I, Saml French of Stratford In the County of Fairfield and Colony of Connecticut In New England...I give bequeath and dispose of all the residue and remainder thereof as followeth . . .
Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my dear and loving wife Mary French
- ye use and improvement of all the land contained in my homestead, and also
- ye use and improve of all ye land contained In ye lot called the ten acre lot together with
- the use and improvement of the lower room and chamber of the west part of ye old part of my dwelling house and
- ye use of the cellar under the parlor of my said dwelling house with
- liberty to put a sufficient quantity of fodder into my barn for two cows with
- a sufficient part of my cow yard for said two cows during her natural life excepting liberty hereafter allowed in this will to my son Joseph French to pass through ye above said cellar into the cellar yt is under the leanto part of my said dwelling and yt without exposing my said wife to any cost or charge about repairing any of my said buildings and furthermore my will is that my said wife shall have
- ye use and Improvement of all my land lying at or near the place called Knells Rocks during her natural life, said land being bounded as may appear of Stratford Records.
Item. I give and bequeath to my son Samuel French and to his heirs and assigns forever all my land lying in Stratford Westward bounded part upon the road vt Koes to Reading and part ur^on land of James Levensworth and on all parts as may appear of Stratford records.
Item. I give and bequeath Jer. French and to his heirs and assigns forever ye equal half of a tract of land lying at or near ye olace commonly called Knells Rocka in ye township of Stratford bounded northwardly and easterly with highways and upon all other parts as may appear of Stratford records.
Item. I give & bequeath to my two sons viz. John French and Jonathan French & to their heirs and assigns forever ye remaining half of ye above mentioned tract of land lying at or near ye place called Knells Rocks to be divided betwixt my said two sons In such manner as yt my son Jonathan French shall have one acre more than my son John French.
Item. I give and bequeath to my four daughters Mary Booth, Susanna Demon Ann Beardslee & Elizabeth Beardslee and their heirs and assigns forever fourteen acres of land lying at or near ye place commonly called Knells Rocks in ye Township of Stratford bounded south- wardly on land formerly laid out for Capt David Judson and on all other parts with highways, to be equally divided betwixt my said four daughters -
Also my will is that my abovesaid four daughters shall have each of them fifty shillings paid out of my movable estate with- in ye space of one year after my decease.
Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter Hannah Levensworth twenty shillings to be paid out of my movable estate within the space of one year after my decease.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my son Thomas French seven pounds to be paid out of my movable estate.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my son Joseph French and unto his heirs and assigns forever my dwelling house and barn and all my land contained in my home stead and all my land at the place commonly called Fools Hatch together with the barn standing thereon together with liberty to pass through the cellar that Is under the lean-to provided that he do no damage to my abovesaid wife so long as she shall live.
Item. I give and bequeath to my abovesaid wife Mary French all of the residue and remainder of my movable estate which I have not yet disposed of in this will for ray said wife to dispose of either in her life time or at death.
And I do hereby appoint my said wife Mary French and my son Joseph French executors of this my last will and testament and do hereby revoke and utterly disallow all other or former wills or testaments by me in any wise made or confirmed, ratifying and confirming this and this only to be my last will and testament.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this third day of December A.D. 1762.
Signed sealed pronounced Sam 11 X French (Seal) published and declared mark by the abovesaid Sam 11 French to be his last Will and Testament in presence of us ye Subscribers Abm Beardslee Gid: Sealy her Zeruah X Loring mark
