Lincoln County Probate Records

In the Name of GOD. Amen ! I John Parker of Georgetown in the County of Lincoln & Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Gentleman, being in Usual health but of sound disposeing mind & memory ; calling to mind my Mortality and the Uncertainty of my Existance here do make & Ordain this my last Will & testament. And first of All I Chearfully give my soul to GOD, Through Jesus Christ and my body to the dust in hopes of Obtaining a happy resurrection to an Immortal Life thro' the merits of Christ my saviour. And as touching such worldly Estate, as it hath Pleased GOD to bless me with in this life, I dispose of the Same in manner following (that is to say) First. I Give & bequeath Unto Jordan Parker his heirs and assigns forever a Certain part of my homestead farm discribed & bounded as follows Viz. begining at the Mouth of the Cove on Kenebeck river in front of my dwelling house thence South-West to a small Apple Tree, standing on the Edge of the bank, thence Westerly & Southerly to ye first ledge of Rocks, thence Northerly on a Straight line to the head of the great cove, thence 'round by the Shore Easterly & Southerly to the first mentioned bounds : Also another piece of land, begining Ten rods North North East from humphries head bounds so called, thence North Easterly on a straight line to a great Stone in my Upper Corn field & thence the same Course to Kenebeck river, thence Northerly & Westerly by the Same to my Northern bounds in Wizzels Cove, thence Southerly by the Same to the first mentioned bounds. (Excepting & reserveing out of the Same Eight Acres of land on the Point where Samuel Goodwin now lives, Only that the said Jordan Shell Improve One half of the Previledge of Fishing thereunto belonging ; Excepting Also Five Acres of land, to be laid out on the Same point we Usually land at in Comeing from meeting at the time of low water ; these two last mentioned pieces of land is to bound on the river, and laid out as Convenient to all Parties Concern'd as may be, so that the said Jordan Shell have a Convenient road by or near my Northern bounds leading from Humphries head bounds to the river, Also that there shell be convenient roads to & from the two Points Aforesaid through the said Jordan's land Aforesaid.) I give, devise & bequeath to the said Jordan One third Part of the were Previledge, whenever he or his heirs, helps build to Improve it. Also a piece of marsh Marsh within my dikemarsh, begining at the most westerly Creek in Said Marsh, thence running Northerly along said Creek to the first ledge by the Side of Said Creek, thence Northerly & Easterly to the nearest part of the next Creek, thence Northerly & Westerly along the Western branch of Said Creek to the Upland at a Cove, near my wood road, thence Southerly Along by the Edge of said Marsh to the first mentioned bounds, with liberty to haul his hay home from Said marsh. Also I give & bequeath to the Said Jordan his heirs & Assigns, the whole Amount of his four notes of hand, payable to me with Interest thereon, and a book Account, which Amounts in the whole to two hundred & eighty pounds or thereabouts. Provided & On Condition that the Said Jordan shell not bring Any Account against my Estate after my decease ; Otherwise I Order that all the Gifts made in this my last Will & testament Shell become forfeited & Shell become the Property of my well beloved Wife Elizabeth & Andrew Reed their heirs & Assigns, & that the Said Jordan Shell pay my said wife & Andrew Reed, the Amount due me on the Aforementioned notes and accounts, anything in this will & testament to the Contrary Notwithstanding.

Item. I give devise & bequeath to Andrew Reed his heirs And Assigns forever, in Consideration of his takeing care of me during my natural hfe. The One half of all my homestead farm, remaining after Jordan Parkers land is Sett off & a piece, I have Given to Alex'r Wilie by deed. Also One Quarter part of Five Stack marsh, together with One third part of all my Cows, horses. Sheep & Swine, One half of the barn on my homestead farm, with Onehalf of both the points of land Excepted Out of Capt. Jordan Parkers bounds with half of the fishing previledges adjoining the five Acres, & One Quart part of the fishing Previledges Adjoining the Eight Acres & One third of the ware Priveledge, to him the said Andrew Reed & his heirs forever, & for a part of which I have given him a deed off; heretofore.

Item. I give & bequeath and devise to David Oliver who liv'd with me. One fourth part of Five Stack Marsh & One fourth part of little river Marsh, Also the neck of land of Which he has a deed from me. Said land lying on Parkers Island in Georgetown as Also the Marsh ; to him the Said David & his heirs forever

Item. I give & bequeath to Alexander Wilie Jun'r One half of the land I lately Purchas'd of William Lithgow Esq'r & of which I have Convey'd to the Said Alexander by Deed.

Item. I Order & Will that all my Just Debts & Funeral Charges be paid by my Executors out of my Personal Estate & Appoint the residue as followeth.

Item. I give devise & bequeath to my well beloved wife Elizabeth, her heirs & Assigns forever, in token of Gratitude for her tender care & regard, the whole of my dwelling house & Store & One half of my barn Situated on my homestead farm, together with One half of Said farm Exclusive of what I have given to Jordan Parker & Alex'r Wilie Jun'r. Also One Quarter part of my Saw Mill, Standing on my Mill Stream in Georgetown near & Adjoining my homestead farm. Also One half of the two points of land, excepted out of Jordan Parkers bounds, with a part of the fishing Priveledges equal to Andrew Reed as herein before express'd. And One third part of the ware Priveledge, adjoining my home farm, & my Pew in the Meeting house in said Georgetown. And One Quarter part of five Stack marsh & One half of little river marsh Situate on Parkers Island Aforesaid, Also two thirds of all my Cattle & all my farming Implements, together with all the rest, residue & remainder of my Estate of what name or nature Soever, wheresoever the Same is or may be found, (not before herein Particularly devised). I Give devise & bequeath to my said wife Elizabeth & her heirs forever, for her to dispose off as She thinks best.

Lastly, I do hereby Constitute and Appoint my said wife Elizabeth, And Andrew Reed to be Executors to this my last Will & testament, hereby revokeing & disannulling all former wills & Testaments by me heretofore in in Any manner made, ratifying & Confirming this & no Other to be my last Will & testament. In Witness wherof I have hereunto Set my hand & Seal this fourteenth Day of March Anno Domini One thousand Seven hundred & ninety Seven.

NB. the words a Ten rods North North East from, North, & thence the Same course" in the first Page was made before Signing hereof.

John Parker (seal)

Sign'd, Scal'd, Publish'd, and declared by him
the said John Parker, to be his last Will
& testament in Presence of us, who have
Subscribed our nranes as witnesses, in
the Presence of the Testator & of each Other.

Mark Langdon Hill.
George Todd
Hugh Rogers
Denny McCobb

[Unrecorded.] Executors appointed by Court, 28 May, 1800. Thomas Percy, of Georgetown, and John Murray McFarland, of Boothbay, sureties. [No papers recorded.]

Source: The Probate Records of Lincoln County, Maine, 1760 to 1800 (Portland, Me.: Printed for the Maine Genealogical Society, 1895), p. 366, citing Lincoln County, Maine, Probate Records.