same and to Employ the materialls thereof to such Uses as they shall think ffitt & expedient Provided that in such case of the sayd materialls bee made and built all and whatsoever In the Inclosed Testament Is Exprest and Required for the preservation of the tombe or vaught which was built by my deceased husband in the said Church

Item-I doe bequeath to my son Nicholas William Stuyvesant my greate & best Casse or Cobbert Empty and exclusive of

*This church was erected while the Dutch were still in the administration of affairs, and was the second one on the island. Governor Stuyvesant paid for its erection, and services were begun there about 1660, Hermanus Van Hoboken, schoolmaster at New Amsterdam, reading services there until Domine Selyns began preaching. This was the nucleus of the so-called Bowery village, named after the bowery or farm of Governor Stuyvesant. By analogy the street which led there was called by the same name. Services were regularly performed in the church until the Governor's death, which happened in January, 1678. He contributed a hundred dollars a year towards paying the clergyman, who, after the Rev. Mr. Selyns, was the Rev. Mr. Megapolensis. On Mrs. Stuyvesant's death, as is stated in the above will, she devised the building to the Reformed Dutch Church, then worshiping in the Fort, but soon to have a house in Garden street, with power to demolish the building and erect a new one with the materials, provided they preserved the vault of her husband. The church accepted the trust, but public worship could not have been very often celebrated there. The Life of Dr. John H. Livingston, by Dr. Gunn, contains no mention of any preaching there in his time, and in 1795, the building being in decay, it was torn down, and the present St. Mark's Church (Episcopalian) was erected. The family vault of the Stuyvesants is still there.