Will of William Ripley (1769-1845)
To view William's estate papers online see Ripley Wills 1st & 2nd Generation on this website.
William wrote a will in 1840, making his grandson William Caughlin Pipes the executor. To his second wife Christianna, William left 1/2 the house including the kitchen and two bedrooms on the north side, furniture, 1 cow, 1 horse, 3 sheep with grass and hay, 2 beds and bedding, the garden, and wood for her fires. She was also provided with an income of 30 pounds yearly to be paid equally by children Robert, James, and Jane.
Children Robert, James, and Jane were each to receive 1/3 of the real estate, a bed, and bedding. William's grandchildren William Caughlin Pipes, Jonathan Pipes, Rufus Pipes, and Hannah Pipes received 5 pounds each. William's eldest daughter Isabella, married to Amos Pipes, had died sometime between 1830 and 1836 so the money allocated to her children likely represented her share of William's estate. William's other daughters Elizabeth Wood, Easter Truman, Mary Ann Smith, and Hannah Smith were to receive 20 pounds each. Hannah Ripley had been raised by William's sister Mary and her husband Robert Read after Hannah Coates died shortly after giving birth to Hannah. Matilda Riley, wife of Henry Ripley, received 5 pounds, and son Thomas was to receive 60 pounds.
A codicil to the will written 26 Jan 1844 changed the terms of the will. Originally daughter Jane had been given 1/3 of the real estate but William felt it more prudent to give Jane 200 pounds and to divide the real estate between sons Robert, James and Thomas. Each was to pay Jane 50 pounds with the remaining 50 to be provided by the estate.
The inventory of the estate includes some interesting items such as a writing desk, a carpet, a spinning wheel and a loom. The set of Windsor chairs are listed separate from the ordinary chairs. The "Old Farm", for which William paid 425 pounds in 1818 was valued at 1200 pounds in 1845.
It appears that the children came to an understanding other than that specified by the codicil. By 1844, son Thomas Ripley and Jane Bulmer had been married for 14 years and had a family of at least 6 children. Robert, James, and Jane were unmarried and presumably still living at home. Thomas and his family probably lived elsewhere as the household inventory included only 5 beds and bedding. In addition, the inventory of the estate includes 80 pounds rent for the farm and cattle due from sons Robert and James, indicating they had already taken over the operation of the original homestead. According to my research, sons Robert and James took possession of the entirety of William's original 420 acre homestead. They may have bought out Thomas's share, enabling Thomas to purchase his own properties..
Thomas purchased a property north of William's original homestead in 1849 that became Thomas and Jane's homestead. Thomas left this property to his son Enoch is his will (see Estate Files #1710-#1892 on this website.) Thomas owned a great deal of property which he left to his other sons in his will. Only two properties are listed in the inventory of William's estate, the Old Farm and Weldings (?) Lot. Robert's children later sold a lot in the Nappan/Fenwick area that William had purchased originally, so my initial guess would be that Thomas purchased all of his properties.
William wrote a will in 1840, making his grandson William Caughlin Pipes the executor. To his second wife Christianna, William left 1/2 the house including the kitchen and two bedrooms on the north side, furniture, 1 cow, 1 horse, 3 sheep with grass and hay, 2 beds and bedding, the garden, and wood for her fires. She was also provided with an income of 30 pounds yearly to be paid equally by children Robert, James, and Jane.
Children Robert, James, and Jane were each to receive 1/3 of the real estate, a bed, and bedding. William's grandchildren William Caughlin Pipes, Jonathan Pipes, Rufus Pipes, and Hannah Pipes received 5 pounds each. William's eldest daughter Isabella, married to Amos Pipes, had died sometime between 1830 and 1836 so the money allocated to her children likely represented her share of William's estate. William's other daughters Elizabeth Wood, Easter Truman, Mary Ann Smith, and Hannah Smith were to receive 20 pounds each. Hannah Ripley had been raised by William's sister Mary and her husband Robert Read after Hannah Coates died shortly after giving birth to Hannah. Matilda Riley, wife of Henry Ripley, received 5 pounds, and son Thomas was to receive 60 pounds.
A codicil to the will written 26 Jan 1844 changed the terms of the will. Originally daughter Jane had been given 1/3 of the real estate but William felt it more prudent to give Jane 200 pounds and to divide the real estate between sons Robert, James and Thomas. Each was to pay Jane 50 pounds with the remaining 50 to be provided by the estate.
The inventory of the estate includes some interesting items such as a writing desk, a carpet, a spinning wheel and a loom. The set of Windsor chairs are listed separate from the ordinary chairs. The "Old Farm", for which William paid 425 pounds in 1818 was valued at 1200 pounds in 1845.
It appears that the children came to an understanding other than that specified by the codicil. By 1844, son Thomas Ripley and Jane Bulmer had been married for 14 years and had a family of at least 6 children. Robert, James, and Jane were unmarried and presumably still living at home. Thomas and his family probably lived elsewhere as the household inventory included only 5 beds and bedding. In addition, the inventory of the estate includes 80 pounds rent for the farm and cattle due from sons Robert and James, indicating they had already taken over the operation of the original homestead. According to my research, sons Robert and James took possession of the entirety of William's original 420 acre homestead. They may have bought out Thomas's share, enabling Thomas to purchase his own properties..
Thomas purchased a property north of William's original homestead in 1849 that became Thomas and Jane's homestead. Thomas left this property to his son Enoch is his will (see Estate Files #1710-#1892 on this website.) Thomas owned a great deal of property which he left to his other sons in his will. Only two properties are listed in the inventory of William's estate, the Old Farm and Weldings (?) Lot. Robert's children later sold a lot in the Nappan/Fenwick area that William had purchased originally, so my initial guess would be that Thomas purchased all of his properties.