Maine Wills

 From York County Probate Records, Volume Three (1709-28)

   In the Name of God Amen The Twenty Eighth day of December one Thousand Seven Hundred & twenty four I Iames Emery of Berwick in y^e County of York and within his Maj^ts Province of the Massachusets Bay in New England Husbandman, being Very Sick & weak in body but of perfect mind & memory Thanks be given unto God, therefore Calling unto mind y^e Mortality of my body & knowing it is appointed for all men once to die doe make & ordain this my Last will And Testament, that is to Say, principally & first of all I give & Recommend my Soul Into y^e hands of God y^t gave it, & my body I recommend to y^e Earth, to be buried In decent Christian burial at y^e discretion of my Executor & Executrix, Nothing doubting but at y^e general resurrection I Shall Receive the Same again by y^e 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 y^e following Manner & Form.

   Imprimis : I give & bequeath unto Elizabeth my dearly beloved wife y^e third part of my homeSted dureing her Natural life or widowhood & one Cow & the pastureing y^e Cow, being at her own dispose.

   Item I give unto my Son Thomas my homeSted pasture Land house, barns Orchard, & all y^e profits priviledges & appurtenances forever with all y^e Moveables within doars & without, he to pay all my Lawfull Debts & y^e Legacies hereafter Mentioned out of my Estate, Namely to my Son Iames'^s Children Two Shilling apeace

   Item I give unto my Son Samuel Five Pounds.

   Item I give unto my daughter Margaret twenty Shillings unto my daughter Lydia twenty Shillings to my daughter Francis twenty Shillings, to my daughter Rebecca twenty Shillings to my daughter Elizabeth twenty Shillings & unto my daughter Lucretia twenty Shillings.

   Item I give to my beloved wife Elizabeth aforeS^d my Execvtrix & Iob Emery my Executor to this my Last will & Testament And I doe hereby utterly disallow revoak & disannull all & every other former Testaments wills Legacies & bequests & Executors or Executrixs by me or in any ways before Named Willed & bequeathed; Ratifying & Confirming this & no other to be my Last Will & Testament.

   In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my hand & Seal the day & year above written.

Signed Sealed published pronounced    & declared by ye Same Iames Emery    as his Last will & Testament In the    presence of us.    Elizabeth X Abbot          her mark    Sarah X Abbot          her mark    Iohn Broad Street		Iames Emery (Seal)
Probated 7 April 1725. Inventory returned 24 March 1725, at £214: 2: 10, by John Hupper, Walter Abbot and Joseph Hodgdon, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 273, citing Probate Office, 3, 163.