be removed by death before his children shall have arrived to lawful age to hold and dispose of property, that they the aforesaid one thousand dollars, together with the moneys arising from the sale of the messuage and plantation mentioned in the preceding articles, on which my son Charles now liver, shall remain the hands and at the direction of my executors hereinafter named, and the survivors of them and the heirs and assigns of such survivors, to b e improved to the best advantage for the benefit of said children; and that when the said children of my son John Rule shall arrive at a lawful age to hold and dispose of property, they shall be respectively entitled to their just and equal proportions of the aforesaid legacies.

Item. I will and direct that my negro man Frank be free at my decease, and as a further reward for his faithful service to me, it is further my will that in case of my said negro man Frank should become infirm and incapable of maintaining himself, that he returns to my son Charles Rule, who I hereby charge with his support and maintenance as long as he shall live.

Item: It is my will and I do hereby direct that my housekeeper Catherine, Fonk, as a testimony of my gratitude for her fidelity in the care of my family, have the use exclusively of the room in my homestead house called the shop, and be furnished and provided by my son Charles will all her firewood at the door, as long as she shall continue single and unmarried; if she should marry the above privileges to cease and determine,

Item: All the rest and residue of my estate not he reinbefore given and bequeathed I give, devise and bequeath to my two sons Charles and John to be equally divided between them share and share alike. Item: It is further my will and I hereby make an especial condition of the devises and bequests aforesaid to my son John, and in consideration that he and his children are to receive the benefit of all buildings and improvements made on the place where my son Charles now lives, that he, my said son John, do as soon after my decease as possible, execute to my son Charles a full release, acquittance and discharge of all accounts, claims and demands which he now has or may pretend to have against my son Charles for his services as a carpenter, or in any other way, in the building and erecting any of the said improvements* And further I make it a condition of the foregoing devises and bequests to my son John, that he make no demands against my estate for any services or pretended services performed for me in my lifetime, I haveing frequently called upon him and received assurance from him that he had no claim or demand against me. But it is also my will should my son John reform and become a temperate, sober man that then my executors hereinafter named shall be at liberty to give my said son John full possession both of the messuage and plantation on which my son Charles now lives and of the thousand dollars bequeathed to him in the manner before mentioned; and I do moreover hereby clothe my executors with authority to award to my son John an additional sum of money out of my personal estate should circumstances admit and justice require it, the amount of which sum, however, must depend on the discretion of my executors.

Lastly: I do nominate, constitute and appoint my aforenamed worthy friend the Rev. David Comfort and my said son Charles Rules executors of this my last will and testaments and I do hereby utterly revoke and disannual any and all other will or wills testament or testaments by me at any time heretofore made or executed, and declare and pronounce this and this alone to be my true and only last will and testament.

In Witness Whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal on the day and year first above written,
The within was duly signed, sealed: published and declared and pronounced by the within named John Rule as: and for His last will and testament: in our presence who in his presence:and the presence of each other have: hereto subscribed our names as wit-: nesses on the day and year within written,

John Rule (L.S.)

Ephraim Yates
Robert Bayles
Cornelius Berrien
Proved May 30, 1610, at Bridgewater.
Jos. Doty. Surrogate
(This will is recorded in the Surrogate's office at Somerville, N. J. in Book of Wills "A" page 255, 1804-1814)
(The original will is in the possession of the Register of the Prerogative court, at Trenton, N. J.)

Inventory

A true and perfect inventory of all and singular the goods and chattels, wares and merchandise, rights and credits, which were of John Rule, late of the Township of Franklin, in the County of Somerset, appraised by us whose names are hereunto subscribed, this twenty-ninth day of May, one thousand eight hundred and ten:

Purse and apparel 116.932
Desks, looking glasses and chair in back room 5.00
Sundries in front room 100.00
do back room 26.50
Chairs 3.00
Negro's bedd and bedding 5.00
3 hatchels 4.00
Shovel and tongs, &c 1.25
Sundries in chamber 66.17
do cellar 13.00
do kitchen 32.00
do milk cellar 7.75
do back chamber 2.50
Lot shovels, axes, &.c 13.00
2 waggons, sleigh and sled 35.00
Harness 4.00
1 hide 2.00
Lot of cask 6.00
Sundries in wagon house. 3.00
Ploughs and harrows 11.00
Cider press and brake 8.00
Chair 35.00
Sundries in barn 13.50
Hay 12.00
Lot boards .50
Wheat rye, corn, oats, and flax in ground 66.00
Corn in crib 12.00
Cattle 152.00
Horses 110.00
Sheep 20.00
Hogs 15.00
Poultry 3.00
Wood rails split in woods 10.00
Bonds, notes and book accounts 657.50 and 1/2
Total $1571.61

Appraised by us the day and year above written:
Henry Gulick
Robert Bayles

Proved May 30, 1810,
Jos. Doty
Surrogate