1719 John Platt was baptized on 13 Sep, 1719 at St. Marys in Burlington.
1764 John Platt was taxed in Shrewsbury (later Dover) Twp, Monmouth County, New Jersey. [1]
1779 John Platt was taxed in Dover Twp for 400 acres. [2]
1783 John Platt was taxed on 100 acres in Dover Twp. The acreage of his sons increased in the same year.
1786 John Platt was taxed on 100 acres in Dover Twp. [3]
1786 John Platt, perhaps this one, and Henry Chapman were named as two of several executors in the will, dated 1775, of William Neat of London, merchant. Henry Chapman of New York City was appointed executor because John Platt and the other executors were "beyond the seas". [4]
1787 Samuel Ivins of Burlington County, son of Solomon Ivins deceased, chose John Platt, perhaps this one, as guardian. Gervas Pharo was appointed as fellowbondsman. [5]
1788 Levi Platt (1788), Abraham Platt (1791), Joseph Platt (1795), and John Platt (1796) all registered their cattle marks in the Old Dover Town Book. [6]
1788 John Platt pubished a notice about a runaway servant in Burlington County, New Jersey. [7]
1797 John Platt was taxed in Dover Twp, Monmouth County. [8]
1796 John Platt, Jr reported stray cattle in Dover Twp, Monmouth County, New Jersey. [9]
1808 "John's will (#8781 - Monmouth County New Jersey. The will was dated February 15, 1790, and was amended by codicil on May 5, 1807. [10] [11] [12]:
Rebekah Platt, "my Dearly Beloved Wife", is to receive "one-third of said plantation and two north rooms below stairs in the house, during her life, then to return to my son Abel Platt", also "one-third of all my moveable estate with paying one-third of said Debts and Legasys". Abel Platt is appointed "hole and sole executor", and is to receive "All my Homestead Plantation whereon I now dwell with all my other Lands, with paying two-thirds of Debts and Legasys"-- To each of his other children John's will leaves the sum of five shillings. They are listed in order as follows" son Levi Platt; son Abraham Platt; son John Platt: son Francis Platt; daughter Jane Platt now Southard; daughter Silance Platt now Bennet; daughter Jemima Platt now Horner; son Joseph Platt. The bequests of "one-third of said plantation" to his wife and "all my Homestead Plantation" to his oldest son Abel seem to overlap and conflict, but Rebecca's death in September, 1805 would appear to leave the entire plantation and "all my other lands" to Abel without question. John decided after some months to clarify the status of his "moveable estate" by the "Caudisel" of May 5, 1807: "A Caudisel to my will annexed - This may certify that I John Platt, Senior of the Township of Dover and County of Monmouth and Eastern Division of the State of New Jersey, being sound in mind and memory, Do give to my son Abel Platt all my Moveable Estate wich I had willed to my wife, for his tender care over his Mother while helpless and myself blind for a number of years. Given under my hand and seal May the 5th Eighteen Hundred Seven 1807." It is of interest to note that John signed his original will in 1790 in his own hand, but signed the codicil in 1807 by mark, perhaps because of the blindness to which he refers.
Transcription:
John Platts Will
In the Name of God Amen, the fifteenth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety, I John Platt of the Township of Dover and County of Monmouth and Eastern Division of New Jersey being of sound mind & memory Do ordain this my last Will and Testament Viz. I give and devise and dispose of in the manner & form as follows Imprimis it is my will that all my Just Debts funeral Charges be paid & Satisfied by my Executors hereafter mentioned Item I give and bequeath unto Rebeka Platt my Dearly beloved wife to have one third of said Plantation & two North rooms below Stairs in the Hous during her life, then to return to my son Abel Platt, My Will further is that my wife shall have one third of all my moveable Estate with paying one third of said debts & Legacys Item I give and devise to my son Abel Platt, his Heirs & assigns forever all my Homestead Plantation whereon I now dwell with all my other Lands with paying two thirds of sd Debts and Legacies. Item Item I give & devise to my son Levi Platt Five Shilling Sterling Money or then alse thereof to belevied out of my Estate Item I give & devised to my son Abraham Platt the sum of five Shillings Sterling Money or the value thereof to be levied out of my Estate. Item I Give and Devise to my son John Platt the sum of five Shillings Sterling Money or the value thereof to be levied out of my Estate. Item I Give Devise to my son Francis Platt the sum of five Shillings Sterling Money or the value thereof to be copied out of my Estate. Item I Give and bequeath to my Daughter Jane Platte, now Southard the sum of five shillings Sterling money or the value thereof to be levied out of my Estates. Item I give and bequeath to my Daughter Silance Platt, now Bennett, the sum of five shillings Sterling money of the value thereof Item I give & Bequeath to my daughter Jemima Platt, now Horner five Shillings Sterling Money or the value thereof to be levied out of my Estate. Item I give & devise to my son Joseph Platt the sum of Five Shillings Sterling money or the value thereof to be levied out of my Estate and I do Order that the above Debts Legacys be paid by my Executor & his mother as heretofore mentioned. I do hereby appoint my son Abel Platt to be my holes and sole Executor to this my last Will and testament and I do hereby utterly disallow, Revise, DisAnnul all and every other former Testaments, Wills. Levacys and Executors by me in any wise before this time named Willed and bequeathed, Ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal the day and year above written. Signed, Sealed pronounced and declared as his last Will and Testament In the Presence of us the SubscribersN. 23. the word Debts was Interlined
John Platt ℗
before signed
Enoch Potter, Job Potter, William Cooke.William C0oke, one of the witnesses to the within Will, being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, did depose & say, that he saw John Platte, the Testator therein named sign & seale the same and heard him publish pronounce and declare the within writing to be his last Will and Testament. That at the doing thereof the said Testator was of sound & disposing mind & memory, as far as he knows and as he verily believes. that Enoch Potter & Job Potter, the other subscribing Evidences, were present at the same time and signed their names as witnesses to the said will together with this Deponent, in the presence of the said Testator
William CookeSworn at Freehold the 25th April 1803 Before me R Throckmorton, Surrogate.
May the 5th 1807 - a caudisel to my will annexed - This may certify that I John Platt Senior of the Township of Dover & County of Monmouth and Eastern diivision of the State of New Jersey being sound in mind and memory To give to my son Abel Platt all my moveable Estate which I had willed to my wife for his tender care over his Mother while helpless, and myself blind for a number of years, given under my hand and seal May 5th Eighteen hundred seven 1807.
John (his mark) Platt ℗Sealed and Delivered in the presence of - William Cooke, Jacob Lane, William Lane. …
[1] Edwin Salter, A History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties (1890), 46, [GoogleBooks].
[2] New Jersey, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1643-1890, January, 1779, [AncestryRecord].
[3] New Jersey, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1643-1890, June, 1786, [AncestryRecord].
[4] Elmer T. Hutchinson, Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Archives Vol. 36. (Wills and Administrations 7, 1786-1790) (1939), 166, citing Lib. 28, p. 426, [InternetArchive].
[5] Elmer T. Hutchinson, Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Archives Vol. 36. (Wills and Administrations 7, 1786-1790) (1939), 124, citing Lib. 29, p. 80, [InternetArchive].
[6] Edwin Salter, A History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties (1890), 363, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks].
[7] Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., Runaway Servants, Convicts, and Apprentices, 1728-1796, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[8] New Jersey, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1643-1890, 1797, [AncestryRecord].
[9] Edwin Salter, A History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties (1890), 363, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks].
[10] Charles Platt Jr, Thomas Platt of Burlington, New Jersey and his Descendants (Peterborough: Richard R Smith Co, 1967), 33.
[11] New Jersey, U.S., Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817, Vol.36, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[12] New Jersey, Monmouth County, Wills 1804–1816, A-251, DGS 5661155, image 147, [FamilySearchImage].