Abiel Baldwin

     Abiel was born on Sunday, 26 March 1730 in Durham, Middlesex County, Connecticut.¹ He was the son of Ezra Baldwin and Ruth Curtis. He was christened there on 3 May 1730 in Durham.² Abiel married Mehitable Johnson, daughter of Deacon Benjamin Johnson and Eunice Sutliffe, on 1 April 1756 in Durham.^3,4 The family lived on the same farm as Abiel's brother Noah in Durham. Both Abiel & Noah built identical homes & raised them on the same day. He had lands in Albany,
New York which he left to three of his children.⁵ He served in the 1780 Campaign and also in the Militia Regiment under the command of Col. Canfield at West Point in1781 during the American Revolution.⁶ Abiel made his will on 11 February 1800.

In the Name of God Amen I Abiel Baldwin of Durham in Middlesex County in the state of Connecticut being of sound Mind and Memory D make & ordain this my last Will & Testament and first I recommend my Soul into the hands of God who gave it and my Body I recommend to the Earth to be Buried in decent Christian burial, and touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me with in this Life, I give devise & dispose of in the following manner & form Viz - - - First of all I givr and devise to my well beloved Wife Mehitable the use and improvement of the one third part of my real Estate that lyeth in Durham of Middletown as Dower and also the one third part of all my Personal Estate excepting my black Smith Tools to her & her heirs forever - - And as to my eldest Son Jonathan I have given to him his portion in my Estate in full already and make to Addition - - - Item as to my 2^nd Son, Abiel, I have given to him as much as I purpose already, but I giv and devise to the said Abiel’s children equally forty five acres of Land lying in Thuehold in the County of Albany in the State of New York being on the west side of the Lot No.v29where he the said Abiel now lives to be of equal width at each and to them and their heirs forever - - - Item I give and devise to my Sons Curtis and David the two Lots of Lan which is in their improvement at the said Truehold in the County of Albany to them equally & their heirs forever - - - Item I give and devise to my Sons Aaron & Seth all my real & personal Estate lying in Durham of Middletown including what I give to my wife as Dower to them and their heirs forever - - - Item I give and devise to my Daughters, viz, Eunice Mehitable and Ruth the Sum of one hundred Dollars to b paid by my two Sons Aaron & Seth in equal parts to each Daughter, & by them paid equally in addition to what I have already given them And further more I do Nominate and Appoint my Son Aaron to be my Executor of this my last Will & Testament ordering and directing him with his Brother Seth to pay the forementioned Legacies and also all my Funeral Charges and all my just Debts Declaring this and no other to be my last Will & Testament Dated in Durham February 11^th AD 1800 - - - Abiel Baldwin - - - Signed Sealed a& published by Abiel Baldwin to be his last will & Testament in Presence of Abijah Curtis John Curtis John Tibbals.⁷

Abiel departed this life on Wednesday, 11 August 1802 in Durham at age 72 years, 4 months and 16 days.^8,4 He was buried there in the Old Durham Cemetery. The inscription on his tombstone reads: In Memory of Mr. Abeil Baldwin who died aug. 11th 1802 in the 73rd year of his age.⁹ His will was probated on 30 August 1802 at Middletown, Orange County, New York.