Lincoln County Probate Records

In the Name of God, Amen. I John Bogs of a place called St Georges in the County of Lincoln & Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England yeoman being very Sick and Weak in Body but of perfect Mind and Memory Thanks be given unto God ; calling unto mind the Mortality of my Body, and knowing that it is appointed for all Men once to die, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament ; That is to say, principally and first of all, I give and recommend my Soul into the Hand of Almighty God that gave it, and my Body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in decent Christian Burial, at the Discretion of my Executors ; 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 has pleased God to bless me in this Life, I give demise, & dispose of the same in the following Manner and Form.

Imprimis, I give and bequeath to Mary my dearly beloved Wife the free and uninterrupted use, occupation. Possession and Enjoyment of one Third part of all my Real Estate, during her natural Life, with one third part of all my personal Estate to be entirely at her own disposal together with the free Use, Occupation & improvement of the other two Third parts of my Estate both real and personal until the youngest of my surviving Children (as well those that are now unborn, if any such there shall be, as those that are born) arrive at the Age of twenty one Years for the bringing up of my said Children ; if she shall continue my Widow until that time ; but if she shall marry at any time before that, then each Child by it self, or it's Guardian to come into the Possession of it's own part or Share and I do likewise constitute make and ordain my said Wife the sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament.

Item I give and bequeath unto my well beloved Children (born and unborn as aforesaid) the whole Remainder of my Estate of what Name or Nature soever, to be divided to and amongst them and each of them, or their legal Representatives, in the following manner and Form, to wit, My Sons each one of them to have two parts or Shares in all my Lands and Real Estate, and my Daughters each to have part or Share ; the Sons to have Liberty of Redemption ; And my Personal Estate to be equally divided to and amongst all my said Children. And I do hereby utterly disallow, revoke and disannul all and every other former Testaments, Wills, Legacies, Bequests, and Executors, by me in any ways before-named willed and bequeathed : rattifying & confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I the said John Bogs have hereunto set my Hand and Seal this twenty Second Day of September, in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy three.

The Words "for the bringing up of my children" were interlined before Signing and Sealing, as also the words, "& confirming"

John Bogs (seal)

Signed, Sealed, published, pronounced,
and declared by the said John Bogs,
as his last Will and Testament in
the presence of us, who in his pre-
sence, and in the presence of each
other, have hereunto subscribed
our Names

David Fales
William Bogs
Nathanael Fales junr.

Probated 17 June, 1774. [II, 30-1.] Inventory by Alexander Lermond, Samuel Creighton and Thomas Starret. all of St. Georges, 30 Sep., 1776, £254 : 9 : 8. [II, 49.]

Source: The Probate Records of Lincoln County, Maine, 1760 to 1800 (Portland, Me.: Printed for the Maine Genealogical Society, 1895), p. 79, citing Lincoln County, Maine, Probate Records.