Last Will And Testament of Edward HUNTING Dated 26th day ofSeptember 1857I, Edward Hunting of the town of Dryden in the County ofTompkinsand state of New York being of sound mind and memory domake publish and declare this my last will and testament inmanner of following and is to (sign?)First..I give devise and bequeath to my Five Children ChristianaLewis wife of Nathaniel? E Lewis, Israel Hunting, Catharine LJagger wife of Mathew Jagger, Mosther?L? Hunting and AsenethHunting, all of my real and personal estate, goods and ... ofwhich nature in kind soever to be divided equity between themshare and share alike.And hereby authorise and impower my executors herein afternominated & appointed to sell and dispose of my said real andpersonal estate, public or privateThere is then more....(difficult to read)Proved Tompkins Co NY Village of Ithaca 3rd day of June 1861Ebenezer B Nichols of the town of Dryden, in the county ofTompkins Being first duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that he wasacquainted with the above mentioned Edward Hunting deceased, inhis life-time; that he heard the said Edward Hunting acknowledgethat he subscribed the end thereof the instrument now shown tothis deponent, purporting to be the last Will and Testament ofthe said Edward Hunting and above described; that he heard thesaid Edward Hunting declare the same to be his last Will andTestament that this deponent subscribed his name as awitness.....that the said Edward Hunting was at the time in theopinion and belief of this deponent, of sound mind and memory --and not under any restraint; and that he was about seventy nineyears of age; that he died on or about the eleventh day of Aprilin the year 1861 and was a resident of the town of Dryden in thecounty of Tompkins at the time of his death.Same document was signed by James W MontgomeryTombstone Green Hills Cemetery, Dryden Tompkins Co NY (colorPhoto)Edward HuntingDIEDApril 11, 1861Aged 83 (could be 88)Margaret his wifeDIED Oct 24, 1850Letter from Dryden Town Historian Ruth Sweetland dated Feb 15,1988........In the "History of Dryden" 1797-1897 it mentions a fewpersons of the Methodist persuasion meeting in private homes andthe old school house. It mentions a Mr. Hunting as one of thosepersons. The Methodist Church was built in the early 1840's. "History of Tompkins Co NY" 1879METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF DRYDEN VILLAGEIn the year 1816 a young itinerant, then traveling on the Cayugacircuit, in passing through the village of Dryden, felt stronglymoved to dismount and pass from house to house, praying andexhorting the people to turn to God. He was urged to preach atthe school-house that evening. The request was complied withand another appointment left. Thus began Methodism in thisvillage, and the youthful itinerant, Rev. Alvin Torrey, soon sawhis labors blessed and succeeded in organizing a class.Henceforth the itinerant preached here regularly, sometimes inthe school-house, sometimes in capacious barns. and very oftenin the woods. ...Edward Hunting were among the original members.Sources: 1. Will...Dryden, Tompkins Co, NY2. National Genealogical Society Quarterly vol 543. Tombstone,,Green Hills Cemetery4. "History of Tompkins Co NY" 18795. "Biography & Hist of Niagara Co NY"6. Obituary of son Moses7. 1850 &1860 US Census Dryden NY 8. Dryden Town Historian, Ruth Sweetland 15 Feb 1988