Maine Wills

 From York County Probate Records, Volume Five (1725-42)

   In The Name of God Amen, The first Day of April one thousand seven hundred & fourty two I John Baxter of Arundell in the County of York in his Majestie's Province of the Massachusets Bay in New-England Yeoman being very sick & weak in Body, but of perfect Mind & memory for which Thanks be given unto God : Therefore calling to mind the mortality of my Body & knowing that it is appointed for all men once to Dye do make & Ordain this my last Will & Testament; That is to say principally & first of all I give & Recomend my Soul into the Hands of God that gave it & my Body I recomend to the Earth to be buried in decent Christian Burial at y^e Discretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at y^e General resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty Power of God.

   And as Touching such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life I give demise and dispose of y^e same in y^e following manner & form.

   Imp^s I Do by these presents constitute & ordain Sarah my well beloved Wife to be the Sole Executrix of this my last Will & Testament, and to her the s^d Sarah I Do hereby freely give & bequeath a Grant of Land purchased of Mr Joshua Lasel consisting of about nine Acres be it more or less three acres & an half of which is already laid out in the Nor-west part of said Town at a place known commonly by the name of the Desert to her the said Sarah to her only proper use & behoof for ever & 'tis my Will also that the fifty Acres of Land lying on each side the Road to the Southward of M^r Burbanks^s & also an eighth part of a Saw in a Mill known by y^e name of Credifors Mill together with all the Timber & Lumber that may in any wise be found belonging to me, be all sold by her the said Sarah for the Defraying my Funeral Charges & other just Debts by me Contracted.

   Item, That my Dwelling House & all y^e Lands adjoyning estimated to be about fourty three Acres be it more or Less together with seventy Acres of Draught Land lyeing upon Saco Road to the Eastward of Deacon Dormons be Distributed among my Children in manner & form following Viz^t That my wellbeloved Son John Baxter Receive a double moiety or part of all this my Real Estate just mentioned in this present Clause of y^e Will & that my two well beloved Daughters Mary & Sarah draw an equall proportion of y^e Remaining part when John their Brother hath had his full Share & portion.

   Item. I freely give & bequeath to Sarah my well beloved Wife all my Household goods & Chattels all my Cattle & moveables to her the s^d Sarah to her only proper Use benefit & behoof for ever, excepting one Yoak of Oxen for which as my only desire & request William Waterhouse become Surety & Bondsman which my Will & Desire is that he y^e s^d Waterhouse take to himself He engageing to make full payment & Satisfaction for them without calling on me or any of mine.

   Item, I the said John Baxter Do hereby freely give to Sarah my beloved Wife & my Will is that She y^e s^d Sarah have y^e whole use Improvement & Enjoyment of all I leave in y^e world whether Real or personal Estate within Doors & without for her comfort & support so long as She y^e s^d Sarah continues & Lives in a State of Widowhood.

Signed Sealed & Delivered in    presence of.    Joshua Walker    Phillip Dorrell    John Merrill.		John Baxter (seal)
Probated 23 May 1742. Inventory returned 19 July 1742, at £635: 2: 3, by Joshua Walker, Phillip Dorrell and John Merrill, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 447, citing Probate Office, 5, 264.