Family-histories and genealogies : containing a series of ...

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monograph) ; by whom he had several children, as shown in our Pedigree
of Johnson. He removed to Elizabethtown, N. J.*
We have seen that the Will of Thomas Johnson, father of the four
sons here named, speaks of Eliphalet as his " youngest son," although he
names Thomas. It follows that, at the time of the making of the Will,
Eliphalet was his youngest surviving son, Thomas, if not John, having died
previously. He gives most of his property to Eliphalet, on condition of
his paying Torty pounds, within a certain time, to each of his other sons
"Joseph, John and Thomas, or theirs."
ELIPHALET (78) Johnson was born in 1658; married: first,
Deborah daughter of John Ward, who died after 1700; and, secondly,
Abigail ; and died April 20, 1718.
With regard to him our chief source of information is his Will, which
we therefore give in full ; it has never before been printed :
" In the name of God Amen, this twenty-seaventh day of August Anno one
thousand seaven hundred and seaventeen. I Eliphalet Johnston [sic] of Newark, in
the County of Essex and Eastern Division of New Jersey, Yeoman, being in perfect
mind and memory, thanks be given unto God, but calling unto mind the frailty and
mortality of my body, and knowing that it is appointed unto man once to die, do
make and ordaine this my last will and testament (that is to say). Principally and
first of all, I give and recommend my Soull unto the hands of God that gave it,
hoping that thorough the alone merits of Jesus Christ to have Eternall Life, and my
body I recomend to the earth, to be buried in decent Christian manner, at the dis-
cretion of my Executors, nothing doubting but at the Generall Resurection I shall
receive the same again through the Mightie Power of God ; and as touching such
worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, devise
and dispose thereof in the following manner and forme :
Imprimis, I give and
bequeath unto Abigaile, my dearly beloved wife, after just debts being paid and dis-
charged, one equall third part of all my personall estate that I shall die possessed of,
'" Some of our data respecting the descendants of Thomas Johnson are drawn from Collections of
the New Jersey Histor. Society. Volume vi. Supplement. Newark, i866, pp. 121-22.
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