A Rich Farmer's Will

Chas. E. Conover Gets Most of his Father's Property

Lafayette Conover Bequeathed to His Daughter, Mrs. Charles H. Millspaugh, $6,000, and Left All the Rest of His Estate to His Son

Lafayette Conover of Marlboro township made his will on the 15th day of last December. Mr. Conover owned three farms at the time of his death, and he also owned considerable personal property. One of these farms was the homestead property, which was formerly owned by Mr. Conover's father-in-law, William R. Schanck. Another farm adjoined the homestead farm, and had been bought by Mr. Conover from William Spader. This farm is occupied by Mr. Conover's son, Charles E. Conover. These two farms together contained about 174 acres. The other farm was bought by Mr. Conover from James Johnson, and contains about 149 acres. This farm was occupied for upwards of twenty years by Mr. Conover's daughter, Jane Elizabeth Millspaugh, and her husband, Charles H. Millspaugh. A few months ago Mr. and Mrs. Millspaugh moved from the farm and are now living in Brooklyn.

Mr. Conover left to his widow, Elizabeth Conover, the use of the homestead house and the use of the garden and grounds about the house, as long as she should live. He also left her an annuity of $500, which sum is to be paid to her annually in advance. The will provides that the first payment of $500 shall be made one month after Mr. Conover's death, and that as long as Mrs. Conover shall live a payment of $500 shall be made annually on that day. As Mr. Conover died on the 12th day of July the first payment will be made on August 12th. This annuity is made a charge on the property devised to Mr. Conover's son, Charles E. Conover. Charles E. Conover is also to provide for his mother's use a horse and carriage, to be used by her whenever she wishes. After Mrs. Conover's death the household goods and furniture left by Lafayette Conover are to be equally divided between his son and daughter.

The homestead farm and the adjoining farm which was bought from William Spader were left to Charles E. Conover, subject to his mother's life right in the property and subject also to the payment to her of the annuity of $500. Charles E. Conover also gets a woodlot of ten acres in Marlboro township, adjoining the lands of Charles Boice and others, and which was formerly owned by William R. Schanck. Another tract of woodland, which was bought by Lafayette Conover in two parcels, one from John S. Whitlock and one from William Spader, and which woodland adjoins lands of the heirs of Jonathan I. Morgan, was also left to Charles E. Conover.

Lafayette Conover bequeathed to his daughter, Jane Elizabeth Millspaugh, the sum of $6,000. In his will Mr. Conover states that he left only this amount to his daughter "in consideration of what my daughter, Jane Elizabeth Millspaugh, wife of Charles Millspaugh, has had from me, in almost the free use of one of my farms, containing 149 acres for 22 years; her husband having on April 1st, 1879, given me his note for $2,000 but paid neither principal nor interest thereon." This bequest to his daughter is still further modified. The homestead farm was bought from Mr. Conover's father-in-law, William R. Schanck, and Mr. Conover's widow owned an undivided one-third interest in the farm. Mr. Conover provided in his will that if his widow should leave any part of her interest in the homestead farm to Mrs. Millspaugh, or if his widow should die without a will and Mrs. Millspaugh thereby become entitled to any part of the homestead farm, that the value of the portion of the farm so received by Mr. Millspaugh shall be deducted from the $6,000 she is to receive from her father, Mr. Conover expressly stating that he desires his daughter to receive in the aggregate no more than the sum of $6,000.

Charles E. Conover was made the executor of his father's will and he was directed to sell the farm which his father had bought from James Johnson and which was occupied for so many years by Mr. and Mrs. Millspaugh. All the remainder of Lafayette Conover's estate, after paying the special bequests mentioned, is to go to Charles E. Conover.

The witnesses to the will were John P. Walker and J. Clarence Conover of Freehold.

Source: Red Bank Register, Wednesday, Jul 31, 1901

Some additional excellent resources for your research are:

• New Jersey Census, 1772-1890 - Ancestry.com

• Calendar of New Jersey Wills, 1670-1760 - Ancestry.com

• Interment.net - NJ ~ New Jersey Cemetery Transcriptions on the net.

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