Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen. The Ninth Day of May 1758. I Thomas Holmes of Berwick in the County of York in the Province of the Massa : Bay in New Engl^d Yeoman being of perfect Mind & Memory Thanks be given unto God calling unto Mind the Mortality of my Body, and knowing that it is appointed unto all men once to die, Do make & ordain this my last Will & Testament, That is to Say, principally and first of all, I give & recommend my Soul into the Hands of God that gave it, and my Body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in Christian Burial at the Discretion of my Executors 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 the Manner & Form following.

   Imp^r. I give & bequeath to my dearly beloved Wife Sarah the Use & Improvem^t of the one half of my Homestead Lot with the Appurtenances & priviledges thereunto belonging; also the Use & Improvem^t of my House Barn & Utensils for Husbandry during her remaining a Widow.

   Item. I give & bequeath to my Said Wife one Yoke of Oxen my Cows Sheep & all Swine for her Use & Improvem^t during her Widowhood; and all that Shall remain of my own proper Stock in Cattle at her Decease, I give & bequeath to my Brethren and Sisters to be equally divided amongst them.

   Item. I give & bequeath to my beloved Brother William Holmes all my Right Title & Interest in & to the Lot whereon my Father & Said Brother William now dwells, which was formerly the Land of Thomas Newbury to him & his Heirs forever, together with Six Acres of Land adjoining to the aboves^d Lot, on which my Father & s^d Brother dwells which I purchased of Ioseph Stone to him & his Heirs forever.

   Item. I give & bequeath to my Said Brother William Holmes Four Acres of Land contained in y^e Field whereon my Barn now Stands to him & his Heirs forever.

   Item. I give to my beloved Brother Samuel Holmes Fifteen Acres of Land being part of the Common Rights lying upon y^e Westermost Side of little River, to him & his Heirs forever.

   Item. I give & bequeath to Ioseph Holmes Son of my Said Brother Samuel Holmes my House Orchard & Inclosure whereon it Stands being about Four Acres after the Decease of my Wife, or if She Should marry again at her Marriage to him & his Heirs forever.

   Item. I give to my Servant Paul Welch a Yoke of Oxen my Gun & my Wearing apparel.

   Item. I give & bequeath to y^e Said Paul Welch & Thomas Furnace all my Right & Title to one quarter of a whole Right lying in the Township at the Head of Berwick called Lebanon to be equally divided between them to them & their Heirs forever.

   Item. I do likewise constitute make & ordain my beloved Brother William Holmes the Sole Executor of this my last Will & Testament. And I do hereby utterly disallow revoke and disannul all former Wills Legacys Bequests & Execut^rs by me in any wise before willed & bequeathed, Ratifying and Confirming this to be my last Will and Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal the Day & Year above written.

Signed Sealed published pronounced    & declared by ye Sd Thos Holmes    as his last Will & Testamt in the    Presence of us the Subscribers    Nathanl Libbey      Patrick Gowen    Iohn Andrews.		Thomas Holmes (Seal)
Probated 17 Oct. 1758. Inventory returned 9 Oct. 1758, at £208: 7: 1, by Samuel Bracket. Nathaniel Libbey and Patrick Gowen, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 835, citing Probate Office, 10, 40.