Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen I Samu'l Hutchins of Arundell in the County of York in New England Husbandman being very sick & weak in Body but of perfect Mind & Memory. Thanks be given unto God & calling unto mind the mortality of my Body & Immortality of my Soul & 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 & recommend my Soul into the hands of God that gave it & my Body to the Earth to be buried in decent Christian Burial at the Discretion of my Executrix nothing doubting but at y^e General Resurrection I shall receive y^e same again by the mighty Power of God, and as to y^e Worldly Estate with which it hath pleased God to bless me I give & Dispose of the same in the following Manner & form. Imprimis, To Hannah my well beloved Wife whom I ordain Sole Executrix of this my last Will dureing her State of Widowhood for her comfort and Support I give the Use & improvement of all my Estate Real & Personal within Doors & without, excepting my Mare which I give my Son Levi, & an equal Share & Right in with his Mother, and it is my Will that as I appoint Simeon & Levi with their Mother to defray my Funerall Charges & all my Just Debts; so between these my two Sons aforesaid I equally divide all my Real Estate at Home & abroad assigning to my Son Simeon that half part of my Homestead that lyeth Southward toward the Sea being thirty two Poles in breadth & if either of these two sons Simeon & Levi dye without Lawful Issue my Will is that the surviveing Son shall own Possess & Enjoy the whole.

   Item. I Give & dispose of my three Guns as follows Viz : to Simeon the longest, to Levi the next longest, & y^e other to my Son David, to whom I also give the sum of five shillings & to my other three Sons Viz^t : Caleb Joseph & Samuel I give y^e like sum of five shillings, and to my Daughters I give in like manner Viz : to Mary the wife of M^r John Merrell the sum of five shillings & to Hannah the Wife of M^r John Burbank five shillings, to Lydia the Wife of John Jellison five shillings & to her the s^d Lydia I also give after y^e Death of her Mother the Bed on which I lay with all y^e Bedding belonging to it & 'tis my intent & meaning that y^e several Crowns aforesaid be paid to Each Child respectively in Province Bills of y^e last Emission : In Witness whereof I hereunto set my Hand & Seal y^e twentieth Day of October Anno Domini one thousand seven hundred & forty two & in y^e 16 Year of his Majestys Reign.

Signed Sealed Published    pronounced & Declared by    ye sd Samuel Hutchins as    his Last Will & Testament    in ye presence of us    the Subscribers.    Edward Melcher    Eliza Melcher    Abigail Curtis.		Samuel S Hutchins (Seal)        his mark
Probated 28 Dec. 1742. Inventory returned, at £722: 6: 9, by Joshua Walker, John Wakefield and Jacob Curtis, appraisers, 12 Jany 1742-3. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 459, citing Probate Office, 6, 28.