Probates: William Craft

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When William Craft wrote his will on May 9, 1791, he probably knew the end was coming. He described himself as "very weak in body but of perfect mind and memory." He names seven children in his will, as well as his "my dearly beloved wife" Hannah. I know the birth dates of only two of their children. Mary Craft, to whom William left "one cow and one feather bed and furniture" (the term "bed" referred only to the mattress; "furniture" referred to the bed frame), would have been fourteen years old; his son Robert, whom William wanted to have one year's schooling and an apprenticeship in a trade, would have been twelve. William Craft died on July 30, 1791. His stone was carved by Solomon Brewer, a native of the Connecticut River Valley who was born in Springfield, MA, and moved to Westchester County after the Revolutionary War. 

William lived just long enough to be recorded on the first United States federal census in 1790. The total number of household members was thirteen: four white males under the age of 16 (Robert and Walter, perhaps William Jr., and who else?), four males 16 and over (William, perhaps Charles, and two unknown others?), and five females (Hannah, Mary, Deborah, Anne, and one unknown other). As you can imagine, the 1790 census is frustratingly vague.

William must have been troubled by the prospect of leaving his children, all of whom seem to have been minors at the time, without a father. His will does not simply deal with possessions and property, but with arrangements for his children's transition into adulthood. William Jr. was probably older, perhaps the second oldest; he would receive his father's blacksmith shop and tools, ensuring that he would have a proper livelihood. He had probably already received training from his father. Charles may have been the oldest, as he is named as executor along with William's wife. William didn't leave him anything, yet the fact that he was executor likely meant it wasn't because the they were estranged; more likely, Charles had already received something from his father, perhaps when he left the house.

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William wanted Robert and Walter, the younger sons, to each receive schooling and to be "bound out to a trade" when they reached the age of fourteen, a typical arrangement for the time. The arrangements were very different for the girls; William's three daughters, Deborah, Mary, and Ann, were to receive one cow and one bed each either when they reached the age of eighteen or married - also typical for the time.

Mary must have received her cow and bed, as she married Gilbert Montross at some point after her father's death. However, she died not long after that, in 1801 at the age of 24. Her stone in the Episcopal cemetery is attributed to the Upper Connecticut Carver.

Robert Craft, on the other hand, may have never received the schooling or apprenticeship that his father wanted for him; he died in 1793 at the age of 14. His stone, like his father's, was carved by Solomon Brewer. In fact, it is this Solomon Brewer stone that served as the model for the cherub face that Laurie and I have used as the mascot for our excavation. 

The Craft family lays claim to the largest number of old sandstone gravestones in the cemetery. There are nine Craft gravestones in all, three belonging to to William and Hannah Craft's family, and seven belonging to Thomas and Catharine Craft's. 

Notably, Charles Haight, the man who built St. George's Church and donated the land for the cemetery, and who served as a vestryman, is one of the witnesses to William Craft's will. 

Will of William Craft

In the name of God, amen, the ninth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred, and ninety one, I, William Craft of New Castle in the county of Westchester and state of New York, gentleman, being very weak in body but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be given unto God, therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is [illegible] for all men once to die, do make and ordain this my last will and testament, that is to say -

Principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it, and for my body I recommend it to the Earth to be buried in Christianlike and decent manner at the discretion of my executors and as touching such worldly estate, whatevereth it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, [illegible] and dispose of the same in the following manner and form:

First my will is that all my just debts and funeral charges be paid and settled (?).

Imprimis I give and bequeath unto Hannah, my dearly beloved wife, one feather bed and furniture which she shall choose; also my clothes cupboard and looking glass and further as the law provides.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my well beloved son William my blacksmith shop and blacksmith tools.

Item: And my will is and I give unto my daughter Deborah one cow and one feather bed and furniture and that when she shall come to the age of eighteen or married.

Item: I give unto my daughter Mary one cow and one feather bed and furniture and that when she comes to the age of eighteen or married.

Item: I give unto Anne my daughter one cow and one feather bed and furniture and that when she comes to the age of eighteen or married.

Item: And my will is that my son Robert shall have one year's schooling, and my will is that when my son Robert shall come to the age of fourteen years he shall be bound out to a trade at the discretion of my executors, and my will is that my son Walter shall have reasonable schooling at the discretion of my executors, and my will is that my son Walter when he shall come to the age of fourteen years he shall be bound out to a trade at the discretion of my executors.

Item: And my will is that my lands shall be sold when my son Robert shall come to the age of twenty one years and the monies arising there from first to pay unto Robert and Walter the sum of five pounds apiece before division and then the remainder to be equally divided between my sons William, Robert, and Walter and my will is that if either of my sons aforesaid should die before they shall come to the age of twenty one years and that without lawful issue then their part to be equally divided between the surviving brothers aforesaid and my will is that my executors shall sell so much of my movable estate as shall pay my just debts if it should be [illegible] and my will is that if either of my said daughters should die before they shall come to the age of eighteen years or married and without lawful issue then their part to be equally divided between the surviving sisters aforesaid. And my will is that when my son Robert shall come to the age of twenty one years that if there be any of my movable estate left that it be sold at the discretion of my executors and the monies arising therefrom to be equally divided between my daughters aforesaid.

And my will is that my well beloved wife and my well beloved son Charles Craft shall be my executors whom I likewise construe (?) make, and ordain my only and sole executors of this my last will and testament and I do hereby utterly disavow, revoke, and disannul [sic] all and every other former testament, wills, legacies, and executors by me any [illegible] 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 [illegible].

Signed, sealed, published, pronounced, and declared by the said William Craft as his last will and testament in the presence of us the subscribers,

Charles Haight

Mary McKeen (her mark)

Jacob Carpenter

1. William Craft (1740-1791) m. Hannah
1. Mary Craft (1777-1801) m. Gilbert Montross
2. Robert Craft (1779-1793)
3. Charles Craft
4. William Craft
5. Walter Craft
6. Deborah Craft
7. Anne Craft