Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen. I Iohn Thompson of Kittery in the County of York in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England yeoman being aged & infirm of Body, but of sound Mind & Memory, and considering the uncertainty of Life do make & ordain this to be my last Will & Testam^t and after humbly committing my Soul into the Hands of God the Father of Spirits, hoping for his pardoning Mercy thrô the Merits of Iesus Christ our Lord And my Body to the Dust to be decently buried according to the Discretion of my Executors herein after named believing in the Resurrection of the Body & hopeing for eternal Life. That worldly Estate which God in his good Providence has given me, I give devise & bequeath the Same in the following Manner & Form.

   Imp^r. My Will is that all my just Debts & funeral Charges be paid by my Execut^rs within convenient time after my Decease.

   Item. I give bequeath & devise to Elizabeth my well beloved Wife one full third part of my personal Estate to be at her own disposal, And one full third part of my real Estate to hold to her and her Heirs & Assigns during her natural Life, and if this Shall not be sufficient for her Support, It is my Will that my Executors deliver her so much of the produce of my other Lands (which Shall not be assigned her for her third part) yearly as will be Sufficient with what is given her as aforesaid to afford her a comfortable Support.

   Item. I give to my Brother Samuel Thompson and to my Sisters Hannah Hughs & Mary Fernald to each of them y^e Sum of Thirteen Shillings & four pence lawful Money to paid by my Executors in the produce of my Estate or profits of my Land within Five Years after my Decease.

   Item. I give & devise to Parker Foster the Son of Hannah Foster a piece of Land containing One Acre & Thirty poles bounded as follows viz^t Beginning at the High Way about four poles Northwesterly from my Well, and to run on a Square from Said High Way which is nearest Southeast by South ten poles inclosing Said Well about four Foot to the Eastward, and then to run nearest Northeast by East or parallel to the S^d high Way Nineteen poles, and then running Northwest by North or on a Square Ten poles to Said High Way, and by Said High Way to the beginning, together with my dwelling House Barn & all the Buildings thereon to him his Heirs & Assigns.

   Item. My Will is that the Said Parker Foster Shall in Some convenient time after he comes to the Age of twenty one years pay or deliver One Thousand five Hundred Feet of merchant^le pine Boards unto Amos Paul hereafter named.

   Item. I give & devise to Amos Paul my Nephew a piece of Land bounded by the afores^d High Way at the Westerly End of the afore bequeathed Land to Said Foster, Beginning at y^e Way and runs Southerly by Said piece of Land about four poles to a Small brook near the Well, and is bounded at y^e Westerly End by the Lands of Thomas Knight, and runs from Said Way by said Knights Land about seven & three Quarters poles to the aforesaid Brook or Gutter, and then strait up by Said Gutter to y^e End of the the aforesaid Four poles containing half an Acre & half a Quarter. To Hold to him the Said Amos Paul during his natural Life and after his Decease to go to his Son Ioseph Paul his Heirs & Assigns. And all the Residue & Remainder of my Estate Real & personal with the Reversions & Remainders thereof or any part thereof or depending thereon I give & devise the Same to y^e Said Parker Foster and the Said Amos Paul equally divided. the Said part given to the Said Amos to hold to him during his natural Life and then to go to his Son Joseph in Manner afores^d. And all the part or Share herein given to the Said Foster To hold to him his Heirs & Assigns. And also the Wood & fencing w^ch I reserved on the Land I sold to Thomas Spinney I give to the Said Parker & Amos equally divided, All which part or Share given to the Said Parker Foster to be under this Limitation & Condition that he do not dispose or Sell any part thereof until he Shall attain to the Age of twenty Six Years. And then if he Sees Cause he may dispose thereof but not before, and in Case he Should notwithstanding my Will herein sell and Dispose thereof before that Age, I hereby give & devise the Same to my Brother Samuel Thompson with full Power to enter and become Seized thereof, and I do hereby declare the Gift and Devise to the Said Foster to be Null & void in that Case, my meaning is if he Should Sell the Same before he attain to the Age of twenty six years afores^d. Lastly I do hereby constitute & appoint y^e S^d Amos & the Said Parker to be my joint Executors of this my last Will & Testament And revoke all other Wills by me in any Manner heretofore made. In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand and Seal the Thirteenth Day of August Anno Domini 1751, and in the twenty fifth Year of His Majesty's Reign.

Signed Sealed & Declared by the    Said Iohn Thompson to be his    last Will & Testamt in the    presence of us the Subscribers.    Solomon Staple Solomon Staple jur    Daniel Knight Nathl Remick		Iohn + Thompson (Seal)    his mark
Probated 15 October 1751. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 661, citing Probate Office, 8, 141.