Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen. The twenty ninth Day of April, and in the Year of our Lord 1751. I Samuel Baker of North Yarmouth in the County of York & Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Husbandman, being very Sick & weak of Body but of perfect Mind & Memory Thanks be given unto God; Therefore calling unto 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 to be my last Will & Testament, that is to Say principally & first of all, I give & recommend my Soul into the Hands of God that gave it, and my Body I recommend to the Earth to buried in a christian like & decent Manner at the Discretion of my Executrix hereafter named, nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I Shall receive the Same again 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. I give & bequeath to my well beloved Wife Susannah Baker the Improvement of the one half of all my Lands and Buildings, during the time that She Shall continue to be my Widow and all my Stock & Moveables except one Yoke of Oxen and two Chains to be at her Disposal forever.

   Item. I give & bequeath to my Son Samuel Baker the one half of my Homestead that I now live on, with one half of all the Lands that I have that joins to my homestead. And that Tract or Lot that lieth between a home Lot that is owned by the Heirs of Isaac Pope, and the Rev^d Nicolas Loring home Lot. And Six Acres & Something More of Land adjoining to a Fifty acre Lot, that Elisha French bought of M^rs Sarah Felt. And one half of a Hundred Acre Lot N^o 45. on the West Side of Royals River, and drawn in Right of Home Lot N^o 42. And one half of all my Buildings now Standing on my home Place, and whenever his Mother Susannah Baker Shall cease to be my Widow then my Said Son Samuel to have the whole of my Homestead and Building as his own proper Estate forever. I likewise give my Said Son a Yoke of Oxen & two Chains, and all my wearing Apparel.

   Item. I give & bequeath to my Four Daughters Rebecca Baker Mary Harris Bethiah Baker & Susannah Baker all my out Lands except one half of a hundred Acre Lot N^o 45 which half I have give to my Son Samuel, and one Third of a Hundred & twenty Acre Lot on the East Side of Royals River N^o 14, or N^o 18, or N^o 23. the one third of that Lot of the Three that lieth nearest to Edward Kings Settlem^t on Cousin's River, which Third of Said Lot I reserve for my Apprentice Ebenezer Lake. All y^e Rest of my out Land to be equally divided between my four Daughters above named, and to be theirs forever.

   Item. I give & bequeath to my Apprentice Ebenezer Lake One Third of a Hundred & twenty Acre Lot on the East Side of Royals River N^o 14, or N^o 18 or N^o 23. The one third of that Lot of the Three that lieth nearest Edw^d Kings Settlemt on Cousin's River, My Said Apprentice to have the third of Said Lot as his own proper Estate to be by him his Heirs or Assigns enjoyed forever. If he Shall live to Serve out his Apprenticeship with me or my Heirs or Assigns : And if he doth live to Serve out his Apprenticeship, the Said Land to return to my four Daughters to be equally divided between them.

   Lastly Last of all. I do nominate and appoint Susannah my Wife to be Sole Executrix of this my last Will & Testament hereby giving & bequeathing unto her all the rest of my Estate both real & personal not herein mentioned. And do declare this to be my last Will & Testament the Year & Day above mentioned.

Signed & Sealed in    presence of us,    Nathaniel Coffin    Barnabas Seabury    Benjamin Mogaridge		Samuel Baker (Seal)
Probated 2 October 1751. Inventory returned 19 Septr 1751, at £366: 14: 0, by Cornl Soul, Barnabas Winslow and Barnabas Seabury, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 653, citing Probate Office, 8, 123.