A copy of the handwritten will of James Dye, son of Andrew Dye, son of James Dey of Middlesex County, New Jersey was printed in Dye Data. My wife Susan labored over the cramped writing to come up with the following.
The Last Will and Testament of James Dye of Wain Township Green county in the name of God I James Dye considering the uncertainity of this Mortal Life and being of sound mind and memory blessed be Almighty God for the same do Make and Publish this my Last Will and Testament in Manner and form the following (that is to say) first I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Anna Dye the sum of one hundred and forty dollars futher my will is that my beloved wife shall have the productions and use of the plantation that I now live on together with the house hold furniture and the grane and _____ Hay on the farm with the farming utrensials further my will is that my wife shall have three Head of Hour__s that she make make choce of and fore Cows as shee may chouse to gather with twenty head of sheep and sixteen Head of Hoggs and one side ___ further I give unto my wife the use of the Distillirey and is my will is that my wife shall keep the children and rase them and give them as good schoolling as her circomstance will admit of and my will is that my ___ wife shall have hir maintinances of over my farm During her natural life if shee solong remains my widow [or wider] my will is that if my wife shoud marrey again that she shall not be in posesion of eaney of the prosperity Neither personal Nor ___ ad for the stay of hir next marriag further my will is and I ___ that I gave and Bequeth thes things to my beloved wife ____ in ____ of hir ____ and my will is if my wife shoud marey again that the property that is personal that is bene mentioned shall be sold and the money equally divided among my five youngest children.
Item I give and Bequeth to my son William Dye the plantation that I now live on and the mill ... item I give and bequith to my sun Andrew Dye seventy seven Eacors of Land being on firlecreek being a part of the Seiver tract _____
Item I give and bequeath to my Daughter Sarah Lantz seventy seven Eacors of land being at fishcreek (?) being the ballance of the Svives tract.
Item I gave and bequith to my son John Dye one hundred Eacors of lang being on the long ___ side of fish(?) creek agoining Roberts Mill
Item I gave and bequith to my son L(itel) Dye that ___ of a tract of land ..... said hill to the mouth of the ___ and up said run to the McBetors (?)
Further, my will is that my son Litel dye shall pay unto my son Reazon Dye one hundred dollars in one year after my decese and that he shall give Reazon Dye one h(alf) of the orchet for twelve years.
Item I gave and bequith to my son Reazon Dye that part of the tract of land that he now lizes on beginning at Wm Mcfetons Line apasit the mouth of the W___ fork then to Gavin Jolley line thence with Jolley line to Mcfetons line to inclose that part of the tract
Item I gave and bequith to my son Minor Dye one dollar over and above what he had know
Item I gave and bequith to the Hairs of my Daughter Massy Lantz one hundred acors of land being on the long ____ (drain) of fish creek at the Cra_____
Item i gaqve and bequite to my daughter Cassandra Bradford ninty acors of land being on the Right hand fork of the Long ____ of fishcreek
Item I gave and bequith to my Daughter Prysilla Dye one hundred and aleven acors of land ling on Toms Run ajoining John Cass (or Caen) and ____________
Item i gave and bequith to my Daughter Malinda Dye two hundred and twenty acors of land ling on Clawsons Run ajoining Nathon Long my home place and others also I bequith to my daughter Malinda thirty six acors of land being at the forck of Junkend Creek ajoining land of John Coen and Alexander Larritty
Item i gave and bequith to my two daughters Elyabeth Dye and Lurcetia Dye two hundred and fifty acors of land being on the head of toms Run agoining land of Jeremiah Bieng and James Jones and others to be equally Divided between them in quantity and quality
Further my will is that my Debt that is standing and shall be collected and the ballance of my property sold and aftar my debt and the expenses are paid the ballance of the money if there be any left to be eqaeley divided among my Hairs and I Do apoint my Son Reazon Dye my executor of this my last will and testament hereby Revoking all forms of wills by me made in witness where of i have hereunto set my hand and seal the seventeenth Day of August in the year of our lord 1835.
William Bug
Green County
Before me George Hoskinson Register for the probate of wills and granting letters of administration in and for said County. this day came John Coen and Francis Coen the two subscribing witnesses to the within and foregoing instrument of writing and upon their solus oaths sayeth that they were present and saw and heard the within named James Dye the Testator sign seal publish pronounce and declare the within instrument of writing as his last will and Testament and that at the tim of doing thereof he was of sound mind and disposing mind memory of understanding according to the best of their knowledge observation and belief
Sworn and subscribed before me June 18, 1842 and signed by George Hoskinson, Regst.
John Coen and Francis Coen signed the document.
John Coen
Francis Coen