Lincoln County Probate Records

In the name of God amen I William McPhetres of Georgetown in the County of Lincoln & commonwealth of Massachusetts yeoman being sick & weak in Body but of perfect mind & meniory, thanks be given to God, calling unto mind the mortality of my Body and knowing it is appointed for all men once to die do make & ordain this my last will and testament, that is to say principally and first of all I Give my Soul into the hand of Almighty God and my Body I recommend to be buried at the discretion of my Executors hoping that 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 I give demise and dispose of the same in the following manner & form -first- I give and bequeath to Abigail my dearly beloved wife the use and improvement of one third of all my Real Estate during her natural Life. And I give her all my personal Estate (except my stock in Cattle) during the time she shall continue my Widow—I also give to my only Son William all & singular my Lands and Tenements by him freely to be possessed & enjoyed saving and it is to be understood that my two Daughters Rachel & Betsy are to be supported and maintained of and on my said Lands until they shall be eighteen years of Age. And it is likewise my Will that my Brother James should during his natural Life be supported on and from the Farm I now live on Likewise I give to my Daughter Rachel two milch Cows and six sheep I also give to my Daughter Betsey the same number of Cows & sheep and I give to each of my said Daughters a feather Bed & bedding to be possessed by them after my said Wife shall cease to be my Widow or cease to Live—Likewise I give to my Sister Betsey one good Cow—Also I give to my Nephew George Ring one pair of Calves. And I do constitute, make and ordain John White of Georgetown, Gentleman, and John Snipe of said Georgetown, yeoman Executors of this my last will & testament—And I do hereby utterly disallow revoke & disannul all and every other former testaments wills Legacies bequests and Executors by me in any wise before named willed & bequeathed ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last will & testament

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & Seal this twenty seventh day of April in the year of our LORD one thousand seven hundred & ninety

William Mcphetres (seal)

Signed sealed published
pronounced & declared by
the said William McPhetres
in the presence of us who
in his Presence and in the
presence of each other
have hereto subscribed
our Names—

Galen Otis
James Stinson
John Stinson

Probated 3 June, 1791. [1V, 259.] John White and John Snipe renounced executorship 3 June, 1791. [IV. 260.]

Source: The Probate Records of Lincoln County, Maine, 1760 to 1800 (Portland, Me.: Printed for the Maine Genealogical Society, 1895), p. 208, citing Lincoln County, Maine, Probate Records.