With many thanks to Ann Tracy Marr (email address invalid 16 Jun 2020) for the donation of this will. She writes:

Note: the handwriting is very even, flows beautifully, and is hard to read. Words run together, e's look like a's, the tops of letters like f's are missing. Capitalized words in the transcription are educated guesses. I apologize for any mistakes in the transcription, of which I am sure there are some. Following the transcription, analysis of names using information from Ancestry.com is presented.


Record of Esther Greene's Will

In the name of God, Amen: I Esther Greene of the town of Phelps in the county of Ontario, and state of New York being of a sound and disposing mind and memory and considering the uncertainty of this frail and ----- life do therefore make ordain publish and declare this to be my last will and testament, that is to say

First: After all my lawful debts and funeral expenses are paid and a suitable and appropriate monument in --- Stones placed at my grave and the same settled and paid for: I give and dispose of all the residue and remainder of my estate whether real or personal estate as follows: to my children Samuel Greene John R. Greene Rebeccah E RUPERT Esther D Sileston and Mary C Rice. I  DECLARE that all of said rest residue and remainder of my estate shall be equally divided between them share and share alike.

Second: I do order and direct that a certain promissory note ---- sined by me for the sum of Two Hundred Dollars dated January 16th, 1865 WROTE by John S. Green and payable to Harvey Rice or bearer and payable in only the first day of January 1866, with interest shall be taken from the amount thereby this my Will GRANTED to John R. Green provided --- shall be so much coming to said John R. Green at the final closing and settling in of my estate.

Third: I do hereby make constitute and appoint PERRY P. HUNT of WATON New York sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking all former Wills by me made. In witness whereof I the said Esther Greene have hereunto affixed my seal and subscribed my name at the Town of Phelps aforesaid this Twenty ninth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty seven.
                        her
                    Esther          Greene
                        mark             seal
                                    (in a triangle)

The foregoing written instrument was subscribed by said Esther Greene in the presence and acknowledged by her to each of us; and she at the same time published and declared the same instrument so subscribed by her to be her last Will and Testament and  --- at her request and in her presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses hereto and written ---- our names --- in places of residence.

-------- Redfield
C W Shumway


Analysis using census records for Ontario County, New York:

John Green’s middle initial is R. – in the will it consistently appears to be an F or T.
Rebeccah – if the surname is Rupert, her husband’s name may have been Philip.
Mary’s husband is Harvey Rice – it appears to be Harry in the will.
The spelling of Esther’s last name might be Salisbury.
I can find no one to match the executor – the first name might be Perly or Percy, it looks like the middle initial is P, and the surname is probably Hunt. The beginning matches Th and is followed by humps that could be a’s, u’s, n’s etc. Looking at a map, I could not find a place in Ontario County to match the letters, so could not search by town.
Witness surnamed Redfield was maybe Lysander Redfield.


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