Maine Wills

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

   In The Name of God Amen, The Sixth day of February in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred & Eleven I Thomas Rice of Kittery in the County of yorke in the Province of the Masachusets Bay in New England (yeoman) being uery sick and weak in body, but of a perfect mind and memory thanks he unto god therefore, calling unto mind the mortallity of my body do make and ordain this my last Will & 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 Executrix, 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 and form.

   Imprimis I give and bequeath to my well beloved son Daniel Rice (after his mother her decease) all my lands which I have not already disposed of, to him his Heirs and assigns forever provided and be it allways understood that this my son behave himselfe devtifull to his mother dvring her natural life, and if he should prove disobedient his mother hath by these presents power to dispose of those lands amongst my daughters at her discretion.

   Item I give and bequeath to my well beloved wife all and singular my lands, messuages and Tenaments by her Freely to be possesed and Enjoyed during her natural life and also all my personal Estate as Cattle houshousehold stuft & whatsoever else doth or may of right belong to me to her vse and for her Comfortable subsistance during her natural life and after her decease to go to my daughters, Mary Jane Elizabeth and Margaret Rice to be Equally divided among them or at the discretion of their mother.

   Item I give here no Legacie to my sons Thomas and Richard Rice, Because I have by Deed of Gift already given them their portions.

   Item I Constitute make ordain and appoint my dearly beloved Wife my onely and sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament hereby utterly disallowing revoaking all and every other former Testaments Wills & Executors by me in any ways before this time named and Willed, Ratifying this and no other to be my last Will and Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written.

Signed Sealed & declared
   as his last Will and Testament
   in the presence of us Subscribers

Margaret Adams    Mary Newmarch    John Plaisted		And it is further to be understood and it is my Will that my beloved Wife shall and hath full power to dispose of three or four house lotts by the water side where shee shall see Cause the Lotts not to exceed one hundred and fifty feet in Length and one hundred in bredth and this shall make good and suffitient title to the same notwithstanding any former Clause in my will. Tho : Rice (Seal)
Sworn to and recorded 18 March 1711-12. Inventory returned 17 March 1711-12 at £183: 16: 10, by William Godsoe, John Dennet and Jonathan Mendum, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 157, citing Probate Office, 2, 40.