Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen. The twelfth Day of March Anno Domini 1749. I Moses Banks of York in the County of York in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Gentlemⁿ being Sick of Body but blessed be God of Sound Mind & Memory Do make this my last Will & Testament in Manner following first & above all I commit my Soul into the Hands of God my Maker & Redeemer, and my Body to the Earth to be decently buried by my Executrix hereafter mentioned, and then as to my Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life, I give demise & dispose of the Same in the following Manner and Form.

   Item. I give & bequeath unto my loving & faithful Wife Ruth Banks all my personal Estate of what Name or Nature soever excepting One Cow hereafter mentioned, and the Improvement of all my real Estate until my Youngest Son Moses Shall come to the Age of twenty one years, and then the one Third part of my Real Estate during her natural Life She paying all my just Debts out of my Estate.

   Item. I give to my Eldest Son Joshua Banks five Shillings new Tenor besides what I have already given him to be paid out of my Estate by my Son Moses, when he Shall come to the Age of twenty four Years.

   Item. I give to my Daughter Mary Bettes five Shillings in in New Tenor besides what I have already given her to be paid by my Son Moses when he is of y^e Age of Twenty four Years.

   Item. I give to my Son Iohn Five Shillings in New Tenor besides what I have already given him to be paid by my Son Moses at the Age of twenty four years.

   Item. I give to my Son Elias Five Shillings in New Tenor to be paid him out of my Estate by my Son Moses at the Age of twenty four Years.

   Item. I give & bequeath unto my Son Jeremiah One Acre & a Half of Land to be taken out of my Estate between my Barn & my old Field Fence adjoining to Stephen Preble Land and one Cow to be delivered to him by my Executrix one year after my Decease.

   Item. I give to my Son Zebadiah Five Shillings in new Tenor to be paid him out of my Estate by my Son Moses when he is of the Age of twenty four Years.

   Item. I give to my Daughter Elizabeth Twenty five pounds new Tenor to be paid her out of my Estate by my Son Moses when he comes to the Age of twenty four Years.

   Item. I give to my Daughter Ruth Twenty five pounds of the New Tenor to be paid her out of my Estate by my Son Moses when he is of the Age of twenty four Years.

   Item. I give & bequeath unto my youngest Son Moses Banks all the rest & residue of my real Estate House Barn Homestead Common Rights & Pew in the Meeting House in the first Parish in York, or of what Name or Denomination soever or whatsoever relating my Real Estate.

   Item. It is my Will that my well beloved Wife Ruth Banks be and I do hereby make & appoint her to be y^e Sole Executrix of this my last Will & Testament; and I do hereby utterly disallow revoke & disannul all & every other & former Testaments Will Legacys & Bequests & Executors by me in any Ways before named Willed & bequeathed, ratifying & confirming this and no other to be my last Will & Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal; the Day & Year above written

Signed Sealed published &    veclared [sic] by the Said Moses Banks as & for his    last Will & Testamt in    the presence of us who    were prest at the Signing    & Sealing thereof    Ios : Plaisted    Samuel Iohnson    Norton Woodbridge		(Besides what I have already    Given her) in Mary Portion    was interlin'd before Signing.    (Banks) in Ioshua's Legacy    was interlin'd before Signing       Moses Banks (Seal)
Probated 23 Novemr 1750. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 636, citing Probate Office, 8, 77.