Maine Wills

 From Maine Court Records (1661-93)

   In the Name of god Amen, I Robert Booth Senjo^r of Sacoe, In the County of Yorke & in the Colony of the Massatusetts, being of Prfect Memory, but exceeding weake of body, through the anguish & pane w^rwithall I am continewally & vncessantly exercised, being put in mind thereby of my short Continewance in this world, & of the great duty that is Incumbent vpon mee, to take care both to set my house and my selfe In Order for my departure hence whither I shall noe more returne, nor w^r I shall euer bee seene agajne, haue therefore thought It good & Convenjent to settle all things appartayneing to mee In manner and forme following/ first I doe will this present Instrument to bee my last Testament, hereby revoakeing nullifijng and makeing voyd all Wills and testaments that might happen to bee made by mee in any manner or forme soeuer, whither written or verball/ Secundly I doe Committ my soule into the hands that breathed the same into this shakeing & tottering Tabernacle of my body, who is my onely Saujo^r Lord and redemer, by him to bee Prserved vnto the generall resurrection, where in both soule and body being revnited, I shall liue Eternally In glory with him/ Thirdly I Commit my body vnto the dust from whence It was taken to rest in hope &c : being layd where my executrix hereafter mentioned shall see meete/ Fourthly as In reference to those good things of this life w^ch god In his mercy hath been pleasd from tyme to tyme to Lend vnto mee, my will is that the Charges of my funerall Obsequees being defrayed, and all lawfull dues debts and demands from mee to any one due being satisfyd : I bequeath vnto my deare wife Deborah all my estate houses Lands Moueables Immovables, And all debts that from any Prson to mee is any wise due, to haue and to hould for the Tearme of her life, haueing discharged and pformed my will In these bequeaths & Leagacys following : Fiftly I giue & bequeath vnto my daughter Mary Penewell an ew & a lamb, & to each of my other daughters vidz^t Ellner Martha & Rebeccah tenn shillings : Sixtly at the decease of my aforesayd wife, shee shall haue lyberty to dispose of what shee hath amongst our surviueing children, that are with in this my last testament Mentioned, except the house land Marsh and Mill & Mill house, the w^ch after her decease I will to bee Deuided as followeth namely, that my sunn Symon shall haue one halfe of the Mill and Mill house, And all the Implements and appurtenances therevnto appertayneing & belonging, & halfe the Marsh that I haue possessd and Inioyd, & that which remajneth I giue & bequeath vnto my sunn Robert vidz^t the dwelling house & houses about it, all the vpland and the other halfe of the Marsh aforesayd, and to that end that in noe poynt my will and desire may bee vnobserved, I do make will and ordayn my aforesayd Wife Deborah to bee executrix vnto this my last will and Testament, Requesting my well beloved frejnds and Neighbours vidzt Ralph Trustrum & Roger Hill, to become supervizers & vndertake the office, that peace & tranquillity with the amity may bee continewed amongst my surviueing Relations, who are here in Concerned/ In witness & for the Confirmation of all the Prmisses, I here vnto set my hand & seale this/

That what is aboue written    Robert Booth deceased,    expressed to bee his last    Will & testament the    fourth day before his    death, is witnessed vnto    by She : Fletcher/ Roger    Hill his marke X &    wee know of noe other    after either Nuncupate or    other/ The Court Alloweth this    will, & reverseth the Ad-    ministratorship, this 2 :    5th : 1673 : As Attests    Edward Rishworth Re :    Cor :		This Instrumt was Attested    vnto by Sheth Fletcher to    bee the will & testament    of Robert Booth deceased    expressed by word of    Mouth to ye sd Sheth    Fletcher & Roger Hill    with a desire to ye sd    Fletcher to draw It vp in    writeing/ Taken vpon oath this 18th    day March 1672/3 Roger Hill alsoe tooke oath    to ye aboue written the    same day as aboue/ Bryan    Pendleton/ Assotiate/
Recorded 9th: 7th: 1673; Inventory returned at £146, by Walter Pennell and John Daveisse, appraisers, 26 Oct 1672. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 26, citing Court Records, E, 71.