Joseph was the son of John Laurens and Ann (Brown?) Dey. He married Margaret and Martha Wiley.
In the name of god Amen. I Joseph Dye of the South Ward of the City of Perth Amboy in the County of Middlesex and state of New Jersey, being weak in body but of perfect mind and memory, calling to mind the mortallity of the body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this my last will and testament, that is to say, principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hands of Allmighty God who gave it and my body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in dicent and Christian burial at the discretion of my executer nothing doubting but at the general reserection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God and as touching such worldly xxxxx wherewith it hath please god to bless me with I give, demise and dispose of in the following manner and form:
Item: it is my will that all my just and lawfull debts and funeral charges be paid by my executors out of my estate
Item: I given and bequeath to the children of my daughter Catherine the sum of twenty pounds to be paid to them, their heirs or assigns or unto their guardian or guardians for their use in tow years after my decease to be equally divided among them
Item: I give and brqueath to my daughter Pheby the sum of twenty poung to be paid to her, her heirs or assigns in two years after my decease
Item: I give and bequeath to my daughter Martha the sum of fifteen pounds to be paid to her, her heirs or assigns in two years after my decease
Item: I give and bequeath to my grandaughtor "Mroth" (Martha?) Vanderbeck the sum of twenty pounds to be paid to her, her heirs or assigns in two yeaers after my deceas
Item: I give and brqueath ot my daughter Ann the sum of twenty five pounds to be paid to her, her heirs of assigns in tow years after my deceas. I likewise bequeath to my said daughtor Ann one feather bed, bolster, and two pillows, my curtains now in the house, one dining table, one tin table, one chest and all the sheets, blankets, and coverlets she has made in the house since the death of her mother and one rjose coverlis made before her mothers death and all the tin ware and puter and other dishes her mother had and two new puter platters, one iron pot, one tin pot one new little wheel, two cows and calfs, six sheep and one half of my bees,one brass kettle six knives and forks, six spoons, and my iron pot, one churn, one pail, one washing tub, one new big puter "brason" one xxx quart, one looking glass of thirty shillings price, one time kettle , one xxxx like Margits, two bed spreads, one brass ladle and skimmer to be delivered to my said daughter Anne when she arrives at the age eighteen or marries and in case my said daughter Ann should die before the monies or arrives to the age of eighteen years, in that case it is my will that the legacy alloted to my said daughter Ann shall be equally divided among my children and the children of those who are dead or may die before the divisio to have their fathers or mothers share equally divided among them; it is my will that in case my said daughter Ann should die as afaoresaid that the twenty five pounds alloted to her shall be equally divided between my sons John and William and the remainder divided as aforesaid.
Item: I give and bequeath to my son Joseph or to his children the sum of fourty pounds to be paid to my son Joseph or equally divided among his children at the discrtion of my executors in two years after my deceas.
Item: I give, devise and bequeath to my son Vincent to him his heirs and asigns for ever, fifty one acres of land that measure: lying on the East land of my plantation adjoining Peter Covenhovens land [Joseph's daughter Pheby married Peter Covenhoven] to begin on Millstone Brook and runing a parallel line with my East Line to muy North Line to contain the fifty one acres aforesaid strict measure. and I give and bequeath to my son Vincent the Colt, Cow and one sheep now called his. The colt to be cept on the place by my two sons John and William they to thave the liberty of using him as they use their own horses, the cow and sheep to be kept on this place or put out on shares for his use until my son Vincent arrives to the age of sixteen years. then the colt, cow and sheep with the increase if any there be to be sold and the money arising from the sales to be put out on interest for his use and to for him when he arrives to the age of twenty one years and I give to my son Vincent the one halfof my bees and the chest that was his mothers and it is myh will that my son Vincent pay to my two sons John and WIlliam their share by executors or adminsstrators the one fourth part of the legacy alloted to my son Joseph or his children. When my said son Vincent shall arrive to the age of twenty one years and in case my son Vincent should die before he arrrive to the age of twenty one years in that case I give, devise and bequeath to my two sons John Dye and WIlliam Dye them, their heirs and assigns for every all that part of my estate both real and personal that is alloted to my said son Vincent to be equally divided among them quantity and quality. xxxx my son Vincent shall marry before he arrives to the age of twenty one years and have lawful issue and I give to my two sons John and William the full use and profits of the land allotted to my son Vincent till he arrives to the full age of twenty one they to till it and maintain it as they do their own land and cut no timber on said land except sufficient to the fences on said lott in good repair and my two sons John and William to plant fifty appletrees on said lott and I appoint my two sons John and William guardians to my son Vincent until he arrives to the age of twenty one years and order them to maintain him at their own expense and have the benefit of their labor and learn him to write and cipher through the rule of "three" and when he arrives to the age of sixteen years to put him to a trade.
Item: I give, devise and bequeath unto my two sons John and William to them, their heirs and assigns for ever all the remainder and residue of my estate both real and personal to be equally divided between them quantity and quality, they my two sons John and William paying all my just now and future debts debts and funeral expenses and the legacies mentioned in the of my will and I do ordain an dappoint my two sons John Dye and William Dye executors to this my last will and testment and do hereby utterly disallow, revoke and desnull all and every other former wills, testaments and bequeaths executed by me in any wise before now. Willed and bequests ratifying and confirming this and not other to be myh last will and testment in witness thereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the sixeenth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety three.
Signes, sealed and published and declared by the said Joseph Dye to be his last will and testament in the presence of us who in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names.
Signed Joseph Dye
The words [twenty] in the twenty third line and the word [fifteen] in the twenty sixth line, and the word [twenty five] in the thiry first lines and the words [and William and the remainder divided as aforesaid] in the fifty fifth line being first intended.
Signed:
Catherine Perrine (sister of the wives of John and William?)
John Nugent one of the witnesses to the within will being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelistes of almighty god did depose and say that he saw Joseph Dey the testator herein named sign & seal the same and heard him publish, pronounce & declare the within writing to be his last will and testament and that at the doing thereof the testator was of sound and disposing mind & memory as far as this xxxxxxx know and as he singly believes and that Catherine Perrine and Johathan Combs the other substanciating "witnesses" were present at the same time and signed their names as witnesses to the will together with this depondant in the presence of the testator. Sworn at Brunswick the 16 day of Feby 1805 before me.
XXXXX
William Dey one of the executors of the within testament named being duly sworn on the holy evangelests of almighty God did depose and say that the within instrument contains the true last will & testament of Joseph Dey the testator wherein named as far as he knows and as he verily believes that the will will truly perform the same by paying first the debts of the said decreased and they the legacies in the said Testament specified so far as the goods, chattels and credits of the said decraased and therein extend and that the will make and exhibit unto the surrogates office of the County of Middlesex a true and perfect Inventory of all xxxxx the goods, chattels and credits of the Deceased that have or shall come to his knowledge or possession.
Sworn at Brunswick the 14th day of Feby. 1805 before me.
John Nugent
Jonah Combs
Surrogate
Signed by William Dye.
Appraised this 4th Day of December 1804
1 Horse 30.0
i heifer 16.
i xxxx cow 16.
1 calf 3.0
1 xxxx 2.27
1 wind mill 2.0
2 stacks hay 16.0
4 sheep 8.0
2 hives of bees 4.0
15 bushels corn 50.
1 tub and pot 1.5
1 pot - 1 kettle - 1 griddle 3.0
1 pair tongs and frying 0.5
1 xxxx 1 xxxx trough - 1 little wheel 3.0
A Lott of timber 0.75
1 bedstead & bedding 30.
1 chest 2.0
A lott wollen yarn 6.0
1 bedstead and bedding 10.
xxx 0.5
xxx 0.5
2 cags and xxxx 1.10
A lott lumber 1.0
1 table 0.75
1 xxxxx 1.0
2 ox chains 2.0
1 xxxx 0.5
Total 211.27
Signed by:
Anthony Applegate
Abraham Bergen