Maine Wills

 From York County Probate Records, Volume Eight (1705-53)

   In the Name of God Amen. On the twenty sixth Day of Decem^r in the twenty third year of His Maj^ts Reign Anno Domini, One Thousand Seven Hundred & Fortynine, I Ebenezer Coburn of York in the County of York & Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Tayler, being Sick & weak in Body but of Sound Mind & Memory, Thanks be given to God, and calling to mind the Mortality of my Body, and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, and to prevent any Disputes or Controversies that might otherwise arise among my Surviving Children Do make & ordain this my last Will & Testament, That is to Say, principally & first of all, I humbly give & recommend my Soul that noble & better part into the Hands of God that gave it, & my Body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in decent christian Burial at the Discretion of my Executor hereafter to be named in Hopes of a glorious Resurrection. And as touching Such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life, I give demise and dispose of the Same in manner and form following.

   Imprimis. My Will is and I do hereby give to my loving Wife Sarah Coburn the Use & Improvement of one full Third part of my Dwelling House Barn Homestead Lands & Salt Marshes and Six Bushels of Corn out of the Produce & profits of my Gristmill annually during her natural Life, and all my quick Stock namely one Horse one Cow Two Steers eight Sheep & two Swine, with all my Household Goods & Furniture (except the Furniture of the great Room Viz^t Chairs, one looking Glass, one Square & one Oval Table) to her own Disposal forever.

   Item. My Will is that my Said Wife Shall have the Use of the afores^d Furniture of the great Room during her natural Life, and at her Decease Shall be to my Son Joseph his Heirs & Assigns if he then Survives, otherways if he be then dead to my Daughters Mary the Wife of Daniel Simpson, and Hannah the Wife of George Hammond and their Heirs.

   Item. My Will is That my just Debts Funeral Charges & Legacies Shall be paid by my Son Joseph Coburn out of that part of my Estate which I give him : and in as much as he has laboured much with me on the Place, and been dutiful & Serviceable to me & my Wife in our advanced Age, I do give devise & bequeath to him my Son Ioseph his Heirs & Assigns, all that my Homestead with my Dwelling House out Houses Barn Utensils & Implements of Husbandry thereon, all my Salt Marshes or Meadow, my Interest in the Grist & Saw Mills, with their priviledges & Appurtenances Standing on the Mouth of the Meeting House Creek formerly so called, Together with my Six Shares in the Eighth Lot of the first Division my Six Shares in Lot Number Six in the Second Division of the Stated Commons formerly so called with my Interest also in all other of the common & undivided Lands in York afores^d as well all other my Real Estate in York afores^d whither mentioned or not mentioned however the Same is or may be Situated bounded or described with the Reversions & Remainders of the Same.

   Item. I give & bequeath to my Sons Ebenezer Seth & John each of them Fifty pounds in Bills of Credit of the old Tenor or lawful Money equivalent thereto in Value to be paid them by their Brother the afores^d Joseph at the Expiration of three years from the Time of my Decease without any Interest.

   Item. I give to my afores^d Daughters Mary & Hannah each of them Five Shillings old Tenor or lawful Money equival^t in Value to be paid them by their Brother the Said Joseph which with their Household Goods I gave them at y^e time of their Marriage and other Necessarys & Helps Since is in full of their Portion & Inheritance of my Estate.

   Item. I give to my afores^d Son Ioseph the better to enable him to pay my just Debts Funeral Charges & Legacies afores^d all Debts due to me, my wearing apparel Books & Fire Arms and do hereby appoint him the Said Joseph my Sole Executor of this my last Will & Testament, And I do hereby utterly disannul all & every other Testament Wills Legacies & Bequests and Executors by me in any ways before named willed and bequeathed ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last Will & Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal the Day & year first herein before written

Signed Seal'd publishd pro-    nounced and declared by    the Sd Ebenr Coburn as his    last Will & Testament in    presence of us.    Ieremiah Moulton terts    Danl Moulton    Pelth Littlefield Iunr		Ebenezer Coburn (Seal)
Probated 1 Jan. 1749. Inventory returned 2 April 1750, at £758: 5: 9, by John Bradbury, Job Banks and Joseph Simpson jr, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 619, citing Probate Office, 8, 26.