The probate records of Aaron Read, II are housed in the office of the Surrogate Court of Warren County, New Jersey, which is located in the county court house in Belvidere New Jersey. These records consist of Aaron's and petition to administer the estate and the will. I have included a transcript of his Will in this section. The probate records are indexed under R-E-A-D.

The record transcribed in this section, as well as those not included, are publically available. Copies of the documents may be ordered for a modest fee. For more information contact:

List of Probate Records on file the Warren County Surrogate's Office
Note that the page numbers are for the first page of the record only, each record could be several pages in length, this should be kept in mind when contacting the Surrogate's office regarding the record.

Petition by executors to administer the estate, Book 4, page 421
Will Book 10, page 391
Documents generally sealed, the Surrogate must give permission to view, File I, docket 14

Links to transcription, etc.

Warren County, New Jersey Surrogate Court Records, Wills Book 10, pages 391-392

Aaron Read Deceased

Warren County Surrogates Office

In the matter of the probate of the Last Will and Testament of Aaron Read, Deceased}

Be it Remembered that on the Eleventh day of March A.D. 1898 the Executors named in the Last Will and Testament of Aaron Read, late of the Township of Hope in the County of Warren, deceased, appeared before the Surrogate of the County of Warren, and made application to have the said Will proved and on such application said Surrogate adjudged the said Will to be a valid Will and the proof thereof to be sufficient, which said last Will and Testament and the proof thereof are as follows, that is to say:

In the name of God Amen. I Aaron Read of the township of Hope in the County of Warren and State of New Jersey being of sound mind memory and understanding (for which blessing I thank God) do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner following. that is to say:

First. It is my will and I do order that all my just debts and funeral charges be duly paid and satisfied as soon as conveniently can be after my decease.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Hannah, the use of my house garden and the the old orchard adjoinning with the privlege of having fire wood as hereinafter directed and also the use of my house hold goods of every kind and description during her natural life.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my two grand children Jame I. Cook and Emeretta Hare (wife of Robert Hare) heirs of my daughter Sarah M. Cook, deceased the sum of eight thousand dollars which said sum of eight thousand dollars I have already paid them and divided the same between them, giving to James I. Cook his part in the farm I have conveyed to him, and giving to Emeretta Hare her part in a certain mortgage on the Cook farm, which said mortgage I have assigned and set over to her, which said sums already given to them in the farm to James I. Cook and in the mortgage asigned as aforesaid to the said Emeretta Hare is to be their full share of my estate both real and personal after my decease.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Catherine Kirkhuff the sum of Three thousand dollars to be paid her by my executors hereinafter appointed at my decease.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my son Samuel Read the sum of Three thousand dollars to be paid him at my decease, also the thirty acre lot of land on which I now reside adjoinning lands of Chas R. Bartoe, Edward Lanning and others, excepting and reserving the following lots of land which I have sold and conveyed to Charles Gibbs, Emma Loller, John Flummerfelt, Catherine Kirkhuff, Geo. G. Depue and Whitfield Swayze: subject also to the right of my wife Hannah to use occupy and possess the house garden and the old orchard adjoinning during her natural life and have the further privilege of getting summer firewood such as is needed for her own use from the devised premises.

Item. I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Hannah, the use of all the residue of my estae during her natural life, and at her decease the same to be equally divided between my daughter Catherine Kirkhuff and my son Samuel Read, share and share alike.

Lastly. I hereby constitute and appoint my son Samuel Read executor and my daughter Catherine Kirkhuff executrix of this my last will and testament.

Warren County, New Jersey Surrogate Court Records, Wills Book 10, pages 392-393

Warren County ss.

R. Marshal Van Horn, one of the Witnesses to the within will, being duly sworn, did depose and say that he saw Aaron Read the testator therein named sign and seal the same and heard him publish, pronounce and declare the within writing to be his last will and testament; and that at the doing thereof the said testator was of sound and disposing mind and memory, as far as this deponent knows, and a he verily believes and that John C. Flumerfelt, the other subscribing witness was present at the same time, and signed his name as a witness to the said will together with deponent in the presence of the testator and each other at the testators request.

Warren County, New Jersey Surrogate Court Records, Wills Book 10, page 392

Warren County ss.

Samuel Read and Catherine Kirkhuff, the Executors in the within testament named being duly sworn, on their oath each did depose and say that the within instrument contains the true last will and testament of Aaron Read the testator therein named, so far as they know, and that they verily believe that they will well and truely perform the same by paying first the debts of the said deceased and then the legacies in the testament specified so far as goods, chattels and credits of the said deceased can thereunto extend and that they will make and exhibit into the Surrogates office at Belvidere in the County of Warren a true and perfect inventory of all and singular the goods chattles and credits of the said deceased that have or shall come to their knowledge or posession, or to the possession of any other person for their use and render a just and true account when thereunto lawfully required and that the said Aaron Read died on the 29th day of January A.D. 1898

Warren County, New Jersey Surrogate Court Records, Wills Book 10, pages 392-393

Warren County

In the matter of the probate of the last Will and Testament of Aaron Read, Deceased} order for Probate

Application having been made to me by Samuel Read and Catherine Kirkhuff for probate of the last will of Aaron Read deceased and letters testamentary thereon and the deposition of one of the subscribing witnesses to the same having been duly taken, and it appearing to me upon such proof that the will produced was duly executed according to law, and that more than ten days have elasped since the death of the testator, it is on this Eleventh day of March A.D. 1898 ordered and adjudged that the said will be and the same is hereby established as the last Will and Testament of Aaron Read the said deceased, and that the same shall be and is admitted to probate and that letters of testamentary be granted thereon.

State of New Jersey, Warren County} ss.

I George L. Shillinger, Surrogate of the county of Warren, do certify the annexed to be a true copy of the last will and testament of Aaron Read, late of the County of Warren, deceased, and that Samuel Read and Catherine Kirkhuff the Executors therein named proved the same before me and are duly authorized to take upon themselves the administration of the estate of the testator agreeably to said will.

Witness my hand and seal of office the Eleventh day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety eight.