Individual Details

Death

"Old Farm Hill Burying Ground" on Ridge Road, Middletown, CT

This Cemetery was started in Dec 1723. From that date until about 1805 this was one of the principal burial grounds. The first burial was that of John Andrews who died in 1724. This is a large cemetery with mostly brownstone markers. Most of the gravestones are ruined, either toppled over or destroyed by vandals, or have flaked away.

I, Jonathan BLAKE of Middletown, do make this my last will and testament: I give to my wife Mary room in 1/2 of my house and barne and homelott, and also, half of my pasture that I bought of William WARD; also, half the land that I bought of John ANDRUS; also half of a piece of land I bought of Samuel EGLESTONE; the use of all my husbandry untensils and 1-3 part of my personal estate during the time of her widowhood. I give to my son Daniel all that piece of land that my father JOHNSON gave my wife in the northwest quarter of lands in Middletown, he paying to his sisters £160 money as they arrive at lawful age. I give to my son Jonathan BLAKE the equal halfe of my house and barne and homelott, with the buildings upon it, also the equal half of my pasture that I bought of William WARD, also the equal halfe of the land I bought of John ANDRUS, also half of the land I bought of Samuel EGLESTONE, he paying £40 money to his sisters when he arrives to lawful age. I give to my son Stephen BLAKE the equal half of lands as given to my son Jonathan BLAKE, he paying £40 to his sisters when he arrives to lawful age. Also, I give to my two sons, Jonathan and Stephen, all my interest in commonage or undivided lands in Middletown on the west side of the Great River in equal proportion. I give to my five daughters, Mary, Elizabeth, Prudence, Mercy and Sarah, all my interest in land, divided or undivided, on the east side of the Great River in Middletown. Also, I give them £240 money, to be paid by their brothers as above specified, in equal proportions. I appoint my wife sole executrix.

Jonathan BLAKE, L.S.
Witness: Benjamin WETMORE,
Jabez HAMLIN,
John CORNWALL

Court Record, Page 101 -- 15 November, 1733: Will exhibited by Mary BLAKE, widow, and well proven by the witnesses thereto. And it appears in sd. will that the testator gave to his eldest son Daniel a piece of land which in right sd. testator had not power to dispose of, and ordered his eldest son to pay legacies to his daughters as they come of age. And Daniel appeared in Court and objected against sd. will. And it appears that the sd. Daniel had nothing to pay sd. legacies with. Therefore sd. will is not approved. The Court grant Adms. to Mary Blake, widow, who gave bond with Joseph JOHNSON for £400.

Page 30 ( Vol. XII) 1st July, 1735: Mary BLAKE, widow, Adms., exhibits an account of her Adms. Accepted.

Page 24 (Vol XIII) 7 March, 1737-8: Jonathan BLAKE, age 16 years, son of Jonathan BLAKE, chose his uncle Stephen BLAKE to be his guadian. Recog., £100. Cert: Giles HALL, J.P.