Secor Family Genealogy: Exploring Our Ancestry

Abraham LaRue the Immigrant's Will

Some of Susan Secor's notes

Abraham died sometime prior to January 8, 1711 for an inventory of his goods, chattels and credits was made on that date by John Parke and Andrew Smith. The document was sworn to at Burlington before J. Boss on march 4, 1711 by Parke, Smith and Olive LaRew. Another document dated June 14, 1712 and signed by J. Boss acknowledges that whereas the witnesses to the will of Abraham La Rue are dead or not to be obtained, the administration of his estate is therefore granted to his widow Olive LaRue who is directed to make an inventory to be exhibited at the Secretary's Office before the following April 4th. This is puzzling because as noted above an inventory had already been filed. Perhaps an error on the part of a clerk in writing these dates would account for the confusion. One would normally expect the document granting administration to the widow to predate the document giving an inventory of goods and chattels.

In addition to making an inventory, the second document directs the widow to make an accounting of the administration to be presented by March 4, 1712. Presumably this is old style dating wereby the new year (1713) did not begin until March 25. No copy of this account has come to light. If one exists it might provide us with the names of Abraham's heirs. The Archives and History Bureau in Trenton wrote to me (Susan Secor) on June 4, 1976 that no account is on file there.

Neither of these two documents verify the assertion by researchers that Abraham was a resident of Hopewell Twp. at the time of his death. Indeed no location is mentioned at all in either document. Two factors seem to support this assumption, however. One is that the inventory was attested to at Burlington, seat of Burlington County in which Hopewell Twp. was then located. Seconly the two men who compliled the inventory, John Parke and Andrew Smith, are known to have lived in Hopewell Township. Added to this is the fact that Abraham's son Isaac was baptised "at hoopwell" in 1710 (M. H. Dubb's Notes).

Further confusion arises from the fact that the publised Index to Wills, Inventories, etc. indexes the inventory and administration documents under the County of Middlesex. The reason for this is not clear. It is interesting to note also that the document granting administration to Olive La Rue states that Abraham La Rue owned goods, chattels, and credits "in divers places within this province." Does this suggest that Abraham may have owned property other than we assume he owned in Hopewell Twp.? If so, where?

Will of Abraham LaRue

Unrecorded Wills, vol. 1 p. 61-64

In the name of god Amen the one and twenty day of September in the first year of her Majesties Raigne Anne the first of England Ext. and in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ one thousand seven and two I Abraham Larue of Staten Island in the County of Richmond in the province of new yorke yeoman being in good health of the body and of perfect and sound memory thanks be to god for the same do make and ordaine this as my last will and testament in manner and forme following first and principoly I Commend my Soul until the hands of almighty god hoping throught the merits Death and passion of my Savior Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and to inheric Everlasting Life and my body I Commit to the Earth to be buried in a Cristiall (sic) and decent burial and as touching the Disposition of all Temporall Estate as it hath please the almighty to bestow upon me I give and Dispose thereof as followeth Firth I will that the Children of Josua Creson shall have Eight Couse to be devided amonst them as they come to age Item I give and bequeath unto my well beloved wife Alche my hold Estate movable and immovable after my deceace so long as she shall live a widow and to make use of the moveable Estate to her best advantage and if my wife shall see cause she shall sell and bye without any molistation what soever and to demand in all debts and to pay all debts that is due to me and the which is another due with out any henderance by any what soever shall be and if my wife shall come to marry then I doe give her the third of the hole Estate so long as she shall live moveable and immoveable and after she shall come to dye then the third to be divided amonst my Children and if my wife shall come to marry after my decease then the other two thirds to be equally divided amonst my children only my Eldest son shall have guns and a sword more than any of the other and to all other wills I declare this to be my Last will and Testiment desiring that it may in Every point bee faithfully fulfilled in Witness whereof I the said Abraham Larue have sett my hand and seal this day and year first above written.

Signed: Abraham

Signed sealed published pronounced and declared by the said Abraham Larue to be his Last will and testiment in the presence of us, William Tillyer, Jean Cassier, Lous du Bois, Samuel Grasset

Estate of Abraham LaRue

Will Book 1, p. 358

By his Excellency Robert Hunter Esq. Captaine Generall and Governor in Chief in and over the Province of New Jersey New Yorke and all the Territories and Tracts of land depending thereon in America and vice Admirall of the same etc.

To Olive La Rue Widdow and administratrix of Abraham La Rue deceased Greeting

Whereas the witnesses to the Last Will and Testament of Abraham La Rue are since the signing thereof some of them dead and others of them not at present to be obtained so as to make a Regular probat. of the said will and the said Widdow haveing desired to have administration of the said estate committed to her till such time as she can gett the surviveing witnesses soe as to be enabled Regularly to prove the said will and the said Abraham La Rue haveing while he lived and at the time of his death goods chattels and credits in divers places within the province by meanes whereof the full disposition of all and singuler the said goods chattels and credits and the granting administration of the same also the hearing of accounts calculations and reckonings and the final discharge and definition of the same onto me holey and not unto any other inferior judge are manifestly knowne to belonge I desiring that the goods chattels and credits of the said deceased may be well and faithfully administered and converted and desposed of to proper uses doe grant unto you in whose fidelity in this behalfe I very much cnofide full power by the tennor of these presents to administer the goods chattels and credits of the said deceased which unto the said deceased whilst he lived and at the time of his death did belong and to pay the debts for which the said deceased stood engaged according to their rate cheeply, of well and truely administering the same and makeing a true and perfect inventory of all and singuler the said goods chattels and credits and exhibiting the same unto the secretary's office on or before the fourth day of April next ensueing and of rendering a just and true account calculation or reckoning of the said administration on or before the fourth day of March which shall be in the year 1712 or sooner if lawfully thereunto required and I doe ordaine depose and you administratrix of all and singuler the goods chattels and credits of the said deceased. In testimony whereof I have caused the Prerogative seale to be hereunto affixed this fourteenth day of June in the eleventh year of her Majesty's reign Anno dom 1712.

J Boss

Abraham La Rue Inventory

#69-70L Will Book 1, p. 358

Aunt Susie's photocopy of this document was very dim and hard to read. Illegible words are indicated thus: ...

January ye ... 1711

... find ... inventory of the goods and chattels of Abraham Larew ... ye 8th day of the instant January 1711 ... apprised by John Park and Andrew Smith as followeth:

Items Pounds Shilling Pence
his apparel 15 0 0
money 37 17 4.5
settof cooper tools... necessary tools 7 0 0
iron... a grid iron ... 4 0 0
...puter plateres to three puter basins ... quart... 3 0 0
... two fether beds 5 0 0
three chests to two cubards... tables at... gunes 3 5 0
one linen wheel to one wolen wheel and two pare of cards 1 15 0
barels to pails and tubs 1 0 0
two grinding stones 2 10 0
...patchel 0 12 0
one tin pail to a lanthorn and a smoothing iron 1 0 0
one ... to a puter... 0 13 0
one... 7 0 0
a womans sadle, a mans sadle... ... ... ...
...flax... to woolen... 1 0 0
... 0 3 0
...9 at 1 0 0
two wagons to two plowes one harrow and two... plow tacling 7 0 0
of wheat... buchell at... per bushell 19 16 0
wheat... unthrased 14 0 0
indian corn 20 bushell at 2s per bushell 2 0 0
wheat in ye ground 14 0 0
six horses to one maier 29 0 0
eleven cowes to one steare, 3 year old... five calves and one bull 48 0 0
sheep 39 15 0 0
hoges or swine 10 4 0 0
... bells to bedle wedges and ould iron ... bolles to earthen ware... 0 10 0
... 0 6 0
his just debts owing to him ... bills and bonds ... 2 3
Total 200 1 7.5
Signed John Parke and Andrew Smith

Burlington the 4th March 1711

There appeared before me Jeremiah Boss Esq. John Parkes and Andrew Smith and made oath on teh holy Evangelists of Almighty God that the within writing contains a true and perfect inventory of the goods Chattles and credits of Abraham LaRew deceased and that it was apraised by them according to the ... Signed J. E. Boss

There appeared before me J. Boss Esq. Olive La Rew and made oath that the within writing contains a true and perfect inventory of the goods chattles and credits of her deceased husband as far as came to her view possession or knowledge or to the view possession or knowledge of any other person for her uses... Signed J. E. Boss