Lincoln County Probate Records

In the Name of God. Amen. I Zachariah Dodge of Edgecombe in the County of Lincoln, & Common Wealth of Massachusetts, Yeoman, being of sound mind and memory, knowing the frailty of human Nature, and the Uncertainty of the time when I shall die, do make publish and declare this to be my last Will and Testament.—

Imprimis. I resign my soul to him who is the supreme Governor of the Universe, hoping for Salvation through the Blood of tne Redeemer, and my Body to the Dust, hoping for a glorious Resurrection. As to my Worldly Estate, I dispose of it in the following manner, Vizt. After my just Debts & funeral Charges are paid, which I hereby order to be paid out of my Personal Estate, I give unto my Wife Sarah, my whole Estate both Real & Personall, for her to enjoy and improve as she shall think Proper, so long as she shall remain my Widow, but in case my said Wife should marry, Then and in that Case my Will is that she shall Relinquish & give up all her Right & Title to said Estate, without receiving any Dower whatever.

Item, and in Case my said Wife should marry or die and leave one or more of my Children uncapable of maintaining themselves then & in that Case my Will is that all my children shall be equally maintained out of the whole of said Estate untill they are able to maintain themselves and further my Will is that at the marriage or death of my said Wife, my whole Estate shall be divided equally amongst all my Children to one as much as another, without any Exception, only as is before Provided for the Uncapable Children. Lastly, I make constitute and appoint Moses Davis Esquire Executor to this my last Will & Testament, hereby revoking all Wills, by me heretofore made. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this Ninth day of February in the Year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred & Eighty seven. Signed, sealed Published and declared to be the last Will & Testament of the above named Zachariah Dodge.

Zachariah Dodge (seal)

in presence of us

Barnabas Sears
Thomas Ring
William Cunningham

Probated 19 Mar., 1789. [IV, 28-29.] Inventory by Barnabas Sears, Thomas Ring and William Cunningham, all of Edgecomb, 20 Ap., 1789, £330 : 8 : 8. [IV, 45-46.]

Source: The Probate Records of Lincoln County, Maine, 1760 to 1800 (Portland, Me.: Printed for the Maine Genealogical Society, 1895), p. 182, citing Lincoln County, Maine, Probate Records.