Maine Wills

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

In the Name of God Amen.

   To all People to whom these presents Shall come Greeting. Know y^e That I Peter Rich of Wells in the County of York in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Husbandman being, (thrô the Divine Goodness) of a Sound disposing Mind, thô far advanced in Years, and labouring under great bodily Infirmities, Considering my present mortal State, and the near Approaches of my great & last Change, and committing my never dying Spirit into the merciful Hands of a gracious God thrô y^e infinite Merits of his dear Son : and my Body into y^e hands of my Executors hereafter named to be by them decently interred in hope of a glorious Resurrection to a Life immortal, by the mighty Power of God thrô him who is the Resurrection & the Life. Dispose of the temporal Estate wherewith it hath pleased y^e Lord to bless me in the following Manner Viz^t.

   1. I will that all my just Debts & funeral Charges Shall be paid out of my moveable Estate by my Executors.

   2. I give & bequeath unto my well beloved Wife Elizabeth Rich during her natural Life all my Lands both upland & Meadow or Meadow Ground containing about Eighty Acres be the same more or less lying & being in Said Wells, butted & bounded as in my Deeds & Returns of y^e Surveyors laying y^e Same out may be seen on y^e Records of the Town & of the County afores^d or wheresoever lying & being, and howsoever y^e Same may be butted & bounded together with my Buildings & Fences thereupon, and with all the Priviledges & appurt^ces thereunto belonging, so that y^e Said Lands with y^e S^d Buildings Fences & Appurt^ces Shall be under her Sole Command and improved & disposed of by her as She Shall direct and order during the above mentioned term of her natural Life, but Shall not be given away Sold or any ways alienated by her. I also bequeath & give unto my beloved Wife afores^d all my moveable Estate within Doors & without of what Name or Nature soever it be to improve & use for her own benefit & advantage during her natural Life, & to Sell any part thereof She Shall judge needful for her Support.

   3. I give & bequeath unto my beloved Daughter Mary Goodwin the Lot of Land above y^e Country Road on which She with her Husband & Family now dwells, the Said Lot containing Fifty Acres be it more or less, it being that which was granted to me by y^e Prop^rs of the Town of Wells Iuly 12, 1720, and laid out by Virtue thereof Iuly 18, 1720, by Ios : Hill Survey^r for Wells, as may be Seen on y^e Prop^rs Book of S^d Wells, together with y^e Buildings & Fences thereupon, and all the Priviledges & Commodities thereunto belonging, to be possessed & enjoyed after y^e Death of my Wife afores^d & not before by my S^d Daughter Mary Goodwin & her Heirs forever. And in Case my Daughter Mary Goodwin Should be left a Widow after y^e Decease of my aforementioned Wife, My Will is that She Shall have one third part of my mowing Ground to improve by getting y^e Grass that Shall grow thereupon Cut & made up into Hay and haled off yearly and every Year during her Said Widowhood & no longer, and y^e S^d third part of my mowing Ground is to be understood with respect to quality as well as quantity, & so to be Set off to her my S^d Daugh^r Mary Goodwin.

   4. I give & bequeath unto my beloved Grandson Peter Rich Goodwin the eldest Son of my only Daughter y^e above mention^d Mary Goodwin all my Lands both Meadow or Meadow Ground & Upland below the Country Road Viz^t the parcel or Lot of Land I now dwell on in S^d Wells part of which I purchased of Nath^l Clark Nov^r 15 Anno Domini 1731 butted & bounded as by S^d Deed may be Seen containing Five Acres, and a piece of Meadow ground adjoining being part of y^e ten Acres granted to me by y^e Proprietors of S^d Town containing two Acres be it more or less And likewise twenty Acres of meadow or meadow ground be it more or less eight Acres of which are part of ten Acres granted to me by y^e Prop^rs of y^e Town of Wells Iuly 12^th 1720 & laid out Feb^a 12, 1721, And the other twelve Acres being what I purchased of Sam^l Littlefield and were laid out unto me May 21, 1741, on y^e Northern Branch of little River So called in Wells afores^d the Buts & Bounds whereof may be seen by the Returns of y^e Survey^r together with y^e Buildings and Fences upon Said Lands, and all y^e Priviledges & Appurtenances thereunto belonging to be entered upon possessed & enjoyed after y^e Death of my Wife afores^d & not before, by him the Said Peter Rich Goodwin his Heirs and Assigns forever excepting one third part of the Mowing ground during the time of his Mothers Widowhood in Case She Should be a Widow as is above Supposed.

   I likewise give & bequeath unto him my Said Grandson Peter Rich Goodwin All my Cattle Utensils Household Stuff, and all & every part of my moveable Estate within Doors or without of what Name Nature or kind Soever it be that Shall be left undisposed of at my aforementd Wifes Decease.

   5. And now revoking & disannulling any & all other Will or Wills made or Said to be made by me, I do by these presents declare this to be my last Will & Testament of which I constitute & appoint my beloved Wife Elizabeth Rich afores^d and my trusty & well belovd Son in Law Iames Burnam to be Sole Executors. & In Testimony hereof I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal this twentieth Day of February in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven hundred and Fifty fiftyone, and in the twenty fourth Year of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God, King of great Britain France & Ireland, Defender of the Faith &c.

Signed Sealed pronounced and    declared in presence of Us,    Iohn Bourn Iohn Bennett    Caleb Preble		Peter R Rich (a seal)      his mark
Probated 7 July 1760. Inventory returned Oct. 21, 1760 at £39: 4: 7 by John Littlefield, Nathan Littlefield and Samuel Jefferds appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 889, citing Probate Office, 10, 180.