Maine Wills

 From York County Probate Records, Volume Two (1698-1718)

   In the Name of God Amen, The Twentieth day of June in the year of our Lord god One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seven, I Ioan Deering of Kittery in the County of Yorke, in the Province of the Masachusets Bay in New England Widow, being very weak in body but of perfect mind and Memory, thanks be given to God therefore, Caling unto mind the Mortallity of my body, Do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament, that is to say principally and first of all I give and commend my soul into the hands of god that gave it, and for my body I commend It to the Earth to be buried in a Christian like, and decent manner, at the discretion of my Executors and overseers.

   And as touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, devise, and dispose of the Same in the following manner & form

   Imprimis I give and bequeath to my well beloved Son John Deering he paying my Debts and funeral Charges the House, and land whereon it stands and orchard adjoining to it that I now live in, and that pasture which I was possest of after my Mother her decease, that lies on the Northern side of the high way that goes from my brother William Pepperills house to my brother Thomas Deerings house, and also all that land and Marsh that belongs to me at Brave Boat Harbour, which I was possest of after my Father and Mothers decease by him freely to be possest and enjoyed, I also Will and order that my son provide for each of my Daughters a mourning Suit Sevtable to their Quality.

   Item I give to my well beloved daughters Joanna Deering, and Miriam Deering all my apparill, wollin, and linnen, and all my houshold goods and mouables of every sort, and that part of the house that was my Father Brays deceased, which I was possest of after my mother's death, and that part of the garden which belongs to the house and a small parcel of land called the old field, Lying by my brother Joseph Deerings Orchard on the Southern side of the highway, and that part of the house that was my Fathers which is in Plymoth in England that belongs to me, All the above particulars bequeathed to my Daughters to be Equally divided betwene them, The one to have the one Moyty or half part, and the other the other half part, by them freely to be possest and enjoyed I also give to each of my Daughters a mourning Svit of apparrell Sevtable to their quality to be provided for them by my son John Deering. Provided and be it alwayes understood that my above named Daughters do quit Claim to the dwelling house and land which I have above bequethed unto my son John Deering.

   Item I desire, Intreat, Constitute, make and ordaine my well beloved bretherin William Pepperill Esq^r and Joseph Couch to be my Executors and overseers of and to this my last will and Testament, to take care that my Children be possest of the above mentioned perticulars, given and bequethed to them. and that that there be no fraud or injustice done by any of my Children in the divition of the things given them, and what Charges these my Executors & overseers are at in Setling of the above premises in these possession of those to whom they are given, I order my son John Deering to pay.

   And I do hereby utterly disallow & disanull all and every other former Testaments, Wills, and Legacies, requests and Executors by me in any wayes before this time named, willed and bequeathed, Ratifying and Confirming this and no other to be my last will & Testament In Wittness whereof I have here unto Set my hand and Seal the day and year above written.

Signed Sealed, Pronounced    and declared by the Said    Joan Dearing as her last    Will and Testament in the presence    of us the Subscribers.    Andrew Pepperrell    George Jackson    John Newmarch    Mary Newmarch		{Joan Dearing {her marke (seal)
Sworn to 22 Dec. 1707. Recorded 10 Jan. 1707-8. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 151, citing Probate Office, 2, 16.