Maine Wills

 From Maine Court Records (1661-93)

   In the name of god Amen/ the Thyrteenth day of June 1670 : I John Sanders Senio^r of Cape Porpus in the County of Yorke in New England Planter, being very sicke & weake in body but of sound & Prfect memory (prayse bee given to god for the same) & knowing the vncertenty of this life on earth & being desirous to settle things in order, do make this my last Will & testament in manner & forme following/

   That is to say first & principally, I commend my soule to Almighty god, my Creato^r hopeing & beliueing that I shall receiue full pardon, & free remission of all my sins & bee saved by the pr'tious death & merrits of my blessed Saujo^r & Redemer Jesus Christ, & my body to the earth from whence It was taken, to bee buried in such decent manner, & Christian, as to my executrix & Executo^r hereafter named shall bee thought meete & Convenjent/

   And as touching my worldly estate, as the Lord in mercy hath lent mee, my will & meaneing is the same shall be Imployed & bestowed, as here after by this my will is expressed/ & first I do revoake renownce frustrate & make voyd all wills by mee formerly made, & declare & appoynt this my last Will & testament. Item : I give & bequeath all my estate to Ann Sanders my deare & loueing wife, dureing her life, & at her decease I bequeath the house & Land belongeing & app^rtaying therevnto, with all the priviledges & appurtenances there vnto belonging that now I liue in vnto my sun Thom^s Sanders, & at his decease to his sun John Sanders, & soe from heyre to heyre & next of kine surviueing the deceased Proprietor; Item I now do bequeath a Tract of Land W^ch I Judg to bee one thousand Acers more or lesse, being or lijng about eight or nine Miles aboue Cape Porpus River ffalls, vnto my son John Sanders to take possession of & Inioy at my decease. Item : I bequeath the rest of my estate vnto all my children to bee æqually deuided, amongst them, after thejr mothers decease, hereby makeing & appoynting my dearly beloved Wife to bee my executrix & my sonn Thomas Sanders abouesd my executor/ and this my last Will & Testament may in all thinges bee accomplished & fullfilled according to my true Intent and meaneing, I request my Loueing Neighbours, Symon Booth of Winter Harbour & John Barrett of Cape Porpus to take vpon them to bee supervizers of the same/

   In witness w^rof I haue here vnto sett my hand, the day & yeare aboue Written/

Witnessed by    Sheth Fletcher/    Joseph X Cooles            marke		John Sanders Senjor [his mark]
Acknowledged 24 June 1670, before Bryan Pendleton Commissioner; recorded 13 March 1670-71; Inventory appraised at £139: 18: 0, by Griffine Mountegue and Charles Potum, and returned by the widow Ann Sanders 23 Aug. 1670. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 18, citing Court Records, E, 44.