Maine Wills

 From York County Probate Records, Volume Eight (1705-53)

In the Name of God Amen.

   I Iohn Davis of Biddeford in the County of York, & Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Gentn being Sick & Weak of Body but of perfect Mind & Memory, therefore calling to Mind the Mortality of my Body, and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die : do make this my last Will & Testament; First of all I recommend my Soul into the Hands of God who gave it, and my Body to the Earth to be buried in a Christian Way & manner at the Discretion of my Executor hereafter named, and as touching that worldly Estate, wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me, I give demise & dispose of it in the Manner following.

   Imp^r. I Will & Order that all my just Debts & funeral Charges be paid by my Executor out of my Estate and likewise I give unto my Executor full Power to receive all the Debts due to my Said Estate.

   Item. I give unto my beloved Wife Elizabeth Davis all the Improvem^ts of my Saw Mill & Grist mill on y^e Eastern Side of Saco River together with the Improvement of my Salt Marsh at a place called Little River on the Said Eastern Side of Saco River, during the term of her natural Life or till She Shall marry. And in as much as I the Testator have given to each of my Sons Viz^t Iacob Davis Ezra Davis Iohn Davis & Josiah Davis. and to each of my Daughters Viz^t Sarah Parker Eliz^a Patterson Hephzibah Sawyer, Mary Stagpole & Margaret Davis certain Tracts of Land as by Deed under my Hand Signed and lawfully executed, I therefore Order that after my just Debts and funeral Charges of mySelf & my Widow be paid y^e remainder of my Estate as yet unbequeathed together with what Debts may be found due I will & order to be equally divided amongst all my aforementioned Children excepting my eldest Son Iacob Davis to whom I give a double portion of what Shall so remain.

   Lastly I constitute my Son Iosiah Davis Sole Executor of this my last Will & Testament, and do hereby disannul revoke and make void all former or other Testaments or Wills by me heretofore made ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last Will & Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal this Ninth Day of May in the 25^th year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain France & Ireland King in the Year of our Lord 1752.

Signed Sealed published pronounced    & declared to be the last Will &    Testamt of the above named Iohn    Davis in presence of us.    Iohn Gray Samuel White    Ioshua Gillpatrick		Iohn Davis (Seal)
Probated 6 July 1752. Inventory returned 14 July 1752, at £206: 13: 3, by Rishwth Jordan, Ebenezer Hill and Martin Jameson, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 678, citing Probate Office, 8, 176.