Author Topic: Early 19th Century Hopper Will (Draft) - Hackensack  (Read 3636 times)

Offline BLeafe

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Early 19th Century Hopper Will (Draft) - Hackensack
« on: August 18, 2009, 01:00:17 AM »
http://xrl.us/HopperDraftWill


Seller's description:

Early 19th century incomplete draft of John J. Hopper last will & testament, "  . . of the County of Bergen in the State of New Jersey . . . "

Manuscript in brownish ink on single page totaling one and one-half pages of writing. After introductory comments on the soundness of his mind and memory John Hopper writes " . . . First I devise and bequeath to my two sons Albert and Jacob and to their heirs and assigns forever  . . . all my land . . . and to my son John and to my six daughters Cornelia, Alice, Catherine, Elizabeth, Maria and Jane to each the sum of one thousand dollars New York Currency to be paid by my two sons Albert and Jacob . . . . " . The thousand dollars each is stipulated to be paid in installments over a number of years. John Hopper then instructs his two sons to " . . . support and pay the expenses of my son John (perhaps from a seperate marriage) at college and in his professional studies until he arrives at the age of twenty one . . . ".

The will then requires that Albert and Jacob will  " . . . bring up and support my three youngest daughters Elizabeth, Maria and Jane until they become of age . . . ".  Mr Hopper then bequeaths to his wife seven hundred dollars and that she be able to live in their dwelling house and  "possess two rooms . . . and that my movable estate be equally divided by my nine Children, Cornelia, Alice, Catherine, Albert, Jacob, John, Elizabeth, Maria and Jane. The draft of the will ends at this point.

Condition and measurements : Approximately 7-7/8" by 12-3/8". Age-toning, staining here and there, some partial seperations to fold areas, a few inconsequential  missing areas ; top left corner, small section of edge, minor hole in fold area. My pictures accurately reflect the overall condition. Written in later pencil on blank section of back " Draft of will of John J. Hopper"

My pictures include copies of early newspaper articles about the Hopper house in Hackensack. Copies of these will be provoded to the buyers of any of the documents I have listed if desired. This document and others listed were found under attic floorboards in the Hopper house in the mid-20th century.

Special note : With time permitting  I will be listing this week the complete 4 page will of Garrett Hoppe(r). I will also be listing more receipts related to Jacob Hopper as one of the overseers of the Poor in New Barbadoes ( Hackensack). These receipts are from the early 1770's and regard Jacob Hopper's payments to women who took in poor orpahn children.



Like the Last Will auction, seller offers 12 images. Since I can only post 10, I will omit the duplicate newspaper article images that I included in the Last Will post. I have not altered any images.



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