Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records
(Hartford District),
Charles W. Manwaring,
Hartford, 1902,
Vol 2, p 492
CORNWELL, Sergt. William, Middletown. This article relates to the will of Sergt. William CORNWELL, Sen., whose will (Vol. I, Page 294-5) has the "X" mark in the signature, which is an error. The original on file has his own signature, "William CORNWELL." Also the Court Record is here given because of errors and obscurity on account of the loss of part of the record on the broken page. The lost wods will here be supplied so far as later knowledge of the subject will warrant. -- C.W.M.
Page 142 -- 6 December, 1726: Whereas, Wm. CORNWELL, sometime of Middletown deceased, in and by his last will and testament, on record, did give and bequeath unto his son William one-third part of his ( ) on the east side of the river, to be divided by the list in 1674, the other two-thirds (of the) aforesd. land to his sons Samuel & Thomas, equally to be divided (between) them: And it being represented to this court by J(ohn) PENFIELD, legatee to sd. Land by his marriage to A(nn) CRONWELL, daughter in (right of) Thomas CORNWELL, now deceasd.: t(hat) the said lands have not been yet divided, and praying that it may be done according to the last will of the sd. Wm. CORNWELL deceased: This Court do appoint and impower Messrs. Joseph FRARY, Comfort (DAVIS) and James JOHNSON, of Middletown, or any tow of them, to distribute and divide the aforementioned lands unto the sons of the sd. Wm. CORNWELL, decd., or their legall representatives, according to the last will of the sd. William CORNWELL, decd.
Page 162 -- First August, 1727: A distribution of part of the estate of William CORNWELL, late of Middletown deceased, under the hands of Comfort DAVIS and Josep FRARY, appointed distributors, was now exhibited, accepted andordered to be kept on file.
Here Copied from the Original Filed Paper:
We whose names are hereunto subscribed, being appointed by the Court of Probate held at Hartford December 22d, 1726, to distribute part of the estate of Will:m CORNWELL, late of Middletown, deceased, to his sons, Will:m, Sam:ll and Thomas, that is to say, his land on the east sid the Great River, we haveing been sworn before John HAMLIN, Esq:r, March 31st, and haveing been called to sd. work, we have distributed the long lot as followeth, to say, the east and west, the north divition, we have layed to William CORNWELL, being eight chains and eighty-five links wid, bounded at each corner with a state and stones about it. We allowe teen acres more to this divition than the other, be caus the land was not so good. The middle divition we layed to Sam:ll CORNWEELL, and the south to Thomas CORNWELL each being eight chains and thirty links wid, bounded as the other. And the lot in the eastermost divition we have divided into thre equall parts, each divitian being eighteen rods and three-quarters wide. The northermost divition we have layed to Will:m, the middle to Sam:ll, and the south to Thomas. As wittnes our hands:
aperill 5:th, 1727 Comfort Davis
Joseph FRARY