Maine Wills

 From York County Probate Records, Volume Six (1736-46)

   In the Name of God Amen. The Sixth Day of August 1745. I Benjamin Lord of Berwick in the County of York in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Yeoman being very Sick and weak, but of perfect Mind and Memory Thanks be given to God. Therefore calling to Mind y^e Mortality of my Body and knowing it is appointed for all men once to die, Do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament That is to Say principally and first of all I give & recommend my Soul into the Hands of God that gave it, and my Body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in decent Christian Burial at the Discretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection to receive the Same again by y^e Almighty Power of God, and as touching Such Worldly Estate as it hath pleased God to bless me w^th in this Life I give demise and dispose of the Same in the Manner and Form following.

   Imprimis, I give and bequeath to Patience my beloved Wife the Use of my House and Barn and all things within Doors of Moveables with my Stock after all my just Debts are paid, during her natural Life and at her Decease to be given and disposed of as is hereafter expressed whom I make and ordain my Executrix to this my last will and Testament.

   Item, I give to my Three Sons Benjamin Samuel and Elisha all my Lands and Tenements within the Township of Berwick aforesaid equally to be divided among the three Sons both for and in Quantity and Quality excepting their Mothers Thirds of Said Lands and Tenements during her Natural Life and then to be disposed of and divided as aforesaid, and I also appoint my Said Son Benjamin to be my Executor to this my last Will & Testament to assist his Mother in Selling any of my Stock to pay Debts withal or any thing Elce they See Cause, and also all my live Stock of every kind or Nature and all my Husbandry Utensils of every Sort I give to my three Sons to be equally divided as aforesaid excepting their Mothers Thirds as aforesaid and likewise all my Wearing apparrel to my Sons as aforementioned and their Heirs forever.

   Item, I give & bequeath to each and every of my Daughters all my moveable Effects within Doors after their Mothers Decease to all as if particularly and Severally named and to be equally divided amongst the Said Daughters both for Quantity & Quality.

   Note all the Lands aforesaid to be in my Executrix^s Hands and all my Stock of every kind and She Shall by Virtue of this my last Will and Testament have free Liberty of y^e Use of the Same together with all the moveables during her natural Life and to Sell and dispose of any part to pay my just Debts as aforesaid. And I do hereby utterly disallow all former Wills Testaments Legacies & Bequests and Executors by me in any wise before named ratifying and allowing this to be my last Will and Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand and Seal the Day and Year first above written.

Signed Sealed published pronounced    and proclaimed by me the Said    Benjamin Lord to be my last Will    and Testament in presence of Us    the Subscribers.    Samuel Gatchell junr    Richard Nason junr    Nathll Perkins		Benjamin Lord (a Seal)
Probated 18 Feby 1745. Inventory returned 18 March 1746, at £691: 10: 6, by Joseph Chadbourn, Moses Butler and Elisha Hill, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 508, citing Probate Office, 6, 174.