Maine Wills

 From York County Probate Records, Volume Ten (1749-60)

   In the Name of God Amen. The Seventeenth Day of April 1758. I Gideon May of Berwick in the County of York in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Husbandman, being of perfect Mind and Memory, Thanks be given unto God calling to Mind the Mortality of my Body, and knowing it is appointed unto all men once to die; Do make & ordain this my last Will & Testament That is to Say; principally & first of all, I give and recommend my Soul into the Hands of God, that gave it, and my Body to the Earth to be buried in decent Christian Manner at the Discretion of my Executor, nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I Shall receive the Same again by the mighty Power of God; And as touching Such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life, I give demise & dispose of y^e Same in y^e following Manner and Form.

   Imp^r. I give & bequeath to my dearly beloved Wife Mary the Use & Improvem^t of all my Estate real & personal my House Barn Stock Land & whatsoever is to me in any Measure belonging or in any Wise appertaining during her natural Life She paying out of it all my honest Debts.

   Item. I give & bequeath to Samuel May Hardison what Shall be left of my Said Estate at y^e Decease of my beloved Wife Mary to him & his Heirs & Assigns forever, or if the aboves^d Samuel May Hardison decease before my beloved Wife Mary, then I give & bequeath my Said Estate to Joseph Hardison j^r to him his Heirs & Assigns forever.

   Item. I do likewise constitute appoint & ordain my beloved Wife Mary the Sole Executrix of my last Will & Testament; and I do hereby utterly revoke & disannul all & every other former Wills Legacys Testam^ts & Execut^rs by me made ratifying & confirming this and this alone to be my last Will & Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal the Day & Year above written.

Gideon May

   Signed Sealed published pronounced & declared by the Said Gideon May as his last Will & Testament in presence of us the Subscribers Witnesses Daniel Libbey jun^r Ioseph Hardison.