Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen. This 16^th Day of Iune in the twenty third Year of His Majesty's Reign Annoque Domini 1749. I Stephen Randal of Falmouth in the County of York in New England Shipwright being very weak & low in Body but of Sound Mind & Memory, Thanks be to God therefor calling to Mind the Mortality the Mortality of my Body as knowing that it is appointed to men once to die, I first of all give back my Soul unto y^t God that gave, hoping for eternal Salvation thrô the Satisfaction & merits of Iesus Christ, and my Body I commit to the Earth to be decently buried at the Discretion of my Executor hereafter named, hoping for a glorious Resurrection to Life Eternal; and as touching what Worldly good Things God hath been pleased to bestow upon me I give & dispose of them in Manner & Form following viz^t

   1. I give unto my Wife Mary Randall a comfortable Support out of my Estate during her Widowhood to be provided for her by my Son Stephen Randall, who will be hereafter named, and if She See Cause to marry again, then my Will is that She Shall have a Bed and Some Household Goods to keep House withal, But in Case She don't Marry, that then She have also beside what is already named, One Room in my House, w^ch She Shall see Cause to dwell in during Life.

   2. I give unto my eldest Daughter Mary Atwood the Wife of Samuel Atwood One Sparked Heifer coming Two Years old and one Sheep & a Lamb to be delivered to her at my Death by my Executor, this together with what I have formerly done for her is all that I give unto her.

   3. I give unto my Daughter Rebeckah Robinson the Wife of David Robinson, One black Heifer with Some white upon her back coming Two year old, as also Two good Sheep & two Lambs to be delivered to her at my Death by my Executor; This together with what I have formerly done for her is all y^t I give unto her.

   4. I give unto Catharine Randal my third Daughter when She Shall arrive to eighteen Years of Age Thirty pounds Money of the old Tenor as it now passeth or equivalent thereunto to be paid by my Executor, this being her part of my Estate, She continuing with her Mother till that time or married.

   5. I give unto my Daughter Sarah Randall, when She Shall arrive to the Age of Eighteen Years, Thirty pounds Money of the old Tenor, or other Money that Shall be adjudged equivalt thereunto; This is all that I think proper to give to her to make her equal with her Sisters, and to be brought up out of the Estate till that time.

   6. I give unto my Daughter Anne Randall a Child of about Four years old when She Shall arrive to eighteen Years of Age Thirty pounds money of the old Tenor or other Money equival^t thereunto, this being her part of my Estate, and to be brought up out of the Estate till that time.

   7. My Will is concerning my three youngest Sons Iacob Randal Isaac Rand^l & Iohn Randall that they live with & be comfortably Supported by my Executor till they arrive to fourteen Years of Age, and that my Said Executor do take Care to instruct them to read & write, and when they Shall arrive at Fourteen Years of Age, that then my Executor do bind them out to Some good Masters to learn Such Trades or Callings as they Shall then most incline to; and further my Will is that as they Shall each of them arrive to twenty one years of Age; that then my Executor Sign a good Deed of half an Acre of Land to each of them on the home Farm where it Shall be most convenient for their Callings.

   8. And Whereas my Wife is now near an Hour of Travail if She Shall have a Daughter, then my Will is if it Shall live to eighteen years of Age that then my Executor pay her the Same Sum that I give to my other younger Daughters, and in the mean time take the Same for the bringing of it up that he Shall of the Rest, but in Case it Shall be a Son that he do take the Same Care of it that he doth of my other Sons, and when he Shall arrive to Fourteen Years of age then to be bound out an Apprentice to Some good Master to learn Such a Trade as he Shall most incline to, And likewise when he Shall arrive to Twenty one Years of Age, that then he my Said Execut^r Sign a good Deed to him likewise of half an Acre of Land upon the home place where it Shall be most convenient for him.

   9 I give & bequeath unto my Son Stephen Randall, whom I appoint Sole Executor of this my last Will & Testam^t he performing all the above mentioned Obligations enjoined on him and giving me a decent Burial, and giving Some what of decent Mourning to his Mother & Sisters, and paying all my Debts & Funeral Charges, I say, I give to him his Heirs and Assigns forever, all my Real Estate and all my Housing & Barns Standing on the Same, with my Part of the Mill or Mills & all my personal Estate that I have or ought to have, and In Witness & Confirmation hereof I have Set to my Hand & Seal the Day & year first above written.

Signed Sealed published pronounced    & declared to be the his [sic] last Will    and Testament, In presence of us    Nathan Winslow    Ioseph Sawyer    Iohn Thomes		Stephen Randall (a Seal)
Probated 2 Oct. 1749. Inventory returned 5 Nov. 1750, at £2625: 17: 0, old tenor, by Robert Thorndike, Joseph Cobb and Joseph Weston, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 605, citing Probate Office, 7, 259.