Lincoln County Probate Records

In the Name of God Amen. I Nathaniel Williams of Woolwich in the County of Lincoln Tanner, being a decaying & weak state of Body, & apprehending I cannot long continue but of a sound & disposing mind & Memory for which God be thanked, do make this my last & Testament as follows.

In the first place I bequeath my Soul to God who gave it when he shall call for it, & my Body to its parent Earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executors, with a comfortable hop that at the resurrection of the Dead Soul & Body will again be united & enter into the rest that remains to the Righteous, purchased by the great Redeemer.

And as to the worldly interest with which God has blessed me I will & bequeath the same in manner following.

In the first place

I give & bequeath to my beloved wife Mehetable one half of the Lot No 62 in the second Division on which I now live, not hereafter disposed of to my Son Timothy, with one third part of the house & Barn standing on the same Lot, to hold to her during the time remains by widow.

I also give & bequeath to my said Wife one sixth part of my Stock of Leather now on hand ready for sale, one Cow, one fifth part of the Sheep, fifty Dollars in Money and all the household furniture she brough to me when I married her, to be her absolute property forever.

Secondly. I give & bequeath to my son Timothy, the western End of my Lot No. 22 first division, bounded beginning where my Sheep pasture fence adjoins the Land of Solomon Walker, thence northerly & easterly as the fence runs excluding the sheep pasture, till it comes to a large rock out of Ground standing close to the fence in the field, thence northerly by two large rocks till it comes to the Brook that runs from the Tan yard, thence westerly by the Brook till it comes to the Bridge, then westerly up the hill leaving the Cart road on the right hand, still westerly on the north side of the plowed field till it comes to the fence between the field & the pasture then north till it stiks the Line between Lot No. 22 first division & sixty two second Division, then westward as far as my Deed extends. Also my Tan yard with all implement for Tanning and all priviledges thereto belonging with half an Acre of Land so located as best to contain & accommodate the Tan yard, Pitts & building, with a priviledge of a convenient road from the house I now live in to said Tan yard & also the piece of Land before bequeathed to him. Also all that part of Lot No. 62 second Division which lies between the Town road & Monsweeg Brook, together with that small piece that lies before his house in the field westerly side of the Town road & easterly of a now Lot fence, reserving to my heirs & Assigns a convenient road frome the Town road, to the house where I now live also that part of Lot No. 58 second Division which lies between the Town road & the head of the Lot, all the above described real Estate to hold to him & his heirs forever in fee simple.

Also one Quarter part of my Stock now in the woks when the Tanning and currying is finished, he performing all the Labour at his expence, & my Estate to find the necessary materials to compleat the same, also forty Dollars out of the remaining three Quarters of said Stock to his absolute property forever.

I give to my two Daughters Abigail & Olive all that part of Lot No 58 second Division which lies between the Town road & Monsweeg brook in equal shares to hold to them & their heirs forever.

Also two yoke of oxen, two Cows & two fifth part of my flock of Sheep, to be equally divided between them also one hundred & fifty Dollars each, all to be their absolute property, also one half of the house hold furniture not before bequeathed, also one third part of the dwelling house & barn in equal Shares in fee forever.

I give & bequeath to my two Daughters Anne & Susanna the one half of the Lot I now live on being Lot No. 62 second division with my sheep pasture and Field not bequeathed in Lot No. 22 with one third part of my dwelling house & Barn in equal Shares between them to hold in fee forever. Also fifty Dollars each in Money, also one half of my house hold furniture not herein given to my wife in equal shares & one Cow each & two fifth of my flock of sheep in equal parts.

I give & bequeath to my said Wife one half the horse with the Side Saddle, while she lives in the house, the other half of the Horse to my Son Timothy All the rest & residue of my Estate not before disposed of, after my honest Debts are paid, I give & bequeath to my said Wife and my said four Daughters to be equally divided between them. And I do hereby constitute & appoint my said Wife Mehetable & my Son Timothy Executors of this my last will and testament & hereby revoke all other wills & declare this to be my last will & Testament

In witness whereof I hereto set my hand and Seal the thirteenth day of May A D. 1799

Nathaniel Williams (seal)

Signed sealed published
& declared by the testator
to be his last will & Testa
ment in presence of

Robert Cushman
Simeon Williams
Betsey Grant

Probated 26 Nov., 1799. [XIII, 362 to 364.] Timothy Williams 2d, Robert Cushman and Ebenezer Savage, all of Woolwich, sureties. Inventory by Abner Wade, David Gilmore and Benjamin Bailey, all of Woolwich, 3 Dec, 1799. [XIII, 367-368.]

Source: The Probate Records of Lincoln County, Maine, 1760 to 1800 (Portland, Me.: Printed for the Maine Genealogical Society, 1895), p. 354, citing Lincoln County, Maine, Probate Records.