Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen. February the Eighteenth One Thousand Seven Hundred & Forty five I Ioseph Gunnison of Kittery in the County of York in New England Shipwright being in Health of Body and of perfect Mind & Memory, Thanks be to God for the Same, therefore calling to 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 & Testam^t. First & principally I give & recommend my Soul to God who gave it, and my Body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in a decent Christian Burial at the Discretion of my Execut^x hereafter named, nothing doubting but at y^e Gen^l Resurrection I Shall receive the Same again by the mighty Power of God, and as touching Such Worldly Estate as it hath pleased God to bless me with in this Life, I give demise & dispose of the Same in the following Manner & Form.

   Imp^r I Will & Ordain that all my just Debts & funeral Charges be first paid & discharged by my Execut^x hereafter named. Item I give & bequeath to my Son Joseph Gunnison, and my Son Samuel Gunnison my Son John Gunnison and to my Son David Gunnison each of them a large Bible Such as I now have by me.

   Item I give to my Son William Gunnison one Silver Spoon mark'd I. E. G. to W. G. and a large Sermon Book of M^r Calvin's Works, and a Desk to Set it in. Item. I give to my Daughter Margaret Gunnison one Silver Spoon Mark'd M. S. to M. G. and four Silver Tea Spoons mark'd M. G. and the Silk Blankets which are for the Use to carry out Children to be baptized in.

   Item. I freely give & bequeath to my beloved Wife Margaret Gunnison all my Houses & Lands I own in Kittery & Portsm^o with all the Priviledges & Appurtenances belonging to them together with all other my moveable Estate both within Doors and without Doors which is not already mentioned to be her own proper Estate after my just Debts & funeral Charges are paid, Trusting in her good Care & Conduct for y^e bringing up my two youngest Children. Lastly I constitute make and ordain my beloved Wife Margaret Gunnison my Sole Executrix of this my last Will & Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal the Day & year above written.

Signed Sealed & published pro-    nounced & declared by the Said    Ioseph Gunnison to be his last    Will & Testament in presence of us.    Ephm Sherburne/ Hannah Sherburne		Ioseph Gunnison (a Seal)
Probated 18 Oct. 1748. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 594, citing Probate Office, 7, 218.