New York City Mayor's Court Minutes of Proceedings in Proof of Wills J2032

New York City Mayor's Court Minutes of Proceedings in Proof of Wills

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Overview of the Records

Repository:

New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230

Summary:

The Mayor's Court of New York City functioned as the court of common pleas for New York City and County. Between 1786 and 1829 courts of common pleas could prove and record wills transferring real property, and also wills whose witnesses were unable to appear in court to testify. This volume contains minutes of proceedings in proof of wills. Each entry provides the name and address of the decedent in the case title and then summarizes the proceedings.

Title:

New York City Mayor's Court minutes of proceedings in proof of wills

Quantity:

0.1 cubic feet

Quantity:

1 35mm microfilm roll(s)

Inclusive Dates:

1805-1824

Bulk Dates:

1818-1824

Series Number:

J2032

Biographical Sketch

Between 1786 and 1829 the Supreme Court of Judicature and the courts of common pleas shared with the Surrogate's Courts the power to prove and record wills devising (transferring) real property, and also wills whose witnesses were unable to appear in court to testify. The Mayor's Court of New York City functioned as the court of common pleas for New York City and County (which then had coterminous boundaries).

Scope and Content Note

This volume contains minutes of proceedings in proof of wills. Each entry provides the name and address of the decedent in the case title and then summarizes the proceedings. Information included is: name of the person presenting the will for probate, order admitting the will to probate, determination that the last will and testament of a given date was duly executed and that the testator was "of lawful age and of sound mind and memory and not under any restraint," and order that the will and proof of will be recorded. In most cases, the entry states that the will was to be recorded in a separate book. In some cases there is a lengthy summary of the probate proceedings, and the text of the will is recorded in this book.

Alternate Formats Available

The microfilm roll on which this record is found also contains part of Series J1043, New York (County) Surrogate's Court Record of Wills and Probates (labelled Roll 75), and Series J0039, New York State Court of Probates Exemplifications of Wills, Letters Testamentary, and Letters of Administration.