Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen. The twenty fifth Day of August Anno Domini one Thousand Seven Hundred & Fifty. I Henry Wheeler of Falmouth in the County of York & Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Esq^r being very weak in Body, but of perfect Mind and Memory, Thanks be given to God, 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 and Testament, That is to Say, principally & first of all, I give and 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 Burial at the Discretion of my Executrix herein after named, Nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I Shall receive the Same by the mighty Power of God. And as touching Such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life, I give demise & dispose of the Same in the following Manner & Form.

   Imp^r. My Will is, that my just Debts & funeral Charges be paid & discharged in the first place out of my Estate.

   Item. I give & bequeath unto my well beloved Grand-Child Benjamin Godfrey Six pounds thirteen Shillings & four pence lawful Money to be paid out of my Estate when he Shall arrive at twenty one years of Age.

   Item. I give & bequeath unto Mary Wheeler my dearly beloved Wife all my Estate both real & personal (excepting the above Legacy) during her natural Life.

   Item. I give & bequeath unto my well beloved Son Henry Wheeler all my Estate both real & personal (excepting as abovesaid) in Fee to be by him freely possessed & enjoyed, after the Decease of my Wife Mary Wheeler aforesaid.

   Furthermore I do hereby constitute & appoint my dearly beloved Wife Mary Wheeler Executrix of this my last Will & Testam^t. And I do hereby utterly disallow revoke & disannul all & every other former Testaments Wills Legacies Bequests & Executors by me in any Ways before named willed & beqeathed, ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last Will & Testam^t.

   In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal the Day and Year first herein written.

Henry Wheeler (Seal)

   Signed Sealed published pronounced & declared by the Said Henry Wheeler as his last Will & Testament In the presence of of us the Subscribers

   N : B : The Words "Mary Wheeler" between the 27^th & 28^th Lines on y^e other Side & between the 1^st & 2^d Lines on this Side were interlined before Signing

   John Wait
   Nathaniel Coffin
   Stephⁿ Longfellow