Lincoln County Probate Records

In the name of God amen. I Philip Higgins of Bath in the County of Lincoln & Commonwealth of Massachusetts, yeoman, being of sound mind & memory, calling to 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—first of all I give & recommend my Soul into the hand of Almighty GOD—and my Body to the Earth to be buried decently according to the discretion of my Executor beleiving 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 hath pleased God to bless me in this Life, I give demise & dispose of the same in the following manner & form—first I give and bequeath to Mary my dearly beloved wife the use and improvement of my homestead farm on which we now live with all the Stock of Cattle & farming utensils thereon, during her natural life.—And all the House furniture to her use & disposal forever,

secondly. I give & bequeath to my Son Benjamin Higgins the sum of Ten Dollars and no more, I having formerly given him as much as I esteem his proportion.

3dly I give to my Son Reuben Higgins the Farm on which he now lives containing about eighty five Acres situate in said Bath

4"ly I give to my Daughter Ruth Marriner Ten Dollars, She having formerly had from me as much as I esteem her proportion.

5"ly—I give to my Daughter Abigail Williams the sum of Fifty Dollars.

6ly. I give to my Son Simeon Higgins the Land to the eastward of the road leading to Foster's point containing about eighty Acres adjoining to his own Land—

7 I give to my Son Philip Higgins the Homestead farm aforementioned with the Stock of Cattle and all the farming Utensils to his use & improvement after the dicease of his Mother my said wife Mary—until his Sons Isaiah & Jeremiah shall be twenty one years of Age—when it is my will & I bequeath accordmgly that the said Isaiah and the said Jeremiah each have & hold forever to themselves their Heirs & Assigns one fourth part to each of them, of the said Homestead farm and the said Philip to Have & to Hold to himself & to his heirs & assigns forever the remaining half of the said Homestead farm.

8 I Give to my Daughter Mary Mathes ten dollars—she having received her proportion some time ago—

9 I Give to my Daughter Sarah Holbrook the sum of Fifty Dollars, also the Money due to me from her Husband

10 I Give to my Daughter Thankful Huffe of Bowdoin, all the right & title & possession which I have to the Land on which she & her Husband now live in said Bowdoin- I likewise give to my said Daughter all the Money due to me from her said Husband.

11 I likewise Give to my Sons Reuben, Simeon, & Philip aforenamed my Saw-Mill, with the Mill privilege & all the privileges to the Mill Pond belonging—

12 I Give to my Son Philip aforesaid all other my Personal Estate not before particularly bequeathed except debts due to me which Debts my Executor hereafter named is to collect and with the Money so collected discharge my just debts and pay the Legacies & sums in this instrument mentioned & bequeathed and the remainder if any there should be I give & bequeath to my Daughter Thankful Huffe aforesaid—And the Legacies afore mentioned I will to be paid within two years after my Decease and I do hereby appoint my said Son Reuben Higgins sole Executor of this my last will & testament—And I do hereby utterly disallow revoke and disannull all & every former testaments wills Legacies & bequests by me in any wise before willed & bequeathed ; ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last will & testament—In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this sixteenth day of December in the Year of LORD one thousand seven hundred & ninety five

Philip Higgins (seal)

signed sealed published
pronounced & declared by the
said Philip Higgins, as his last
will & testament, in the presence
of us, who in his presence & in the
presence of each other have here
to subscribed our names. The words
and I do hereby appoint my said Son Reuben
Higgins sole Executor of this my last will
& testament were interlined before
signing or sealing—

Arthur Bradman
John Sprague
Fra. Winter

Probated 27 May, 1796. [VI, 202-203.] Inventory by Francis Winter, David Ring and Stephen Coombs, all of Bath, 17 June, 1796, $3,307.67. [VII, 83-84.]

Source: The Probate Records of Lincoln County, Maine, 1760 to 1800 (Portland, Me.: Printed for the Maine Genealogical Society, 1895), p. 265, citing Lincoln County, Maine, Probate Records.