Lincoln County Probate Records

I James Howard of Hallowell in the County of Lincoln, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, being now in Health of Body and of a sound Mind, and calling to Mind the Certainty of Death and the Uncertainty of the Time thereof, do make this my last Will and Testament that is to say, first and principally I commend my Soul into the Hands of God who gave it, and my Body to the Earth to be decently interr'd at the Discretion of my Executors hereafter named. And as to such Worldly Estate as it hath pleased God to bestow upon me in this Life, I give, devise and dispose of the same in the following Manner and form—that is to say.

Imprimis I will and order that all my just Debts & funeral Expences be paid out of my Estate as soon as conveniently may be after my Decease.

Item I give unto my beloved Wife Susanna two hundred & fifty Pounds to be paid her out of my Estate. I also give unto my said Wife one third part of all my household funiture of every sort & kind, to dispose of as she thinks proper ; I also give to her my said Wife the Use and Improvement of one third part of all my real Estate during the Term of her natural Life.

Item I give unto my Son John Howard the sum of Twenty shillings, to be paid him, or to his Guardian, by my Executors out of my Estate immediately after my Decease.

Item I give unto my Son Samuel Howard, the sum of twenty shillings to be paid him by My Executors out of my Estate immediately after my Decease.

Item I give unto my Son William Howard the sum of Twenty shillings to be paid him by my Executors out of my Estate immediately after my Decease.

Item I give unto my Daughter Margaret Patterson the sum of twenty shillings, to be paid her out of my Estate by my Executors immediately after my Decease.

Item All the rest and Residue of my Estate real, personal & mixed wheresoever the same is or may be found, I give & devise unto my two Children Isabella and James, (the Children which I had by my present Wife Susanna) to be equally divided between them, and to hold to them and their respective heirs for ever— And in Case that either of my said two last mentioned Children shall die without Issue then my Will is that the share of such deceased Child shall be and accrue to the survivor of the said two Children and his Or her heirs for ever— And in Case both the said last mentioned Children should die without Issue then it is my Will that the whole Estate real & personal given & devised to the said Isabella & James shall accrue to and be equally divided among all my Grand Children, to wit, the Children of my Son Samuel, William, & Margaret; to hold unto my said Grand Children & their heirs for ever.

Lastly I do hereby appoint my said Wife and my Son William Howard Executors of this my last Will and Testament and I do hereby revoke all other & former Wills by me heretofore made, and declare this & no other to be my last Will and Testament.

In Testimony whereof I the said James Howard do hereunto set my hand and seal this thirteenth Day of January in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & Eighty six.

Mem'o The words real & personal
given & were interlined before sealing &c

I James Howard declair this (seal)
Instrument to be my last
will and testment

Signed Sealed and declared
by the Testator to be his last
Will and Testament in
presence of us—

H : Sewall
Elisha Bisbe
William Howard Junr

Probated 14 Jan., 1788. [III, 148-149.] William Brooks of Hallowell, guardian of James, minor son, 9 Mar., 1789. [IV, 36.] Inventory by Nathaniel Thwing, of Woolwich, Joseph North and Benjamin Pettingill, both of Hallowell, 5 Nov., 1788, £3785 : 12 : 8. [IV, 72 to 75.] Account filed 16 Aug., 1804. [X, 296 to 300.]

Source: The Probate Records of Lincoln County, Maine, 1760 to 1800 (Portland, Me.: Printed for the Maine Genealogical Society, 1895), p. 157, citing Lincoln County, Maine, Probate Records.