Lincoln County Probate Records

In the Name of GOD Amen this Twenty Twenty Forth day of February in the year of our Lord one Thousand Seven hundred and Ninety Seven—

I Stephen Call of Dresden in the County of Lincoln Yeoman Being Now in a weak and Low State of Body ; but of perfect mind and Memory, blessed be God therefor, but Calling to mind the mortallity of my body Knowing That it is appointed to all men once to die, Do hereby make and ordain this my Last will and Testament Namely; First of all I humblely recommend my Soul into into the hands of allmighty God who gave it ; and my Body I Submit to the Earth to be Decently buried at the Discretion of my Executrix hereafter Named, nothing doubting but at the Generall Ressurrection I shall receive the the Same again by the power of allmighty God and as to such worldly Goods and Estate as God has been pleased to bless me with in this Life; I hereby Give demise and dispose of in maner and form following Vizt———

Imprimis I Give and bequeathe unto my True and Loveing Wife Keziah Call the Income and Improvemen of all my Reall Estate untill my Son Stephen Call arives to the age of Twenty one years, and The Improvement and use of one Third part of my Real Estate afterwards dureing her Naturall Life, and as Touching my personall Estate I order my Executrix to pay all my Just debts and funerall Charges out of the same, and the remainder thereof Togather with all my moveables To remain in her hands and She to have the use and Improvement thereof for iier Support and the Support of my Chldren under her Care and Direction So Long as She remains my Widow : and in Case my said wife Should marry an other man Then my said personall Estate Shall be Equally divided among my six Children—Item and as to my Real Estate my will is and I order the same To be divided as followeth Vizt. My homestead Farm with The buildings thereon I Give and bequeath to my four Sons Vizt Moses Call : Stephen Call, Nathaniel Call and Jonathan Call, and when my Son Stephen Call Shall arive at the age of Twenty one years then the share and parts of the said Moses Call and Stephen Call Shall be Set off to them to hold in Severallty : and the shares and parts of the said Nathaniel Call and Jonathan Call to be Set of to them Respectively as they arive at the age of Twenty one years : and I order that the said Moses Call, Stephen Call, Nathaniel Call, & Jonathan Call pay out of the said bequeathed Lands to my Daughter Polly Call four hundred and Eighty dollars to be paid by them in Equall Quarter parts vizt. one hundred and Twenty dollars Each to be paid when they Severally arive at the age of Twenty one years———

Item I Give and bequeathe unto my son Nathan Call My other farm which Lyeth on the East side of Eastern River about Eighty five acres of Land with the buildings thereon out of which he is to pay unto my Daughter Polly Call one hundred and Twenty Dollars to be Paid when the said Nathan Shall arive at the age of Twenty one years being the Time when the said Nathan Shall Come into Possesion of the aforesaid Farm ; which Severall afore said Sums to be paid unto my said Daughter Polly to make up the sum of Six hundred Dollars which I have Given her for her full Share out of my Real Estate.

And I do hereby Constitute and appoint my beloved Wife Keziah Call Sole Executrix of this my Last will and Testament and disannuling and makeing Void all other wills and Testaments in anywise by me made, I do hereby Ratifye and Confirm this and no other to be Last will and Testament which is to Stand and remain in full force In Wittness whereof I the said Stephen Call have here unto Set my hand and afixed my Seal the day and year First above written

Stephen Call (seal)

Signed Sealed pronounced and
Declared by the Testator to be his
Last will and Testament in Witnes
where of we have hereunto Set our
names as Wittneses in his presence

Jona. Reed
James Connors
Ezra Taylor

Probated 8 Sep., 1797. [VII, 145-146.] Executrix being dead at probate of will, Jonathan Reed, of Dresden, was appointed administrator cum testamento annexo, 8 Sep., 1797. [VII, 147.] Elihu Getchel, of Bowdoinham, and Jaque Goud, of Dresden, sureties. Jonathan Reed, guardian unto Mary, Nathan, Nathaniel and Jonathan, 8 Sep., 1797. [VII, 137-138.] Moses and Stephen chose Elihu Getchel to be their guardian, 8 Sep., 1797. [VII, 138-139.] Inventory by Ezra Taylor, Samuel Tubbs and William Lewis, all of Dresden, 26 Sep., 1797, $3851.66. [VIII, 21.] Accounts filed 30 May, 1799, and 30 Jan., 1800. [VIII, 237-8.] Division of real estate by Louis Houdlette, James H. Patterson and William Lewis, all of Dresden, 27 Ap., 1803. [X, 68-69.]

Source: The Probate Records of Lincoln County, Maine, 1760 to 1800 (Portland, Me.: Printed for the Maine Genealogical Society, 1895), p. 292, citing Lincoln County, Maine, Probate Records.