Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen. The twenty third Day of April Anno Domini. 1751. I Samuel Scammon Sen^r of Biddeford in the County of York in the Province of the Massa : Bay in New England yeoman, being very Sick & weak in Body but of perfect Mind & Memory, Thanks be to God therefor. But calling unto Mind the Mortality of my Body and knowing that it is appointed unto all men once to die do make & ordain this my last Will & Testament, that is to say, principally and first of all, I give & recommend my Soul into the Hands of God who gave it, and my Body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in decent christian Burial at the Discretion of my Executor 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 as it hath pleased God to bless me with in this Life I give demise & dispose of the Same in the following Manner & Form.

   Imp^r. I give & bequeath to Elizabeth my beloved Wife, The one third part of my personal Estate. Also the Use and Improvement of the one third part of my real Estate during the term of her Natural Life.

   Item. I give & bequeath unto my beloved Son Samuel Scammon my Lot or Tract of Land lying at a place called Rendezvouz containing about Thirty Acres and the Marsh adjoining thereto by the River, which Land & marsh I bought of Edward Proctor, also all my Salt Marsh lying at the Head of Goose fair Marsh so called and on the Westerly side of Goose fair River which I also bought of Edward Procter, which is yet in common & undivided with the Heirs of Captⁿ Iohn Sharp Dec^d. Also my Lot or Tract of Land containing about One Hundred Acres which I bought of Richard Sharp of Boston Decd lying in the lower Checquer of the Pattent which was Set of to the Heirs of Elizabeth Sharp Dec^d. Also the one third part of my Lot or tract of Land lying at Rogers's so called, and the one third part of the Marsh belonging to it lying upon the Easterly side of Goose fair River which I also bought of Edw^d Proctor. All which Tracts & parcels of Land & Marsh I give & bequeath unto him the Said Samuel Scammon his Heirs & Assigns forever. Also the one third part of that Tract of Land which I bought of Edw^d Procter & Rich^d Sharp and is yet in common & undivided with Rob^t Patterson.

   Item, I give & bequeath unto my beloved Son John Scammon his Heirs & Assigns forever that part of my Homestead, that is, of the Upland, which lies next to that Land of Mathew Patten to run down the River from Said Patten's Land till it comes to a large pine Tree Standing just above my Son Ebenezer's House Frame mark'd on four Sides & from Said Tree to run direct to the Bank by the Marsh upon a West Line and also to run from Said Tree or Stub upon an East Line till it comes to the Division Line between my Brother Captⁿ Humphry Scammon Dec^d & my Self. Also the one third part of That Tract of Land which I bought of Edward Procter & Richard Sharp which is yet in common and undivided with Robert Patterson. Also y^e one half of my Tract of Marsh which lies on the Westerly side of Goose fair River which was a part of my Proportion of the Estate of my hon^d Father Humphry Scammon Dec^d. Also the one half of the Marsh adjoining to my Homestead by y^e River Also the one third part of my Lot or Tract of Land lying at Roger's Pond so called. And the one third part of the Marsh belonging to it lying upon the Easterly Side of Goose Fair River.

   Item. I give & bequeath unto my well beloved Son Ebenezer Scammon his Heirs & Assigns forever, the remaining part of my Homestead, that is the whole of it not given as above to my Son John, excepting one half Acre at the Ferry place which I reserve as a Burying place forever for my Relations also the one half of my Lot or Tract of Marsh which lies on the westerly Side of Goose fair River, to be divided between him & his Brother John Scammon in quantity & quality also the one half of my Marsh adjoining to my Homestead by the River to be divided as afores^d between him and his Brother aforementioned. Also the one third part of my Lot or Tract of Land lying at Rogers Pond so called, and one third part of the Marsh adjoining to the Same lying on the Easterly side of Goose fair River, also the one third part of that Lot or Tract of Land which I Bought of Edw^d Proctor & Rich^d Sharp which is yet in common and undivided with Robert Patterson.

   Item. as to my personal Estate not given to my Wife my Will & Pleasure is that my Debts & funeral Charges be paid out of the Same, and that the remainder of it be equally divided among my Sons before mentioned.

   Item. I do hereby constitute make & ordain my beloved Son Samuel Scammon my Sole Executor of this my last Will & Testament, and I do hereby utterly disallow revoke & disannul all & every other former Wills Legacies Bequests & Executors by me in any wise before named willed & bequeathed ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last Will & Testament.

   In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal y^e Day & year above written

Signed Sealed published pronounced    & declared by ye Sd Saml Scammon    as his last Will & Testamt in pres-    ence of us    Thomas Edgcomb    Robert Patterson jr    Iames McClelan		Samuel Scammon (Seal)
Probated 30 Septr 1752. Inventory returned 29 Dec. 1752, at £739: 4: 4, by Thomas Edgecomb, Robert Patterson and James McClelan, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 679, citing Probate Office, 8, 179.