Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records
(Hartford District),
Charles W. Mainwaring,
Hartford, 1902,
Vol 3, p 597-598
MILLER, Benjamin, Middletown. Invt. £5332-12-11. Taken 18 and 19 January, 1747-8, by John BACON, Jacob WHITMORE and Jonathan ALLYN. Additional inventory, £312-10-00. Taken 17 November, 1748, by Giles HOOKER and Thomas STANLY. Will dated 14 April, 1746.
I, Benjamin MILLER of Middletown, do make this my last will and testament: I give to my wife Mercy, and to her heirs foever, all that my farm or parcel of land whereon I dwell, with all the building thereon, containing 80 acres be the same more or less, as the same will be found butted and bounded; I say the whole of sd. farm I give to my wife Marcey and her heirs forever. And I do give to my sd. wife Marcey all my household furniture, be it of what use soever, together with all the stock and provision and grain that shall be found in my house, barn or buildings at the time of my decease. I do also give to my wife three of my cows, such as she shall choose out of my stock; and also I give to my wife that mare I bought for my son Ichabod, with her colt; all which moveable I grant to my wife to be to her use and disposal as she shall think proper; and declare that what I have above granted to my wife and to her heirs is for that she brought £60 in silver money to me, which I laid out for land to my great profit. Secondly: I give unto my two sons, Benjamin MILLER and Ichabod MILLER, all that my lott or farm of land, containing 200 acres, that I bought of Jeremiah HALL, late of Wallingford, lying in the Parish of Southington, in Farmingtown bounds, being butted and bounded as appeareth of record; always provided, and it is my will, that my two sons Benjamin and Ichabod, in order to have and hold sd. 200 acres of land, shall pay £50 in old tenor bills of credit: £10 to my daugher Mary SPENCER, £10 to my daughter Rebeckah ROBINSON, £10 to my daughter Hannah COE, £10 to my daughter Mehetabell BARNES, and to the children of my late daugher Sarah, £10. Thirdly: I will and bequeath to my sd. son Benjamin, and his heris forever, all my quarter part of the lott lying on the east side of the Great River that was laid out on my honoured father MILLER's right. Fourthly: I give to my sons, Benjamin MILLER, Ichabod MILLER, Amos MILLER and David MILLER, and to their heirs forever, also that my lott lying on the east side of the river commonly called the Three-Mile Division, which is laid out in my own right, etc. Fifthly: I give to my three youngest daughters, viz. Lydia STOW, Martha ADKINS and Rhoda BACON, £10 apiece in money, bills of old tenor. Sixthly: I give all my living stock not before disposed of, with my negro man called SHARP, together with my tools and utensils not before herein disposed of, to all my children above named. And my sd. dafter Sarah HEIKCOX's children to be accounted as one, and to have one share equal with one of my children. Seventhly: I give to my son David MILLER, and to his heirs foever, all that land (containing about 60 acres) bounded southerly on a highway, north on Amos MILLER's land, east on Simeon PERSON's and Timothy PERSON's land, and partly on sd. David's land, and westerly on Joseph COE's land. Moreover, I will and bequeath unto my sd. wife (when my debts are paid) what money and credits I have and possess at the time of my deceae or that shall be due to me as sd. time. I appoint my sons Benjamin MILLER and Amos MILLER to be executors.
Benjamin MILLER, L.S.
Witness: James WADSWORTH,
Moses PERSONS,
William ROCKWELL
Court Record, Page 54 -- 5 January 1747-8: The last will and testament of Benjamin MILLER, late of Middletown, was now exhibited in Court by Benjamin and Amos MILLER, executors. Ordered to be recorded and kept on file.
Page 56 -- 26 January, 1747-8: Amos MILLER, one of the sons and executors of the last will of Benjamin MILLER, moves this Court that distribution be made of the estate of Benjamin MILLER according to his last will: This Court appoint John BACON, Jacob WHITMORE, and Jonathan ALLYN, of Middletown, distributors.
Page 98 -- 2 May, 1749: Distribution of the estate of Benjamin MILLER, late of Middletown, was now exhibited in Court by John BACON and Jacob WHITMORE. Ordered recorded and kept on file.