Hon. Cornelius Empson

Cornelius Empson (son of Richard Empson and Mary Clarke) was born 1660 in Booth, Yorkshire, England, and died 1710.

Cornelius was a prorminent Quaker and Pioneer in Delaware and Pennsylvania. He was born in Yorkshire, England and purchased land in West Jersey in 1684 when he immigrated settling in New Castle County, Delaware. He was appointed Justice of Peace, Judge, and Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice from 1689 to 1701.

Family

From http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/y/r/Wayne-A-Byrd/WEBSI...

He married

• (1) Mary Watkins on 1679.
• (2) Elizabeth Watkins Sanderson on July 10, 1689.
• (3) Sarah Wilson on 1693.
• (4) Mary Richardson on August 25, 1703.

Children of Cornelius Empson and Mary Watkins are:

1. Richard Empson, d. date unknown.
2. Ebenezer Empson, d. date unknown.
3. +Sarah Empson, b. July 20, 1687, New Castle Co., Delaware, d. 1740, New Castle, Delaware.

Children of Cornelius Empson and Sarah Wilson are:

1. Elizabeth Empson, d. date unknown.
2. Mary Empson, d. date unknown.

Children of Cornelius Empson and Mary Richardson are:

1. James Empson, d. date unknown.
2. Ann Empson, d. date unknown.
3. Susanna Empson, d. date unknown.
4. Charles Empson, d. date unknown.

Will

From https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/b/y/r/Wayne-A-Byrd/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0...

Last Will and Testament of Cornelius Empson December 1710

• In the name of God Amen. I, Cornelius Empson of the County of New Castle of Delaware, Gentleman, being sick and weak in body but of sound and perfect mind and memory & understanding, thanks be given to Almighty God for the same. Do make & ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following, Viz.
• First & principally, I commit my soul into the hands of Almighty God my creator hoping through the meritorious death and passing of Jesus Christ my beloved Savior and Redeemer to obtain full pardon & Remissions of my sins and my body I commit to the Earth to be buried in such devout and Christian manner as to my Executors shall seem meet and convenient, And as concerning such worldly estate as it hat pleased God to bless me with all I give devise and bequeath the same in manner and form following that is to say. First I will that all such debts as I woe in Right or conscience to any person whatsoever together with my funeral expense, and probate of this my last will and testament be by my Executors. Hereafter names first paid 7 Discharged.
• Item, it is my will & Testament and I do hereby give & bequeath unto my son Richard Empson five shillings wh: shall be in full of all his portion of share of my Estates so that he nor his heirs shall hereafter have any more to pay or demand of any of my Leavening Estate Either Real or personal.
• Item, I give & bequeth unto my son Ebenezer Empson Tenn Shillings and the Nego boy called Zaharias wh: shall be in full of all his portion or share of my whole Estate, Soe that he nor his shall never hereafter have any more to say or Demand of any of my Leaving Estate Either or Real or personal.
• Item, I give unto my daughters Sarah and Elizabeth one Moiety and halfe of the Mill at Whiteclay Creek for them and their Heirs and afs. Forever.
• Item, I give and bequeth unto my daughter Sarah my Mollatta Girl Henn.
• Item, I give and bequeth unto my Daughter Elizabeth my Negro Girl Abigail.
• Item, I give unto my son Charles the Easterly part of my plantation wh: is the half part of moiety of the said plantation with all the meadows pastures woods and underwoods containing by the said Estimation four hundred acres more or less.
• Item, I give unto my said son Charles one moiety of halfe part of a grant of land called Chestnut Hill with the Houseing and all the cleared Land of the said Grant that is the Easterly part the said Charles to hold the said Tract & moieties with all the appartenances there unto belonging for hims & his Heirs & assignees forever.
• Item, I give unto my said son Charles one Negroe boy called Robbin.
• Item I give unto my son James my plantation known and called by the name of Horse Hooke containing by Estimation Three hundred acres more or less and twenty acres of marsh by estimation be it more or less Lying on the West side of Rook Creek on Brandywine unto him and said james his Heirs and assignees forever.
• Item, I give unto my said son James one Mollatto Boy called Andrew.Which said Gifts I have given unto my said son James with this proviser that he shall give unto his Sister susannah Empson thirty pounds silver money when the said Susannah shall come to arrive to the age of twenty three years.
• Item, I give & bequeth unto my loving wife, mary and my daughter Ann & sussannah all my personall Estate in general of what name or Nomination whatsoever wh: personall Estate shall be shared Equally betwist them wh: said consideration of my personal Estate who I have unto my loving wife and my Daughters Ann & Susannah I have given with this proviser tht they shall pay & discharge all my Real and like wise that my said wife and my daughters Ann & susannah shall pay unto my daughter Mary Empson Eighty pounds silver money when she shall come and arrive to the age of twenty one years.
• Item, it is my absolute mind & will that all I have given unto my son Charles and James Empson my plantations Chestnut Hill & Horse Hooke that my loving wife, Mary, shall during her widowhood have the full benefit of those mentioned plantations and all the Negroes wh: is given unto my said Children wh: are not at age, that my said wife to have the benefit of those Negroes until my sons shall arrive to age and my Daughters to the age of twenty one or when they shall marry, But if my said wife Mary shall happen to change her condition & marry that then she shall have noe more Liberty to Dwell upon the aforesaid plantations Chestnut Hill and Horse Hooke nor have anything to Doe with any of the Negroes belonging to the children, but to deliver the plantations & Negroes, and all the childrens Estate unto my Executors whom I hereafter shall appoint and nominate.
• Item it is my will that if my said wife shall happen to marry that she shall have one hundred pounds & the Negroe woman Grace. Wh: is all that she shall have wh: said money shall be paid her by my Executors.
• Item, I give & bequeth unto my Daughter Mary my Mullatto Girl called Mall.
• Item, it is my will that there shall be sawed Eight Thousand foot of Boards at the Mill at Whitelcay Creek wh: shall be fore the use of my wife only she shall be at the charge of cutting the Timber and hauling of it wh: quantitiy of timber & sawing is Hereby Executed.
• Item it is my will that my trusty friends my Executors shall see good cause of if need require they shall hereby be Impowered to sell this my now Dwelling plantation wh: I have given unto my son charles together with chestnut Hjill wh: they shall have liberty to sell wh: I leave wholly to nteir manishment.And if in case those moieties be sold then my Executors shall pay unto my son Charles 200 pounds in money wh: shall be in Lew of the aforesaid moieties.
• Lastly I doo hereby ordain appoint & confirm my true & wiell-beloved friends George Robinson, Isaac Taylor, Thomas Babb, Ebenezer Empson & my beloved wife Mary Executors & I doe hereby Revoke and make void all former wills by me at any time made.
• In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & Seal this 12th day of December 1710 at Gould Grange in New Castle County upon Delaware. Signed & Sealed in Cornelius Empson (30)presence of, Charles Springer, Israel Peterson, Sarah (X) Goodman (her mark)

Sources

• "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWGP-XLB : 11 December 2014), Cornelius Empson in entry for Richard Empson, 01 Aug 1680, Birth; citing p. 26, Hull, Yorkshire, record group RG6, Public Record Office, London.
• The Nottingham Lots: A Tercentenary Celebration 2001 By East Nottingham Trustees Page 48 link
• link to A Calendar of Delaware Wills, New Castle County, 1682-1800. New York: F.H. Hitchcock, 1911. Page 16.
• link to Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey By William Nelson, Abraham Van Doren Honeyman, Elmer Tindall Hutchinson. Calendar of Wills. 1690 - Christopher Watkins, of Gloucester County, NJ, administration of estate by brother in law, Cornelius Empson of Pennsylvania.

Links

• http://www.geocities.ws/jleago/EmpsonCornelius1660.html
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Empson-39