Maine Wills

 From York County Probate Records, Volume Four (1677-1734)

   In the Name of God Amen The twenty fifth day of Iuly Anno Domini one thousand Seven hundred & thirty I Elihu Parsons of York in the County of York in New England Housewright being verry Sick & weak in Body but of good & Perfect memory (Blessed be God) & being apprehensive that I am not long to Continue in this Evil world & not Knowing how Suddenly it may Please God to call me hence & being desireous to Settle Things in Order to make this my last will & Testament in manner & form following Viz :

   First & Principally I commend my Sperit into the hands of Iesus Christ my only Savour hoping for the Pardon of all my Sins Originall & actual & for Eternall Salvation through his Blood & Righteousness alone & my Body I commit to the Earth from whence it was Taken to be buried in decent & Christian manner as to my Executrix hereafter Named Shall Seem meet & convenient hoping for a glorious Resurrection ô Iesus Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life and as to Such worldly Estate as God has been Graciously Pleased to bestow upon me I Order & Dispose thereof as followeth.

   first I will that all those Debts & Duties as I owe in Right or Conscience to any manner of Person or Persons whatsoever Shall be well and Truely contented & Paid or Ordained to be paid within convenient time after my Decease by my Executrix.

   Item I will Ordain & grant y^t my Trusty & Dearly beloved Wife Ruth Parsons Shall have the whole & Sole Improvement of all my Estate both Real & Personall of what Kind soever without any Exception whatsoever dureing her Naturall Life for her own Support & bringing up of my Children.

   Item I give & bequeath unto my five Daughters Ruth Hannah Elizabeth Mary & Susanna Parsons Each of them forty pounds to be paid them by their Bretheren in Manner as is hereafter Provided.

   Item I give & bequeath unto my Son Iohn Parsons all that my Land & Meadow with the Dwelling House & Buildings thereon where I lately Dwelt on the Southwest Side of York River bounded North Easterly by the River South Easterly by Land of Andrew Grover South Westerly by Land of Andrew Grover aforeS^d & north Westerly by Land of Iabez Blackledge & Ebenezer Blazedell To him & his heirs & assignes from & after the Decease of his mother Ruth Parsons aboue S^d thence forth & forever.

   Excepting about four Acres of Salt marsh & thatch ground hereafter more Particular Described. He the S^d Iohn Parsons Paying to my Daughters Ruth & Hannah Parsons each forty pounds & to my Daughter Elizebeth Parsons twenty pounds within Eighteen months he shall come to have the S^d Land In his Possession.

   Item I give & bequeath unto my two younger Sons Joseph & Elihu Parsons my Tract of Land which was formerly my Fathers Home Place con^t about twenty two acres & that Tract of Land at the head thereof con^tn about thirty Acres which was granted to my Broth^r Iohn Parsons Deceas'd by the Town of York & the whole bounded as follows Viz : South westerly by the Road from York Meeting House to the Upper ferry North westerly by the Land formerly Iohn Prebbles Deceas'd now in the Possession of Nathaniel Donnell Iun^r South Easterly by Land of Lieu^t Daniel Simpson & North Easterly by Land of Sam^ll Prebbles part of the Town Comon.

   Also about four Acres of Salt marsh & Thatch Ground at my upper place which is herein before Excepted out of my Eldest Son Johns Portion S^d marsh to begin at the Point Called Log House Point & so runing up Including all the Marsh & thatch Ground to the Place where my Broth^r\ Nicholas Cane Some Time made Fish. The S^d Tract of Land & Marsh to be Equally divided betwixt the S^d Ioseph & Elihu Parsons According to Quantity & Quallity & to be held of them & their Respective Heirs & assignes in Severalty from & after the Decease of their S^d mother Ruth Parsons thence forth & forever The S^d Ioseph Parsons paying to my S^d Daughter Elizebeth Parsons the Sum of twenty pounds, being the Remainder of her Portion & to my S^d Daughter Mary Parsons the Sum of Thirty pounds & my S^d Son Elihu Parsons paying to my S^d Daughter Mary the Sum of ten pounds & to my S^d Daughter Susanna Parsons the Sum of forty pounds within Eighteen months after they take Possession of their Land &c.

   I do Nominate & appoint my S^d Wife Ruth Parsons the Sole Executrix of my last will & testiment here written Giveing unto my S^d Executrix full Power & authority to bargain Sell & Convey all or any part of my Lands or Grants of Land (not herein before Expressly bequeathed) unto any person or Persons whatsoever as She Shall think fit the Sum or Sums of money coming thereby to be applyed towards paying my just Debts & bringing up of my Children. In Witness whereof I have here unto Set my Hand & Seal the Day & year afore mentioned.

Signed Sealed Published pro-    nounced & Declaired by the    afore named Elihu Parsons    to be his last will & Testa-    ment In Presence of us.    Gowing Wilson       The mark of    Bithiah X Curtis    Deborah X Wilson          her mark    Jos : Moody		The words (how) line 71    & the word (dureing her    Naturall life) line 27 & the    words (Andrew Grover    aforesd] line 36 on the    Other Page were Inter-    lin'd before signing &    four words in sd line 36    obliterated    Elihu E Parsons (Seal)       his mark
Probated 5 Jany 1730. Inventory returned 2 Oct. 1730, at £1464: 2: 0, by Daniel Simson, Jonathan Bean, Ebenezer Cobourn, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 313, citing Probate Office, 4, 85.