This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Reeves, Woolley Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.newyork.counties.tompkins/5025/mb.ashx Message Board Post: In a Surrogate court for the County of Tompkins at the office of the Surrogate of said county in the Village of Ithaca on the 26th day of August in the year 1836. Present Evans Humphrey Surrogate Jehiel Ludlow an executor named in the last will and testament of Benjamin C. Reeves, late of the town of Lansing in said county deceased appeared for the purpose of proving and having the said will recorded according to law and made a satisfactory proof that notice of this application had been served according to law on all the heirs of the said deceased. An instrument purporting to be the last will and testament of Benjamin C. Reeves having a date of the sixth day of May in the year 1836 was produced in court and shown to each of the previous sworn as witnesses as hereinafter mentioned the said will is in the words and figures following to wit: The last will and testament of Benjamin C. Reeves of the town of Lansing in the county of Tompkins and sate of NY - I Benjamin C. Reeves considering the uncertainty of this mortal life and being of sound mind and memory do hereby make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following (that is to say) First - I give and bequeath unto my wife Anna Reeves all my freehold estate it being the farm on which I said live (except 90 acres to be set off the south part of said farm) together with all household furniture during her natural life or as long as she remains my widow which said legacy given to my said wife as aforesaid I hereby direct as intended to be and is so given to her in full satisfaction and recompense of and for her dower and needs which she may or can in any wise claim or demand out of my estate and I hereby commit the guardianship of all my children until they shall respectively attain the age of twenty-one unto my said wife during her life if she shall so long continue to be my widow and from and after her decease or second marriage unto my son BR and do hereby make and declare that the expenses of the maintenance and education of my said children until they shall attain the age aforesaid respectively shall be paid and have my said wife by and out of the esta! te given and bequeathed to her in and by this my last will- Item - I give and bequeath unto my three sons, Ichobod L. Reeves, Benjamin C. Reeves and Stephen D. Reeves the ninety acres alone excepted to be set off the south side of my said farm in such manner as to take three-fifths of the wood or timber land quantity and quality considered, said ninety acres and the said Ichobod L. Reeves, Benjamin C. Reeves and Stephen D. Reeves to pay to my four daughters Mary Reeves, Ursula Reeves, Ann Reeves and Matilda Reeves one hundred and fifty dollar search as I shall hereinafter direct- Item - I will and bequeath to my four daughters Mary Reeves, one hundred and fifty dollars each which said several figures or sums of money I will and order to be paid to the said respective legatees as they shall finally attain the age of twenty one years to be paid by the aforesaid Ichobod L. Reeves, Benjamin C. Reeves and Stephen D. Reeves Item - I give and bequeath to my two sons, Moses L. Reeves and Nathan W. Reeves the freehold estate herein fore bequeathed to my wife Anne Reeves as her rite of dower in manner following In case of either the death or marriage of my wife Anne Reeves before the said Moses attains the age of twenty one years I will and order that the freehold aforesaid be rented out and the rents and profits arising from the same be applied for the support and education of all my children that at the time have not attained the age of twenty one years In case either of said events happens after the said Moses shall have attained the age of twenty one years then I will and order that the said freehold property be divided equally quantity and quality considered the one half to be set off to said Moses and the other half rented out, the proceeds of said renting so much as is ..to support and educate of said Nathan W. Reeves until the said Nathan shall attain the full age of twenty-one years. It ! is my will and I hereby order that at the time the ninety acres is divided and set off to Ichobod L. Reeves, Benjamin C. Reeves and Stephen D. Reeves that the said land is to be appraised by two disinterested men to be chosen the one by my executor and the other by said Ichobod L. Reeves, Benjamin C. Reeves and Stephen D. Reeves and in case the two shall not be able to agree on the value of the said land then the two so chosen shall chose one other disinterested man and the valuation fixed upon by said three men or a majority of them shall be in the value thereof - allow at the time a division of the freehold estate heretofore bequeathed to my wife shall be made between Moses L. and Nathan W. Reeves - I will and order that written one year after the division of said freehold between Moses L. and Nathan W. Reeves, the said Moses L. and Nathan W. Reeves shall in cause be paid unto the said Ichobod L. Reeves, Benjamin C. Reeves and Stephen D. Reeves such sums of money as will! after allowing said Ichobod L. Reeves, Benjamin C. Reeves and Stephen D. Reeves credit for monies by them paid to Mary Reeves, Ursula Reeves, Ann Reeves and Matilda Reeves as hereinafter directed to be paid make their shares equal to the shares received by them the said Moses L. and Nathan W. Reeves share and share alike - If the said division shall take place before the said Moses L. and Nathan W. Reeves attains the age of twenty-one years, then the said Moses L. and Nathan W. Reeves is not to be required to pay his half of said sums until one years after he shall attain the age of twenty-one years- but in case of the neglect or failure to pay any of the sums of money above directed to be paid by the persons required to pay the said sum or sums it is my will and I hereby order that the lands bequeathed to such person thus neglecting to pay shall be sold for the payment thereof- It is my will and I hereby order and direct that all the personal property by me at my decease (except my household furniture) or so much of it as may be deemed advi! sable by my executor hereinafter named be sold and proceeds of such sale to be applied towards the discharge of my debt if the amount of such sale is not sufficient for the discharge of my debts, then my executor to rent and otherwise improve and occupy all my estate( except my house and household furniture which is to be and remain for the exclusive benefit of my wife and family) until the amounts of said renting or occupying together with said personal property shall be sufficient for the payment of all my debts-when my debts are all paid at discharge then the ninety acres of land to be set-off to Ichobod L. Reeves, Benjamin C. Reeves and Stephen D. Reeves and not before. - Lastly as to all the rents that may not have been expended in bringing up my children and all the rent and residue of my personal estate, goods and chattels of whatever kind or nature soever, I give and bequeath to all my children to be equally divided between them share and share alike - on reflection it is my will that in the division of the land given to my wife as her dower between Moses L. it shall be optional with Ichobod L. Reeves, Benjamin C. Reeves and Stephen D. Reeves and they or either of them may take a share of said land sufficient to make them satisfactorily equal with said Moses and Nathan W. in lieu of the money above directed to be paid to these respectively by said Moses and Nathan W., said land to be appraised as above directed - I hereby appoint Benjamin C. Reeves and Jeheil Ludlow my executors of this my last will and testament - In . whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the sixth of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ! thirty six. Benjamin C. Reeves Signed, sealed and published and declared by the above named Benjamin C. Reeves to be his last will and testament in the presence of us who have hereunder subscribed our names as witnesses in the presence of the testator- Seymour Benjamin of Lansing, Tompkins County Joseph Bower of Lansing, Tompkins County Afternote: Survivors of Benjamin C. Reeves relocated later to Windsor, Michigan and are accounted for as follows: Anne [Corwin] widow of Benjamin C. Reeves died after 1860, probably Eaton Co. MI, exact date of death (DOD) and place of interment unknown Benjamin C. Reeves, Jr. died 23 September 1837 Lansing, NY, place of interment unknown Ichobod L. Reeves died 15 February 1842 Windsor, MI, interred Skinner Cemetery Stephen D. Reeves died 5 September 1888 Windsor, MI, interred Skinner Cemetery Nathan W. Reeves died 30 June 1881 Windsor, MI, interred Skinner Cemetery Ursela Reeves married Horace Skinner, DOD and place of interment unknown Matilda Reeves married James Hethorn, DOD and place of interment unknown Fate of Moses L. Reeves, Elizabeth Reeves and Ann Reeves unknown