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From: "Audrey Shields Hancock" <>
Subject: Re: Will of Jacob Fonseca [1729]
Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2000 17:36:52 -0500


THANK YOU, Jean, for posting this. My correspondence so far has been on the
family connections of Jacobus BACKER-BAKER & Margaret STUYVESANT, but from
this will that you sent, I find that an ancestor of my husband's is within.
Is anyone doing family research on Gabriel LABOYTEAUX/LEBOITEAU/etc.? There
is a LABOYTEAUX Discussion List if someone is interested.

Audrey


-----Original Message-----
From: jean boutcher <>
To: <>
Date: Sunday, April 02, 2000 2:27 AM
Subject: Will of Jacob Fonseca [1729]


According to the will, Jacob Fonseca's wife is Rebecca. His children are
IsaacFonseca, the eldest, Abraham Fonseca, Joseph Fonseca (probably
married to Abigail Nunes (see footnote #7) , Rachel Fonseca, Esther
Fonseca, Judith Fonseca, and Sarah Fonseca.

Other people mentioned in the will are Daniel Nunes Da Costa, Philah
Nunes,
William Walling, David LeTellier,Gabriel La Boyteaux, Peter Alard,
Abraham
De Rivera, Moses Lopez de Fonseca, Isaac Bobin, and J.B. Hughes.

JACOB FONSECA 1 [1728]

In the Name Of God Amen I Jacob Fonseca of the City of New York
merchant being in Good health of Body and of Sound & perfect mind
and Memory and considering with my Self the Certainty of Death And
the uncertainty of the time & hour thereof as also the danger & hazards
unto which I am Likely to be Exposed during a Voyage I intend Speedily
(by Gods Grace) to take to the Island of Jamaica 2 do make ordain And
declare this to be my Last will and Testament in Manner and form
following
And First and principally I Commend my Soul into the hands of Almighty
God my Creator and my Body to be disposed of as providence Shall order
it and Such Estate as the Lord had graciously bestowed on me I give
devise
and bequeath unto the Several persons following, that is to Say, for all
Such
debts as I shall owe at the time of my Decease I desire that the Same may
be
paid by my Executrix herafter [sic] named ITEM [italic] I give devise
and
bequeath unto my Eldest Son ISAAC FONSECA 3 The Sum of Five pounds
of Currant money of This province of New York for his birthright moreover

I Give devise and bequeath unto my said son ISAAC the Sum of fifty pounds

of Like money for his proper use and behoof fir ever & to be debarred
from
all claims & pretensions either on my seal or personal Estate ITEM
[italic] I
give devise & bequeath unto my dear beloved wife REBECCA FONSECA 4
three Negro's Women named BETTY SARAH & FABA with her child & a
Negro man named GNATTO, To Have and to Hold [italic] unto my Said
REBECCA the three said Negro Women Negro Man & Child 5 for proper
use & behoof for & during her Life & after her decease to be divided
amongst my Six Children hereafter named Share and Share Alike ITEM
[italic] I give devise and bequeath all my Estate not hereinbefore
mentioned
as well real & personal either in possession or expectant in reversion
whatsoever & wheresoever unto my Six Children ABRAHAM FONSECA,
6 JOSEPH FONSECA, 7 RACHEL FONSECA, ESTHER FONSECA,
JUDITH FONSECA & SARAH FONSECA To Have & to hold Each of
them one Equal Sixth part thereof to be divided & distributed to them
hen they from time to time Shall come to Age or as my daughters
Shall marry for their respective use behoof & benefit unto them the
said ABRAHAM, JOSEPH, RACHEL, ESTHER, JUDITH, & SARAH
Their heirs (of their bodys, boyds, Lawfully begotten) and Assigns
forever, And in case anyone or Some of my Aforesaid Six Children
Should to dye Under Age then his her or their Share or Shares Shall
come to the Survivor or be Equally divided Amongst the Survivors of
them as foresaid ITEM [italic] I do hereby constitute and appoint my
Said Loving wife REBECCA FONSECA to be Sole Executrix of this
my Last will and Testament and I do desire my Loving Friend MR.
DANL. NUNEZ DA COSTA 8 to help and Assist my foresaid Wife
and Executrix in the Managing of the Affairs (if by her required)
In Witness [italic] whereof I the Said Testator JACOB FONSECA
do hereunto Set my hand and Seal and published and declared
this only to be my Last will and Testament this thirtieth day of
November in the first Year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord
George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain France
& Ireland King Defender of the faith etc. or Anno Domini [italic]
1727. JACOB FONSECA LS. Signed Sealed published and
Declared by the Said Testator JACOB FONSECA as and for
his Last will and Testament in the presents of us WM. WALLING, 9
GABRIEL LA BOYTEAUX 10 DAVID LE TELLIER 11.

Know All Men [italic] That I the Said JACOB FONSECA have made
& ordered this Codicil that is to Say that I do empower my Said Dear
beloved wife REBECCA FONSECA to hire out or Sell [ ] &
dispose of my House & Yard being in Spanishe Town in the ISLAND
OF JAMAICA [emphasis mine], as Likewise one thousand acres of
Sand Lying in the parish of MARTHA BREE in the Island of Jamaica
aforesaid & that the moneys arising from such Sale Shall be divided
into Seven Equal Shares one Share Thereof for the proper use &
behoof of her the Said REBECCA FONSECA for Ever and unto
ABRAHAM FONSECA, JOSEPH FONSECA, RACHEL FONSECA,
ESTHER FONSECA, JUDITH FONSECA, & SARAH FONSECA
To Have [italic] and to hold one Equal Sixth part thereof, as it is
mentioned in the Testament, Item [italic] that all my plates, pearls, and

Jewels shall also remain for the proper ownuse and behoof of my Said
Loving wife for & during her Lifetime and After he decease to be
Equally divided Amongst my Six Children as in the Testament before
mentioned Moreover I confirm my said Loving wife to be Sole
Executrix as aforesaid and I desire Mr. DAN. NUNEZ DA COSTA
to help and assist my said Wife as aforesaid In Witness [italic] whereof
I have hereunto Set my hand and Seal in New York the 28th day of July
1727 JACOB FONSECA LS Signed Sealed & delivered in presents of
us ABRAHAM RODRIQUES DE RIVERA 12 MOSES LOPEZ
D [sic] FONSECA 13 DAVID LE TELLIER.

New York October 14th 1729

Recd from the Secretary's Office of this province The Original of this
Will
and Codicil of which the above is a true Copy.

s/ REBECCA FONSECA

Testis
s/ J.B. HUGHES

[Frontispiece]
Copy of the Will & Codicil of JACOB FONSECA both proved before
ISAAC BOBIN 14 Esq. Aug. 9th 1729 by DAVID LE TELLIER one of the
Subscribing Witnesses to both: the Estate of the Testator Lying in
JAMAICA
[emphasis mine] the Original Will delivered to the Executrix.

1. Albany Will no. F-5, Clerk of the Court of Appeals. Except for this
will,
there is very litte to identify Fonseca.

2. Jacob Fonseca possibly died in Jamaica.

3. For reference to Isaac in the Minutes of Shearith Israel, see PAJHS,
vol. XXI (1913), pp. 27-28.

4. For similar references to Ribea De Fonseca, see ibid., p. 16.

5. The widow Fonseca was paid some £7 by the Congregation for the hire
of two Negroes. Ibid, pp. 18-19.

6. Abraham Fonseca's account to Shearith Israel is listed as of 1729 in
ibid.,
p. 21.

7. Perhaps this is Joseph Fonseca who married Abigail Nunes. P. A.
Hilfman
"Notes on the History of the Jews in Surinam," PAJHS, vol. XVIII (1909),
pp. 189 and 207.

8. Daniel Nunes Da Costa (c. 1704-1789) possibly married Philah Nunes
who died in 1818. Portraits [italic], p. 383; Dictionary [italic], p.
136.

9. William Walling, a baker, was made freeman of New York on August 21,
1722. Burghers [italic], p. 103.

10. Laboyteaux was made freeman of New York on August 3, 1688. Ibid.,
p. 54.

11. Le Tellier also witnessed the will of Peter Alard dated August 12,
1730.
NYHSC. vol. III (1895), p. 3.

12. Abraham De Rivera (d. 1765) became a freeman of New York on July
19, 1726, was naturalized in 1740, and about 1748 moved to Newport, Rhode

Island. He was an early officer of Shearith Israel. Burghers [italic],
p. 1-3;
Dictionary [italic], p. 149, PAJHS, vol. XXI (1913), pp. 5, 8, 10, 15-16
and 19-20.

13. Moses Lopez de Fonseca (d. 1752), hazzan [italic] [reader] for
Shearoth
Israel, 1723-1736, left for CURAÇAO sometime in late 1736. He seems to
have returned to New York City in 1743 since his name is listed in an
account
book of that year. PAJHS, vol., XXI (1913), pp. 35-36; Peter Jay Day
Book,
September 19, 1743, New York Historical Society Library.

14. On July 13, 1721 Isaac Bobin was granted a commission to be registrar
of
the Court of Chancery and in the following month was permitted to
administer
the oath of Executors and Administrators of Wills, Calendar [italic], p.
19.

Regards,
Jean

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