Lincoln County Probate Records

In the Name of God Amen. I Robert Hodge Junr. of Newcastle in the County of Lincoln, calling to mind the uncertainty of Life, and feeling my Health declining, tho' of sound & disposing mind & memory, do make and ordain this my last Will & Testament as follows. In the first place I bequeath my Soul into the Hands of God who gave it, and my Body to the Earth to be decently buryed at the discretion of my Executors hereafter named. And as to my earthly Substance with which Providence hath blessed me I will and dispose of it in manner following. Imprimis, my Will & desire is that my Executors hereafter named, pay all my just Debts out of such part of my Estate as in their Judgment will least injure the Estate, then after, this is done, I give & bequeath to my Executors two hundred and sixty five Pounds to be by them, laid out upon my six youngest Children for their further bringing up & Education in the following proportion viz, to my oldest Son Robert, fifteen Pounds, to my Daughter Hannah, twenty Pounds, to my Daughter Sally thirty five Pounds, to my Daughter Sarah fifty Pounds, to my Son Henry sixty five Pounds, and to my Daughter Jane Nickels, eighty Pounds, the aforesaid Sums to be disposed of and laid out on said six Children, at the discretion of my Executors, for the purposes aforesaid.

I further give & bequeath to William Hodge Son of my Brother Henry Hodge, Ninety Pounds to be paid to him when he shall arrive at the Age of twenty one years.

All the rest and residue of my Estate both real and personal I give and bequeath to all my beloved Children to be equally divided between them, and the Share of each Child to be paid to him or her as they arrive at the Age of twenty one years. And I do hereby constitute and appoint Henry Hodge of Pownalboro' Samuel Nickels Esqr. of Newcastle & John McKown of Bristol Executors to this my last Will & Testament, and hereby revoke & disannul all former Wills by me made, and declare this to be my last Will & Testament. In witness whereof I hereto set my hand & Seal this ninth Day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight.

Robt. Hodge (seal)

Signed sealed published
& declared by the Testator
to be his last Will & Testa-
ment in presence of

William Kennedy
John Farley
Seth Pratt

Probated 23 July, 1788. [III, 199.] Thomas Rice and Abiel Wood, both of Pownalborough, sureties. [III, 201.] Inventory by Thomas Rice, Abiel Wood and Francis Cook, all of Pownalborough, 15 Oct., 1788, £3895 : 4 : 10 [IV, 248 to 254.] Henry Hodge, of Pownalborough, guardian unto Sarah, Henry and Robert, minor children, 27 Dec., 1791. [IV, 272.] Samuel Nickels, of Newcastle, guardian unto Jenny, minor daughter, 27 Dec, 1791. [IV, 273.] Hannah, minor daughter, chose Spencer Tinkham, of Pownalborough to be her gardian, 27 Dec, 1791. [IV, 273-4.] Sally, minor daughter, chose John McKown, of Bristol, to be her guardian, 24 Feb., 1792. Division of estate by Thomas Rice and Abiel Wood, both of Pownalborough, and Dummer Sewall, of Bath, 1 Oct., 1793, among Robert Hodge, Polly Tinkham, wife of Spencer Tinkham, Jane Hodge, Sarah Hodge, Hannah Hodge, Margaret Roby, wife of Henry Roby, Henry Hodge and Sally Hodge. [VI, 247-8.] Henry, minor son, chose Henry Hodge, of Pownalborough, to be his guardian, 11 Sep., 1797. [VII, 160-1.] Distribution of estate among Mary, wife of Spencer Tinkham ; Margaret, wife of Henry Roby ; Hannah, wife of Abiel Wood, Jr., Sally, wife of Henry Hodge ; Sarah and Jane Hodge, minors ; Robert Hodge, and Henry Hodge, minor, 25 Nov., 1800. [VIII, 126-7.] Sarah, minor daughter, chose Silas Lee, of Pownalborough, to be her guardian, 5 Ap., 1799. [IX, 229.]

Source: The Probate Records of Lincoln County, Maine, 1760 to 1800 (Portland, Me.: Printed for the Maine Genealogical Society, 1895), p. 169, citing Lincoln County, Maine, Probate Records.