Maine Wills

 From York County Probate Records, Volume One (1680-1706)

   In the Name of God Amen, I Samuel Whellwright of Wells in the County of Yorke in his Maj^ties Province of the Massathusets Bay in New England being weak and Infirm of body but of Perfect Memory & of Sound understanding do make Constitute and appoint this my last Will and Testament.

   I Commit my Soul into the hands of Almighty god my faithfull Creator & mercifull Redeemer & my body to the Earth from whence it was taken to be decently buried by my Executors hereafter Named In hopes of a Joyful & glorious Resurrection through Jesus Christ Amen.

   And as for my Worldly goods and Estate I do will and bestow as Followeth.

   Impri^s My Will and Intent is that my funerall Charges and all my lawfull and Just Debts shall be discharged and paid by my Execut^rs out of my Moueable Estate.

   Item. I do give and bequeath unto my Daughter Mary one quarter part of my farm where I do now dwell, after she is Marryed & to the Children that shall be borne of her body, forever, and for want of such Heirs, to the Heirs of my son John Whelwright forever. I do except twenty Acres of land out of the whole Farme, where my dwelling house and barne stands, which I have Already excepted in a Deed of Gift to my son Joseph.

   Item I give and bequeath to my son Joseph Whelwright one quarter part of my s^d Farme together with that twenty Acres of land before excepted, with the housing and building that are upon it, after my decease and The Decease of Hester my Wife, she having the vse and Income thereof During her Natural life, Onely Joseph shall have the libarty to make vse of one halfe of the dwelling hovse and barne if he hath occasion before my Wives decease, Also I bequeath to my Son Joseph halfe that land which I bought of Augustine Legendra, and all that land and meadow which I have at Merryland, Except that part which I have already disposed of, Also I give to my son Joseph all that Towne grant of land and priviledge for a saw mill at another place near Merryland all to be to him and his Heirs lawfully begotten of his body, and for want of such Heirs to my son John Whelwright and to his Heirs forever, a double part thereof, & the other part to my Daughters and to their Heirs forever.

   Item, I do give and bequeath unto Hesther my beloued Wife, all my Cattell of all sorts, with one Negro Servant named Titus, with all my Mouable estate of all sorts which is not hereafter excepted, Also one acre of Marsh which I bought of Moses Littlefield, all this to be at her dispose to all or any of her Children at her decease, I do also give to her all the rent which was dew to me from my lands at Crofts in the County of Lincoln in England, untill the time it was sold by M^r Ed^w Loyde, if the s^d Loyde hath made sale thereof, and if the land be not sold, my Will is that Hester my beloved wife shall have all the rent of S^d land, during her naturall life, to be at her sole dispose and in case the S^d land be sold, then My will is that shee shall have one Hundred pounds out of the Money. or principall the land was sold for, Out of which Hundred pounds she shall pay to my Daughter Mary Fourty pounds & to my son Joseph Thirty pounds & to my Daughter Hannah Parsons Thirty pounds, all to be paid at such time or times as my wife shall see most fitt & Convenient, And the Remainder of the said Estate I do give to my son John Whellwright to dispose of and Improve for the Vse and benefit of my wife during her naturall life & at her decease I giue the S^d Estate to him and to his Heires forever, I also give to Hester my wife the vse & income of the one halfe of another Farme in Wells, during her naturall Life, which farme I have by Deed of gift given to my son John, Also provided my land afores^d in England be not Sold, Then I give to my wife the use of the S^d land during her naturall life, and after her decease I give and bequeath to my son Iohn Whellwright all the above mentioned lands in Crofts in England with all the vse and Interest and benefit thereof to him and to his Heirs forever, out of which he shall pay forty pounds in money to my Daughter Mary, to be paid twenty pounds thereof. within one year after the S^d Estate comes into his hands, and the other twenty pounds to be paid within two years after, and also to pay thirty pounds to my son Joseph half money and the other halfe Equivalent to money; And thirty pounds to my Daughter Hannah, one halfe in money & the other halfe Equivalent to money, all to be paid within two years after the Estate comes into his hands to them & to their Heirs forever, And in Case Any of them have no Children, then to the Heirs of my son John Whellwright forever.

   Item. I doe give to my son John Whellwright all my Books now in the Custady of M^r Eliakim Huchinson in Boston, and I give also to my son John one suit, Cloke & hatt and staffe I also give to him all my Estate which is in the hands of Cap^tn Bozen Allen of Boston dew for my wiues portion, One quarter part of what he shall recover, I doe will to my wife.

   And I doe Constitute & appoint my dear & loving wife Hesther together with my loving sons John Whellwright and Joseph Whelwright to be Executors of this my last will and Testament And I doe appoint my trusty and wellbeloved freinds Cap^tn Job Alcock of Portsmouth & M^r Samuel Emery & M^r Jonathan Hammond of Wells to be the overseers of this my last Will.

   In Witness whereof I have hereto set my hand and Seall this Thirtyeth day of Janu^ry One Thousand Six Hundred, Ninety Nine; Seaven Hundred, 1699/700

Signed & Sealed in    presents of vs    Samll Emery    Jonathan Hamond    James Addams		Samll Wheelwright (his Seal)
Recorded 22 Janry, 1700-1. Inventory returned 11 Oct., 1700 at £917: 00: 00 by Jonan Hammond and Jonathan Littlefield appraisers who state said W[h]eelwright "deceased 13 May 1700"; and 29 Oct., 1700 at £23: 00: 00 by Jos: Hamond and William Balkwell appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 130, citing Probate Office, 1, 69.