Lincoln County Probate Records

In the Name of God Amen—April 25th, 1763 I Moses Robinson senr. of St. Georges being full of Bodily Pains but sound in my senses and Judgment thanks to Almighty God for all his gifts and benefits to unworthy me in continuing and preserving me by his providential Care through many dangers of life, to fill up so many years as by the Course of Nature I must be near to my dissolution, and yield to death when it shall please God to Call me. I do hereby Ordain & declare this to be my last Will and Testament in manner & Form following, and by these presents revoking & annulling all other Testaments or Wills, either in Writing or Words, and this to be taken only for my last Will and Testament and none other. And first being by Grace and Mercy to me made sensible of my Original Sin and my actual transgressions I most humbly beg forgiveness for the same. I humbly bequeath and Commit my Soul to Almighty God my Saviour and Redeemer in whom, and by the Merits of Jesus Christ I trust and believe Assuredly by Assisting Grace I shall be saved. My Body I commit to the Earth to be decently buried in any Place where my Children shall see proper, which Body I believe shall arise again at the general Resurrection & be reunited to my soul, and through the Merits of Christs Death and Passion, possess & inherit those Mansions of Glory in the Kingdom of Heaven prepared for The Elect and Chosen Ones—& now for settling my temporal affairs, such as my real and personal Estate, as it hath pleased God far above my deserts, to bestow upon me, I do order, give and dispose of the same in the following manner viz First I will That all Debts as I owe in Right of Conscience to any One, shall be hastily paid, as soon as possible, after my decease by my Executors

Item—I leave and bequeath to my beloved Wife Mary Robinson, if she outlives me, to have the sole command of all that I now possess, only my real Estate she is not to dispose of to any other, which I bequeath to my youngest son William Robinson, which I Constitute and ordain to be my sole heir, to inherit my estate so long as he lives and his sons after him, if he shall have any lawfully begotten, but in Case he never marry or have no male heir to enjoy the said Estate, then it shall descend to my oldest son Joseph's son Moses Robinson to enjoy, but neither of them shall sell their Right of Inheritance to any Stranger whilest there is so many of the Name and relations to enjoy the same.

Item. To Son Archibald what assistance can be afforded of hay and provisions for two years or three at the beginning of his own place, as also One Cow and Calf.

Item. To Son John I leave the cutting of One load of English hay, yearly and every year during his lifetime.

Item I leave to any One of my Nine Children, that is not contented with what I have done but thinks themselves wronged, I Order my Executors Mary and William Robinson to pay unto the discontented person he or she, the sum of five Shillings Sterling which I leave to them or any of them, for the preventing debates or Trouble which otherwise might arise. And further be it known That as I leave my well beloved Wife, sole Executor over all my personal Estate that I now possess to have the full Command and Ordering of the same, with the advice of her Children, That she may have a Comfortable way of living, during her lifetime here, and if she cannot enjoy a satisfying easy way of a Contented life with her son William, I desire that she may have her proportionable Share out of the Estate laid out to her self for her Maintenance according as the law directs, and if any Debate or Misunderstanding should Arise with any Neighbour or among themselves, I desire that it may not go to law, but let it be done away by an Arbitration or Reference of two or three Judicious, honest Neighbours.

Item. To Mary Rivers, One Cow and a Calf when she shall stand in Need of them and to be wintered free the first year if she desires it.

Item—I leave to my son Moses Robinson all my right and Title, which I received by Will from Daniel FitzGerald, deceased of that lot which he now enjoys.

Furthermore I constitute and Ordain my beloved Friends, Mr Boyce Cooper, Joseph Robinson and Moses Robinson Junr. to be my sole Executors in seeing Justice done, and oversight of the whole, especially concerning my dear beloved Wife, and leave this as my last Will and Testament

As Witness my hand & Seal this twenty fifth day of April One thousand Seven hundred and sixty three

Moses Robinson (Seal)

Witness present
Boyce Cooper
Joseph Robinson
Moses Robinson Junr.

Probated 4 Mar., 1764. [I, 50-52.] Mary Robinson disclaimed executorship 6 Mar., 1764. [I, 50.]

Source: The Probate Records of Lincoln County, Maine, 1760 to 1800 (Portland, Me.: Printed for the Maine Genealogical Society, 1895), p. 13, citing Lincoln County, Maine, Probate Records.