MS 1.  Literal transcription – misspellings are left intact, xxx denotes illegible word, italicized items are my own comments for clarification – TG.

WILL OF JOHN deWILDE

AT DOCTOR’S CREEK, 1708.

In the Name of God, Amen.

                                                Whereas, I John deWilde, of the County of Monmouth and Province of New Jersey, being at these presents sound in memory and perfect in my understanding but finding myself much indisposed of body and being under the apprehension that my time may be short in this world, I therefore earnestly recommend my soul to God that gaveth, my body to be decently buried and the funeral charged to be paid out of my personal estate; that my personal estate be divided among my creditors & if there value be found enough to pay them & anything more, the over-plus I give to my daughter Dinah & whereas my said daughter is young & int fit to be at her own disposal I do in this my last will make choice of & authorize Anthony Woodward & Richard Salter, of New Jersey, to be guardians to my said daughter & doe earnestly recommend her to the protection of God Almighty and the conduct of my two friends as aforesaid unless she shall marry before that time & I doe earnestly pray the aforesaid Anthony Woodward & Richard Salter that they doe take care that the profits or rents of my reall estate, which I have now made over to my said daughter by deed of gift bearing date with this my last will, be employed towards the bringing up of my said daughter & in all things to doe by her as well as guardians ought to doe & as they themselves would be willing that others should doe by their children if under the same circumstances, which is all that I have to say but to recommend my sould to God through the merits of Jesus Christ dated the 30^th day of November, 1708.

                                                            John deWilde                       (seal)

                                                Signed, sealed in the presence of us

                                                            James Lawrence

                                                            William White (his marke)

                                                            Aaron Robbins, A (his marke)

                                                Proved before the Honorable Colonel Richard Inglesby Governor of the Province of New Jersey the 28^th day of February 1708.

                                                                        J. Bass, Secy.