Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen the twenty fifth day of October Anno Domini one thousand Seven Hundred twenty and two I Nathaniel Keen of Kittery in the County of York in the Province of the Massachusets Bay in New England Carpenter being Aged and Weak in Body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given to God therefore Calling unto mind the Mortality of my body Do make & Ordain this my Last will and Testament that is to say principally & first of all I Give and recommend my Soul into the Hands of God y^t Gave it and my Body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in Decent Christian manner at the Discreation of my Executors & 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 following manner & form.

   Imprimis I Give & Bequeath to Sarah my Dearly Beloved wife the Sole use and Improvement of fourty acres of the Land whereon I do now Dwell together with my Dwelling house Barn & other houseing on the said Land & stock of Creatures household Stuff & all other my moveable goods during her Naturall life for her Comfortable Support & maintenance & for the maintainance of my Daughter Abigail (Excepting and reserving out of the said Land that Land which I Shall hereafter in these presents give to my Daughter Lydia) and if it should so be that y^e incomc of what I have herein given to my Said Wife be not Sufficient for her and my Said Daughters Comfortable Support & maintainance then my said Wife hath full Power & liberty by these Presents to Sell or dispose of So much of the Stock of Creatures or Moveable Goods as Shall be need full for their Comfortable Subsistance.

   Item I Do hereby Confirm unto my well beloved Son Nathaniel Keen that Land which I have heretofore given him and I also Give to him and to the Heirs Lawfully begotten by his Body for ever after the Decease of my wife either the moiety or one halfe part of the land which I have herein given to Sarah my wife y^e use of During her Natturall life or Else as many Acres as the said Moiety or half Shall Contain lying next to the Land which he now Enjoyes and Possesses he my Said Son Nathaniel to Choose which he will of them Provided and on Condition that he and his heirs as aboves^d do with my Son Joseph Keen & his heirs after the Decease of my wife take Care of Support & Comfortably maintain my Said Daughter Abigail During her Naturall life the Charge there of to Equally born between them, and if my Said Son Nathaniel Should Depart this life and not leave any Legall Surviveing Issue to inherit what I have herein given him then my son Ioseph Kene and his Heirs Lawfully Begotten by his Body Shall Inherit & Enjoy y^e Same for ever.

   Item I give to my well beloved Son Ioseph Kene and to the Heirs Lawfully Begotten by his Body for ever fourty acres of Land lying next to the Land which I Have hereto fore given to my son Nathaniel to be Possest there of imediately after my Decease I also give to him and to the Heirs Lawfully Begotten by his Body after the Decease of my Wife the Moiety or one halfe part of the Land which I have Given her y^e improvement of During her naturall life Provided and on Condition that he & his Heirs as abovesaid do with his Brother Nathaniel take Care of Comfortably maintain & Support my Daughter Abigail Keen during her naturall life the Said Ioseph & his Heirs being at half y^e Charge thereof and if it Should so be that my s^d Son Nathaniel after the Decease of my wife Should make Choice of y^e land that lyeth next to the Land he now Possesses for his part instead of the moiety or one half part of that which my wife had the use of During her naturall Life then it is my will that my son Joseph resign the said Land to him & Give him Quiet Possession there of and that my said Son Ioseph & his Heirs as affors^d Enjoy and Inherit y^e whole of that Land for ever which Sarah my wife had the vse of During her naturall life & what houseing Shall be on the land I have Given my wife the use of During her naturall life after her Decease Shall be Vallued by two or more men Chosen by my Said sons my son Ioseph Shall have the Housing paying the one half part of the Sum totall y^t the Housing Shall be Vallued at unto my Said Son Nathaniel & his heirs and if it should So be that my son Ioseph Kene Depart this life and not leave any Legall Surviveing Issue to Inherit what I have herein Given to him then my said son Nathanel Keen & his heirs Lawfully Begotten by his Body shall Possess and Enjoy the same for ever.

   Item I Give to my well Beloved Daughter Deborah Barter besides what I have already given her Six pounds in money to be paid her by my Executors.

    Item I Give to my Beloved Daughter Lidia Kene & her Heirs for ever five acres of Land to be taken out of that Land which I formerly bought of m^r Robert Elliot but if she shall Se cause to Dispose of and Sell the said Land it Shall be to one of her above said Brethren & to none else & if She Should Depart this life and not leave legall Surviveing Issue to inherit the said Land then my Said Son Ioseph & his Heirs as above s^d Shall Inherit it on Condition of his Conveying to & Possessing of my Said Son Nathaniel & his Heirs as abovesaid of two Acres & an half of Land next to the said Nathaniels Land I also Give to her ten Pounds in money to be paid her by my Executors

   Item I Give to my well beloved Daughter Abigail Keen a feather Bed and furniture Belonging to it.

   Item I Give to my well beloved Daughters Sarah Keen and Esther Keen ten Pounds in money to Each of them to be paid to them by my Executors.

   Item I Give to my well beloved Grandaughter Mary Kene ten Pounds in money to be paid to her by my Executors.

   Item I give to my well beloved Daughters aboves^d Deborah Barter Lidia Kene Sarah Kene Hester Kene & my Grandaughter Mary Kene all Such Stock of Creatures household Stuff & moveable Goods as Shall be remaining at the Decease of Sarah my wife to be Equally Divided between them.

   Finally What ever Estate Both real and Personall I have yet remaining not Disposed of I Give to my two Sons Nathaniel Keen & Ioseph Kene and to their Heirs & assignes forever to be Equally Divided between them willing & requiring them to pay all my Iust Debts & my own & my wifes funerall Charges and the Severall Sums of Money in these presents Given and bequeathed. I Do Likewise Constitute make and ordain my sons Nathaniel Kene & Ioseph Kene my Sole Executors of this my Last Will and Testament & I Do also Desire and appoint my much respected friends M^r Iohn Dennet & M^r Iohn ffernald to be Overseers of this my Last will and testament that my Executors faithfully Perform the trust and Charge Comitted to them and and I Do hereby utterly Disallow revoke and Disannull all & Every other former Testaments Wills Legacies Bequests and Executors by me in any wayes before named willed & Bequeathed ratifying and Confirming this and this & no other to be my last Will and Testament In Wittness whereof I have hereunto Set my hand and Seal the day and year above written.

Signed Sealed Published pronounced    & Declared by the said Nathanell Kene    as his last will and Testament in the    presence of us the Subscribers.    John Dennet    the mark of X Daniel Jones    Thomas rice		Nathaniel Kene (Seal)
Probated 5 Jany 1724-5. Inventory returned 8 May 1725, at £705: 11: 6, by John Fernald, Richard Gowell and Withers Berry, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 268, citing Probate Office, 3, 160.