Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen, the twenty sixth Day of January Anno Domini one thousand seven hundred and forty three/four, I Richard Gowell of Kittery in the County of York & Province of the Massachusets Bay in New England Gent being very weak & infirm in Body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be Given to Almighty God for the same therefore calling unto mind the Mortality of Body & knowing that 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 gaue it & my Body I Recomend to the Earth to be Buried in a Deacent and Christian Burial at the Discretion of my Executors hereafter named nothing Doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receiue 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 Giue Demise & dispose of the same in the following manner and form.

   Imprimis, I Will that all my Just Debts & funeral Charges be raised and Levied out of my Estate and paid by my Executors as soon as may be Conveniently after my Decease.

   Item, I Giue and Bequeath unto Hannah Gowell my dearly beloved Wife the whole & sole use Improvement and Income of all my Estate both Real and Personal during her natural Life scituate lying and being in the town of Kittery of every kind and nature whatsoever and in case the Income of my Estate is not sufficient to Support my s^d Wife during her natural Life as afores^d then it is my Will that She shall make use or dispose of so much of my Personal Estate as will support her with afores^d Income of my other Estate during her Life as aforesaid; and also I Give to my said Wife Liberty to Dispose of a tract of Land belonging to me in the town of Berwick Containing forty Acres being part of the Propriety belonging to the town of Kittery and numbred Sixteen in the fourth Checker for her support if She should have any need thereof.

   Item, And after the Decease of my said Wife I Giue and bequeath unto my well beloved Cousin Richard Gowell the Son of John Gowell late of Portsmouth in the Province of New Hampshire Deces^d all my Estate both Real & Personal of Every kind & nature whatsoever Scituate lying & being in the town of Kittery as afore mentioned, which I Give to him his Heirs and assigns for Euer, and I also give unto him the said Richard Gowell his Heirs & assigns for ever one hundred acres of Land lying in the town of Berwick being part of the Common Lands or Propriety and is numbred one in the second Check^r Salmon Falls little River runs through part of the same and also if my s^d Wife has not any Occasion to make use of y^e afores^d forty Acres of Land lying in Berwick afores^d I giue it to him the s^d Richard Gowell his heirs & assigns for ever.

   Item, I Giue and bequeath unto my well beloved Cousin William Gowell the Son of William Gowell of Kittery Seventy Acres of Land Scituate lying and being in the town of Berwick being part of a Lot in the aforesaid Propriety or Common Land numbered forty in the first Checker the Bounds of said several tracts of Land aforesaid may more at large appear by the Records of the Proprietors of Kittery referance thereunto being had as afore described.

   Item, I Do also make Constitute and Ordain Hannah my Dearly beloved Wife & my Brother William Gowell of Kittery aforesaid my Sole Executors of this my last Will & testament and Do hereby utterly disallow Revoak and Disannull all and every other former testaments Wills Legacies and Bequests and Executors by me in any ways before named willed and bequeathed Ratifying and Confirming this and no other to be my last Will & testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal the Day and year above written.

Signed Sealed Published Pro-    nounced & Declared by ye sd    Richard Gowell as his last Will    & testament In the presence of us    the Subscribers.    Joseph Fernald    Nathaniel Fernald terts    John Godsoe.		memorandum, that the    word Wife was In-    terlined before sign-    ing.    Richard Gowell (Seal)
Probated 17 April 1744. Inventory returned at £1921: 8: 6, old tenor, 12 July 1744, by Peter Staple, Joseph Fernald and John Godsoe, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 486, citing Probate Office, 6, 97.