Maine Wills

 From York County Probate Records, Volume Nine (1743-58)

   In the Name of God Amen. The twenty sixth Day of May in the Year of our Lord 1752. I Samuel Ford of Kittery in the County of York in New England Yeoman, being weak in Body but of perfect Mind & Memory, thanks be given to God, therefore calling to Mind the Mortality of my Body & knowing that is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my last Will & Testam^t that is to Say, principally & first of All, I give & recommend my Soul into the Hands of God that gave it, hoping thrô y^e Merits Death and Passion of my Saviour Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon & forgiveness of all my Sins, and to inherit everlasting Life; And my Body I commit to the Earth to be decently buried at the Discretion of my Executor hereafter named, nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I Shall receive the Same again by the mighty Power of God; And as touching Such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life, I give demise & dispose of the Same in the following Manner & Form, that is to Say,

   First, I will that all those Debts & Duties which I do hereby owe in Right or Conscience to any Manner of persons whatsoever Shall be well & truly contented & paid or ordered to be paid in convenient time after my Decease by my Executor hereafter named.— Item, I give & bequeath unto Agnis my dearly beloved Wife one Feather Bed & Furniture. Item. I give & bequeath to my well beloved Friend Rich^d Cutt j^r Esq^r whom I likewise constitute make & ordain my only & Sole Executor of this my last Will & Testam^t, all & Singular my Lands orchard Marsh & Thatch Beds Houses Barns Fences Standing & being on the Same with three Cows & 1 Horse with all my other Household Goods & Estate whatsoever except two feather Beds & Furniture to him his Heirs & Assigns forever, by them freely to be possessed & enjoyed, and I do hereby utterly disallow revoke & disannul all & every other former Testam^ts Wills & Legacys Bequests & Execut^s by me in any Ways before this time named Willed & bequeathed ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last Will & Testam^t.

   In Consideration whereof the Said Rich^d Cutt J^r Esq^r Shall maintain me the S^d Sam^l Ford & Agnis my Wife during our natural Life, and after our Decease to bury us with a decent Burial. In Witness whereof I have here unto Set my Hand & Seal the Day & Year above written

Signed Sealed published pro-    nounced & declared by ye Sd    Saml Ford as his last Will &    Testamt in ye presence of us    the Subscribers, Viz Ioanna    Gerrish Timo Gerrish jr Jo-    anna Gerrish jr		Samuel S Ford (Seal)         his mark
Probated 21 Oct. 1755. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 765, citing Probate Office, 9, 122.