Abigail Ridgway

Abigail (nee Stockton) Ridgway

WILL OF RICHARD "THE EMIGRANT" STOCKTON, 25 January 1705

In the name of God, Amen:

I, Richard Stockton, being sick and weak of body but sound of memory, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and forme following:

First , I bequeath my soule into the hands of Almighty God and my body to be buried at the discretion of my executors hereafter named, in hopes through the merrits of Jesus Christ to obtain a joyfull resurrection.

Item, I give to my son Richard after the decease of my wife four hundred ackers of land to him and to his heirs and assignes forever.

Item, I give to my son Job my plantation and all the improvements with four hundred ackers of land to him and to his heires and assignes forever, not to possess it till the decease of my wife; only in consideration of the said improvements my said son Job shall pay to Abigail the daughter of my son [son-in-law] Richard Ridgway the sum of ten pounds within a year after he enjoys the said plantation, and if uppon a resurvey of the whole twelve hundred ackers there happen to be any overplus, my will is that my son John shall have one-third part thereof joyning on his four hundred ackers which I formerly gave him, and the other two-thirds to be equally parted between my said sons Richard and Job.

Item, I give to my dear wife Abigail all my personall estate with the use of my plantation during her life, and after her decease the said personall estate to be equally divided between my five daughters, Abigail, Mary, Sarah, Hannah and Elizabeth; and I do make and Constitute my said wife Abigail my sole Executrix of this my last will and testament, revokeing all other wills and testaments heretofore made, as witness my hand and seale this 25th day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand and seven hundred and five.

[ SEAL] Richard (his R mark) Stockton.

Signed, sealed, published and declared in the presence of us.

William Earle (WE) his mark,

Thomas Ridgeway (T) his mark,

Daniel Leeds.

Burlington, 10th, 8 mo., 1707.

Then appeared before Richard Inglesby, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor of her Majesties Provinces of New Jersey, New York, &c., Daniel Leeds, Esqr., one of the witnesses to the within written will, and made oath on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God that he saw the Testator sign, seal, and publish the within instrument to be his last will and testament, and that at the time of the publishing thereof he was of sound and perfect understanding and memory to the best of this deponent's knowledge and beliefe, and that at the same time he saw Thomas Ridgeway and Wm. Earle sign the same as witness thereto in the presence of the Testator.

Richard Inglesby.

The reason Richard’s signature was by his mark was, of course, because of his advanced age and feebleness. He was in full possession of his mind, but weak. His son Richard died, at an advanced age, two years later, in 1709.

[There is no evidence that Richard "The Builder" Stockton died at an advanced age. This "died at an advanced age" theory was first put forward by John Wharton (J. W.) Stockton in his 1881 book and repeated by Thomas Coates Stockton, M.D., in his 1911 book. J.W. Stockton wrote that Richard "The Emigrant" Stockton was baptized in 1606, so a son of his would probably be quite old in 1709, However, it appears that Richard "The Emigrant" was born about 1635, and his son Richard "The Builder" was born about 1665 in Flushing, Long Island, New York, and died in 1709 at about age 44 leaving several minor children as mentioned in his will.

A History of the Stockton Family, 1881, by J.W. Stockton
"Richard Stockton, the second, resided on his plantation at Princeton a number of years, and independent country gentleman, and died at an advanced age in 1709."

Children of Richard and Abigail Stockton

• *2. Richard 2.
• *3. John 2, b.1674.
• *4. Job 2.
• *5. Abigail 2.
• *6. Mary 2.
• *7. Sarah 2.
• *8. Hannah 2.
• *9. Elizabeth 2, b. 1680.

The Stockton Family of New Jersey and Other Stocktons, by Thomas Coates Stockton, M.D., 1911

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• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Nov 30 2017, 19:20:29 UTC