Jean/John Barberie of NY City, in 1728, left a will with a grant for Denis Reille and his wife for use of the existing house and 100 adjoining acres until they both pass. The image of that section of the will, and a transcription are further below in this post.
Jean appears to have been a very successful Huguenot who left France through Rotterdam and London, before he settled in New York.
The John Robert Barberie Family Home Page, last updated 2002, reports that “Jean Barberie, a French Huguenot left France in 1685, stayed 3 years in London, England when he obtained denization and then immigrated to NY, NY. He purchased property in New Rochelle, NY and spent at least a few years there.“
In his 1727 will, this family genealogy writeup about Jean Barberie continues: “Jean also left to his grand daughter Frances,(daughter of Peter) a farm (originally petitioned for on Mar 7, 1712 -beginning on the west side of Hudson’s River, at the south bounds of the Paltz Patent and ran along the Hudson R. on southernly line one hundred chains, being part of the tract formerly granted to Capt. John Evans) of 2000 acres at Peter’s Land or Paltz’s Creek, Ulster Co., NY; to Elizabeth (grand daughter) another farm of 2000 acres at Youfrowshook (or Juffrou’s Hook), Ulster Co.”
These 5 pages are available today on FamilySearch via the links below:
Page 1 – “BARBERIE, John of N.Y.C. (copy) 20 May 1728 New York AB 15”
Page 2 – “In the Name of God Amen, I John Barberie of the City of New York Esq. being of sound and disposcing mind and memory…”
Pages 3/4 includes discussion of 2 different 2000 acre properties granted to 2 of John’s grandchildren. Note…these 2 farms were near to or were the contested ground of the almost 50-year lawsuit between the New Paltz patentees and some others. The lawsuit argued about the exact location of the southeast corner of the New Paltz patent:
Transcript: “Item I give Devise and bequeath unto my Grand Daughter Frances Barberie and to the heirs of her Body to be lawfully begotten and it their heirs for ever all that Farm and Tract of two Thousand Acres of land known and called by the name of Peters land Scitutate and being in the County of Ulster on the Palls Creek, and all the Houses Edificyes and buildings thereon, and also all Waggons Carts Carriages Utensills household goods and all the Horses Stock and Cattle together with the increase thereof and all the rents now due or hereafter to be due for and out of the same.
But in Case the said Frances Barberie shall dye without such Issue, then I give devise and bequeath the said Farm and Track of Two Thousand Acres in Ulster County aforesaid unto my said son John Barberie and to his heirs forever
Item I give Devise and bequeath unto my Grand Daughter Elizabeth Barberie, Daughter to Peter Barberie deceased, and to the heirs of her Body lawfully to be begotten and to their heirs for eve, All that Farm and Track of two Thousand Acres of land Scituate and being at a place called Youfroushook in Ulster County aforesaid together with all and every the Houses Edificyes and buildings thereon, But in case the said Elizabeth Barberie shall dye without such issue…”
And here is the section granting Denis and Reille and his wife use of the property:
Transcript: “Provided allways and it is the true Intent and meaning of this my will that Denis Reille and his present Wife and each of them that have liberty of liveing and quietly enjoying the House now built upon the said youfroushook, and of possessing and enjoying one hundred Acres of the said tract of land next adjoyning to the said House, dureing their lives and the Longest liver of them, they or one of them paying a couple of hens for an acknowledgment, to the said Elizabeth Barberie and her heirs”
Page 5 – signature page
Questions that occur to me, two days after I found that will using FamilySearch’s full text search for “Denis Reille”:
- Is this proof that Denis Reille lived at least to 1728?
- From the text granting his grandchildren, it seems like there were likely other tenants of that land, why was Denis Reille called out specifically in the will and granted lifetime use of the property?
- Was it because he was a Huguenot? And of similar age to John’s children?
- Or did they have a previous relationship before John acquired that land in c1709-1710? In France? In Rotterdam? In London? In New Rochelle?
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