Maine Wills

 From York County Probate Records, Volume Seven (1721-49)

   In the Name of God Amen. The Sixth Day of December in the year of our Lord one Thousand Seven Hundred & Thirty four I Iohn Manson of Kittery in the County of York, and Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Mariner, being weak in Body but of perfect Mind & Memory Thanks be given unto God; therefore calling unto Mind the Mortality of my Body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die Do make & ordain this my last Will & 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 Manner at the Discretion of my Executor, nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I Shall receive the Same again by the almighty Power of God; And as touching Such Worldly Estate as it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life, I give demise & dispose of the Same in the following Manner and Form.

   Imp^r I will that all my just Debts be paid by my Executor hereafter named.

   Item. I give and bequeath unto my well-beloved Son Samuel Manson, whom I likewise constitute make & ordain my Sole Executor of this my last Will & Testament, all my Land lying on the South Side of a Brook of Water running thro my Land near the Middle over which there is a Bridge together with all the Building thereon and if the Said Samuel Manson See fitting he may Sell it to his Brother Ioseph Manson or otherways it is to go to his eldest Surviving Heir, the Said Samuel Manson is to provide all necessarys for his Mother Lydia Manson in Sickness & Health and to provide for her a comfortable Maintanance during her Life; I likewise give to my Son Samuel Manson all my moveable Estate which I do not herein mention.

   Item. I give & bequeath unto my well beloved Son Joseph Manson all my Land on the North side of the aforesaid Brook, and if he Sees fitting he may Sell it to his Brother Samuel Manson or otherways it is to go to his eldest Surviving Heir, I also give to my Said Son Joseph Manson one Bed & Beding and one pot and two pewter Platters.

   Item. I give & bequeath unto my well beloved Son John Monson one Bed & Beding and one Cow and Priviledge to keep a Cow on the afores^d Land and convenient Priviledge to live in the House I also will that my Executor should take Care & provide for him in Case he cannot provide for himself, and in Case he Should marry, my Executor is to pay him Sixty pounds in Money at two Year after my Decease and the afores^d Cow & Bed & Beding which Shall clear him from my Estate.

   Item. I give and bequeath unto my well beloved Daughter Lydia Manson Fifty pounds in Money to be paid to her by her Brother Joseph levied out of that which I bequeathed to him to be paid Twenty five pounds at one year after my Decease & Twenty five pounds at Two Year after my Decease, and also one Bed & Beding one Cow & Calf one Brass Kettle & Skillet and three pewter Platters.

   Item I will that if my Said Sons Ioseph Monson & Samuel Manson Should either of them decease the Surviving Should have what was bequeathed to the Deceased fulfilling every Article above mentioned. And I do hereby disallow and disannul all and every other Wills Legacys Bequests whatsoever by me made Ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last Will and Testament.

Signed Sealed published & pronounced    by the sd Iohn Monson as his last Will    & Testament, In the presence of    in the presence of [sic] Us    Wm Pepperrell    Ios : Plaisted    Iohn Watkins    George ffrost		Iohn Manson (a Seal)
Probated 5 Jany 1747. Inventory returned 28 March 1747, at £1112: 13: 8, old tenor, by Tobias Fernald, Thomas Rogers and John Godsoe, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 563, citing Probate Office, 7, 134.