234 HISTORY OF BROOKLYN.

of her deceased husband, and a widower as “the last man” of his deceased wife.

A well-known investigator of ancient deeds, wills, etc., in Williamsburgh,(1) makes the remark “that the old Dutch wills seem not to trust the widow in a second marriage. The restraints placed upon remarriages, by wills, were generally in favor of the children of the first marriage; and the widows thus restricted generally signed consents to accept the bequests in lieu of dower, for the good reason that propriety did not allow them to refuse so soon after the death of their first husband, and because the devises and bequests in lieu of dower vested an estate for life, or three-thirds of the estate subject to a contingency in their own control, instead of one-third absolutely. The will of Cornelius Van Catts, of Bushwick, dated in 1726, and expressed in a sort of half Dutch dialect, devises to his wife, Annetjie, his whole estate to her while she remains his widow—both real and personal. But if she happen to marry, then I geff her nothing of my estate, neither real or personal. I geff to my well-beloved son, Cornelius, the best horse that I have, or else £7 10s., for his good as my eldest son. And then my two children, Cornelius Catts and David Catts, all heef (half) of my whole effects, land and moveables, that is to say, Cornelius Catts heef of all, and David Catts heeff of all. But my wife can be master of all, for bringing up to good learning my two children (offetten) school to learn. But if she comes to marry again, then her husband can take her away from the farm, and all will be left for the children, Cornelius Catts and David Catts, heeff and heeff.”

So also in the will. of John Burroughs, of Newtown, July 7, 1678, he devises to his son John his then dwelling-house, barn, orchard, out-houses, and lands, etc. “But not to dispossess my beloved wife during the time of her widowhood. But if she marry, then her husband must provide for her, as I have done.” So also the will. of Thomas Skillman, of Newtown, in 1739.

We cannot more appropriately conclude this brief sketch of Dutch domestic fife, than by reproducing an article written by Hon. Henry C. Murphy, of Brooklyn, descriptive of Dutch nomenclature, etc. It

1 J. M. Stearns, Esq., of Williamsburgh