This will was kindly transcribed and contributed to the site by Clyde J. Getman, descendant of Christian Getman.
Source:  Montgomery County Wills, Book 3, pages 250 - 254, Fonda, Montgomery County.

---

Last Will and Testament of Christian Getman (1734-1821)

The people of the State of New York by the Grace of God Free and Independent To all to whom these presents shall come or may concern send Greeting. Know ye that at Johnstown in the County of Montgomery before Tobias A. Stoutenburgh Esquire Surrogate of our said county the last Will and testament of Christian Getman deceased (a copy whereof is hereunto annexed) was proved and is now approved and allowed by us, and the said deceased having whilst he lived, and at the time of his death, Goods, chattels or credits, within this State, by means whereof the proving and registering the said Will, and the granting Administration of all and singular the said Goods, chattels and credits and also the auditing allowing and final discharging, the accounts thereof doth belong unto us, the administration of all and singular, the Goods, chattels and credits, of the said deceased and any way concerning his Will is granted unto Jacob Getman one of the executors in the said Will named he being first duly sworn well and faithfully to Administer the same and to make and exhibit a true and perfect inventory of all and singular the said Goods, chattels, and credits, and also to render a just and true account thereof when thereunto required. In testimony whereof we have caused the seal of office of our said Surrogate to be hereunto affixed. Witness Tobias A. Stoutenburgh Esquire Surrogate of the said county at Johnstown the tenth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty one and of our Independence the forty sixth.

Tobias A. Stoutenburgh

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

In the name of God amen. I Christian Getman of the town of Palatine in the County of Montgomery & State of New York, being well aged & in a declining state of health, but of a sound and perfect mind & memory blessed be God for it, do make and ordain this my last Will and testament in manner following that is to say Principally & first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hands of Almighty God who gave it & my body I recommend to the Earth to be decently buried; And as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, devise & dispose of the same in the following manner Vis. Imprimus I give devise & bequeath unto my beloved Wife Anna Eve for & during her natural life, the whole & sole command and Mastership on the farm I at present dwell on and also on another farm which I own at Dillenburg at present in the possession & occupation of my son Christian, Vesting her with the full & absolute power & Mastership to act on the premises as occasion may require for her to secure a decent competent & comfortable maintainance to herself as well in sickness as in health during the time afores. I further give and bequeath her at her choice one cow & three ewe sheep, all my beds & bedding with all the furniture and hangings &ca thereunto belonging for her own disposal. It further is my will that she may dispose of her own wearing apparel & two chests at present owned by her to such of her children as she may think proper at her decease. Having already conveyed to my son Peter the farm he at present dwells on & supplied him with horses &ca I shall remain silent as to him. Item I give devise & bequeath unto my son Christian & to his heirs and assigns forever, all & singular the aforement. farm which I own at Dillenburg & at present in his possession as afores. known by the name of lott No. eight, being part of large Lott No. three in Maginnis Purchase, together with all & singular the buildings & improvement thereon, subject however to the command & Mastership of my wife as aforesaid. I further give & bequeath unto him his heirs & assigns two seats in the Reformed Dutch Church at Stonearabia to wit a man seat No. 5, on the West side in the said church & a womans seat No. 20 in said church also on the West side. Item I give devise & bequeath unto my son Jacob & to his heirs & assigns forever the western equal half or moiety of the farm I now live on estimated at fifty acres of Land with allowance for highways, together with all & singular the buildings thereon subject to the same power and command of my Wife as afores. Item I give and bequeath unto my son Adam & to his heirs & assigns forever the eastern half or moiety of the last mentioned farm estimated at fifty Acres of land with allowance for highways also subject to my Wife’s power and command as afores. Having purchased land in partnership with Saml. Gray & John Snell at Vendue from Sheriff Winn as by Deed will appear & laid by us in two allotments & divided each allotment in three lotts & numbered the said lotts as is usual & divided the same equally & equitably between us. Now No. two of the 2d allotmentof said lands, which is distinguished by the Name of lott No. twenty three in Maginnis Purchase together with fifty acres more out of Lott no. fifteen in last division of Stone Arabia Patent which I purchased from Jno. Ludwing Kring I give devise & bequeath unto my two sons Jacob & Adam & to their heirs & assigns forever to be equally divided between them, also all the residue of my personal estate not already bequeathed, excepting my pewter ware which I leave to my daughters as shall hereafter be specified; further I give devise & bequeath to them in like manner eight seats in the afores. Church to be divided between them in the following order, to wit my son Jacob one man seat No. 48 & two woman seat No. 25 & 20. My son Adam four men seats on the Gallery ni [sic] said church & 1 woman seat No. 25. I give devise & bequeath unto my daughters Catharine the Wife of Ludwig Rickert & Anna Eve the wife of Jost Sholl & to their heirs & assigns forever lott No. three of the first allotment of the before ment. Lott No. twenty three which I purchased from Sheriff Winn as afores: aforesaid estimated at one hundred acres of Land together with all my pewter ware already ment. Of whatever kind it be; to be equally divided between them. It further is my Will & express desire that when my Minoren Son Adam comes to the age of Maturity & shall have occasion to erect buildings on his own Land that my son Jacob is to assist him in Labors cost & charges to erect a house similar to that of Ludwig Rikert so far till it stands under a shingle roof the sides boarded up & filled with clay mortar as is usual & a stone walled celler under one room & a stone chimney in it, the flooring & other joiners work if he desires it done he my son Adam must get that done at his own expence & in consideration of said stone chimney my son Adam must assist my son Jacob in Labor cost & charges to erect a stone chimney in his own house if he desires it. Item I will that all my just debts which are but few & none large shall be paid, out of my personal estate left at my decease by my sons Jacob & Adam & all outstanding debts due to me at that time shall be by them collected & received & applied to their use & service. And Lastly I do constitute, make & appoint, my trusty & well beloved friends Samuel Gray & Richard Young & my son Jacob to be executors of this my last Will & testament; and I do hereby utterly disallow, revoke & disannul all and every other & former, testaments, Wills, Legacies, Bequests & executors by me in anywise heretofore named, Willed & bequeathed, ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last Will & testament. In testimony whereof I the said Christian Getman have to this my last Will & testament set my hand & seal this fifteenth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & three.

his
       Christian (X) Getman L. S.
Mark

 

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Note:   the words to herself in the 18th line she & two chests at present owned by her in the 22nd line of the first page, No. 5 in the 3d line them in 27th line of the 2d page done, own in the 11th & 13th lines of the 3d & last page were duly interlined before execution thereof.  Signed, sealed, published, pronounced & declared by the said Christian Getman as his last Will & Testament in the presence of us who in his presence & the presence of each other have hereunto

	his
subscribed our names, John F. Empy,	Thomas (X) Getman, Mark	John Snell

 

Be it remembered that on the tenth day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty one personally appeared before me Tobias A. Stoutenburg Surrogate of the County of Montgomery John F. Empy who being duly sworn deposeth and saith, that he saw Christian Getman sign and seal and heard him publish and declare the within instrument as and for his last Will and testament:  That the said Christian Getman was at the time thereof of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding: that this deponent subscribed his name thereto as witness to the execution thereof in the presence of the said Christian Getman the testator and that he at the same time saw Thomas Getman and John Snell subscribe their names thereto (the former by making his mark) as Witnesses to the the execution thereof also in the said testators presence.

Tobias A. Stoutenburgh

I Christian Getman of the town of Palatine in the County of Montgomery & State of New York do this fourth day of december, make & publish this Codicil to my last Will & Testament in manner following that is to say Whereas In & by my said last Will & testament which bears date the fifteenth day of April One thousand eight hundred & three, I have given, devised & bequeathed unto my son Jacob his heirs & assigns the Western equal half or Moiety of my farm which I at present occupy & to my son Adam his heirs & assigns I have in like manner given devised & bequeathed the eastern equal half or moiety of my said farm and whereas my present farm contrary to my expectation stands some part thereof on the aforesaid Eastern half by me devised to my said son Adam, I find myself necessitated in order to accommodate matters to alter the same in some aspect. And I do hereby alter the same as follows Viz. I give & bequeath unto my said son Jacob & to his heirs & assigns forever the very same spot of ground at present taken up by said barn with as much more ground as is necessary & sufficient for a Barrick=yard & a yard round said barn together with the said barn barricks &ca and all belonging to it. And to my said son Adam & to his heirs & assigns forever I give devise & bequeath the same quantity of Land out of the aforesaid western half by me devised to my said son Jacob, for the same purpose of building a barn thereon. And whereas in & by my said last Will & testament I have bequeathed unto my said two sons Jacob and Adam all my outstanding debts due to me at my decease which I also revoke & alter & I do hereby absolutely give & bequeath the same with what ready money there may be on hand at my decease to my beloved wife Anna Eve for her own use and service. And lastly it is my express will & desire, that this present Codicil be annexed to and made a part of my last Will & testament, to all intents & purposes. Which said last Will & testament I do hereby ratify & confirm. In witness whereof I the said Christian Getman have hereunto set my hand & seal this fourth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight Hundred & four.

his
"Christian (X) Getman"
Mark

Signed and Sealed, published and declared by the above named Christian Getman as a Codicil to be annexed to his last Will & Testament. In the presence of us.

his	his
Thomas (X) Getman mark	Jno. (X) Snell mark	George D. Getman

Be it remembered that on this tenth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty one personally appeared before me Tobias A. Stoutenburgh Surrogate of the County of Montgomery, George D. Getman, who being duly sworn, deposith and saith that he saw Christian Getman sign and seal and heard him publish and declare the foregoing instrument as and for a Codicil to his last Will & testament: That the said Christian Getman was at the time thereof of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding: That this deponent subscribed his name thereto as a witness to the execution thereof in the presence of the said Christian Getman the testator; and that he at the same time saw Thomas Getman and Jno. Snell subscribe their names thereto (by making their marks) as Witnesses to the execution thereof also in the said testators presence.

Tobias A. Stoutenburgh