Maine Wills

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

In the Name of God Amen.

   I Samuel Thompson of York in the County of York, within the Province of the Massachusetts Bay Cordwainer, being in a weak & low State of Body, but thrô the Goodness of God of a Sound Mind & Memory, Do make this my last Will and Testament. And I would commit my Soul into y^e Hands of God, beging for the Pardon of all my Sins, and eternal Salvation thrô the Merits of the Lord Iesus Christ; and my Body I commit to the Earth to be buried in a decent Manner at the Discretion of my Executors, hoping for a glorious Resurrection of the Same to eternal Life. And the worldly Estate which thrô the Kindness of Providence I now possess I give & dispose of as is hereafter mentioned & expressed.

   I order my Executors to pay my just Debts & funeral Charges out of my live Stock as soon as may be after my Decease.

   I give & bequeath to my beloved Daughter Hannah Thomson (who has been kind & faithful in her Care of me and my Children) that part of my Homestead contained in the Field and described as follows, beginning at the Road in the Corner of Said Field, and to my Brother Benjamin Thomsons Land, and so to run Northerly by Said Road till it comes Even with the tenth Row of Appletrees in my Orchard taking in half Way between the tenth & Eleventh Rows of Trees there; Not accounting two appletrees which Stand a little Distance from Said Orchard as a Row : And from Said Road by a Line to run thrô my Orchard as afores^d parallel with the Line of my Said Bro^r Benjamin's Land; And so to extend from the Said Road the Same Bredth to the Brook that runs thrô my Farm, and bounded by the said Brook on the Easterly End, and by y^e Said Road on the westerly Side, by my Bro^r Benjamin's Land Southerly, and Northerly by the Line above mentioned with all the Priviledges & Appurtenances thereto belonging to her y^e Said Hannah her Heirs & assigns forever. I also give to my Said Daughter Hannah the Use & Improvem^t of y^e great Room in my dwelling House during the time She Shall continue Single or unmarried, I also give y^e Said Hannah what Firewood She Shall have Occasion of, to burn in her Room during her remaining Single as afores^d, and to be haled from my Land by my Son Samuel out of that part which I herein give to him as She Shall need.

   I give & bequeath to my beloved Son Samuel Thomson the two Thirds of all the remainder of my real Estate to him his Heirs & Assigns forever to be divided as follows, that part which lies next to my said Brother Benjamin's, & next to the Land herein given to my Daughter Hannah being the Southerly part of my Farm, to be to the Said Samuel with the House Barn & all the Priviledges & appurtenances to the Same belonging, reserving as is herein mentioned to my Daughter Hannah.

   I give & bequeath to my Son Phinehas Thomson the one Third of my real Estate that Shall remain after Hannah's part is taken off, to be divided & Set off to him on the Northerly part of my Lands, on that Side next to Lands of my Bro^r Ioseph Thomson with all y^e Priviledges & Appurtenances thereunto belonging to him the Said Phinehas Thompson his Heirs & Assigns forever.

   It is my Will that my younger Children be received and taken care of in my dwelling House by my Elder Children until Such time as Suitable places be provided for them, to live abroad in good Families.

   After providing for the necessary Subsistance of my Family the Winter following my Decease, I give to my Son Samuel two Thirds & to my Son Phinehas one third of all my live Stock that shall remain, and also all my Utensils of Husbandry & Moveables, out of Doors, Samuel paying two thirds & Phinehas one third of my Debts, Legacys and funeral Charges.

   I give to my four Daughters namely Hannah—Dorcas Elizabeth & Tabitha all my Household Stuff—consisting of Beds Beding & furniture Pewter Iron & Wooden Ware of all Sorts Chairs Tables Glasses, and all Indoor Moveables to be improved by them until my youngest Surviving Daughter Shall arrive to the Age of fourteen Years, and then to be equally divided between them or their Survivors.

   I give to my Daughter Dorcas Thomson Eight pounds lawful Money to be paid her by my Son Samuel when She Shall arrive at the Age of Eighteen years.

   I give to my Daughter Elizabeth Thomson Eight pounds lawful Money to be paid her by my Son Samuel when She Shall arrive at the Age of Eighteen years.

   I give to my Daughter Tabitha Thomson Eight pounds lawful Money to be paid her by my Son Phinehas when She Shall come to the age of Eighteen Years.

   I do hereby constitute & appoint my two Sons Samuel and Phinehas Executors of this my last Will & Testament exhorting & requiring them to be kind & obliging to their Sisters, and to live in love & peace, one with the other that the God of Love & peace may be with them.

   In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand and Seal the 24^th Day of October Anno Domi : 1759. in the thirty third year of His Maj^ts Reign.

Signed Sealed & Declared by ye Sd    Samuel Thomson as his last Will    & Testamt in presence of us    David Preble    Arthur Bragdon    Iohn Frost		Samuel Thomson (Seal)
Probated 31 December 1759. Inventory returned 29 March 1760, at £184: 6: 00, by Iohn Frost, Samuel Shaw and Henry Simpson, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 876, citing Probate Office, 10, 137.