Lincoln County Probate Records

In the Name of God. Amen. The seventeen day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & ninety eight—I Thomas Sproul of Bristol, in the County of Lincoln, & Commonwealth of Massachusetts yeoman being sick and weak in Body but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be given unto God therefor calling unto mind the mortality of my Body & knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this my last will and Testament ; that is to say.—

First of all I give & recommend my Soul into the hands of God that gave it, for my Body I recommend it to the earth to be buried in a Christian like & decent manner, at the discretion of my Executor.—And as touching such wordly estate wherwith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give demise & dispose of the same in the following manner & form.

First It is my will, & I do order, that all my Just debts and funeral charges be paid & satisfied.

Item—I give & bequath my Honored & beloved mother sixty six Dollars & sixty six Cents. Likewise I constitute and appoint my said mother my sole Executor and administrator of this my last will & Testament—

Item—I give & bequeath unto my loving Sister Sarah Sproul Sixty six Dollars & Sixty six Cents—

Item—I give and bequeath unto my loving Sister Mary Sproul Sixtysix Dollars & Sixty six Cents—

Item—I give & bequeath to my beloved Brother James Sproul the one half of my Land, and when said land is divided his half to be the eastren side—

Item—I give and bequath to my loving Brother John Sproul the Other half of my land it being the westren side—he paying to my said Mother and my two sisters aforesaid that is to each of them the sum of Sixty six Dollars & Sixty six Cents

Item—I give & Bequeath unto my loving sister Susan Sproul the sum of fifteen Dollars.

Item—I give & Bequeath unto my Brothers Robert Sproul & Wm. Sproul Likewise my Sisters Catherane Silvester & Margret Clark, to each of them fifty Cents—

Item—I Likewise give & Bequeath to my said Brother James Sproul all my Clothing & appearl, one Horse Saddel and Bridel one yoke of Steer and one Chest,—said horse to be keept on the place for the use of my said Mother as long as She lives—he the said James to pay to the above named Susan Sproul fifteen Dollars, and fifty Cents to be paid to each of the above Named Robt. Wm Catherane & Margret Likewise to pay what charges may arise at my Funeral

In Testimoney I the said Thomas Sproul do hereunto in the Presence of these Witnesses set my hand and seal

Thomas Sproul (seal)

Signed Sealed Published
and declared in presence
of

Thos. Johnston
William Johnston
Thomas Johnston Jun'r

Probated 17 Sep., 1798. [VIII, 116.] Thomas Johnston and William McIntyer, both of Bristol, sureties. Inventory by William McIntyer, Samuel Clark and Joseph Clark, all of Bristol, 29 Dec., 1798, $558.10. [Unrecorded.]

Source: The Probate Records of Lincoln County, Maine, 1760 to 1800 (Portland, Me.: Printed for the Maine Genealogical Society, 1895), p. 321, citing Lincoln County, Maine, Probate Records.