Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen. I William Whipple of Kittery in the County of York in the Province of the Massa : Bay Mariner being Sick & weak but of sound disposing Mind and Memory, and considering the Uncertainty of Life, and not knowing but that the time of my Departure out of this Life is near, Do make this my last Will & Testament. And after humbly committing my Soul to God the Father of Spirits, hoping for his pardoning Mercy thrô the Merits & Mediation of Iesus Christ and my Body to a decent Interment according to the Discretion of my Executor herein after named believing in the Resurrection & hoping for eternal Life. My Worldly Estate I give & devise in the following Manner & Form, that is to Say,

   Imp^r. My Will is that all my just Debts & funeral Charges be paid by my Executor in convenient time after my Decease, and that he dispose of any of my personal Estate for that purpose as Soon after my Decease as he can with conveniency. And if it is necessary for that End to Sell any of my real Estate I hereby give him full Power to do it in Such Way & manner as he Shall judge best only excepting the Land I purchased of the Moggerages.

   Item. Whereas by the Providence of God my Wife Mary Whipple is so indisposed in mind as to be incapable of Business, I give her One third part of my personal Estate but to remain in y^e Hands of my Executor to be applied to her Use as he Shall judge proper and if it Should please God to restore her to her former Capacity then to be delivered to her.

   Item. I give & bequeath to my Daughter Mary Traile twenty Shillings lawful Money She having already received her Portion of my Estate.

   Item. My Will is that my Executor take the Care of my Children that are now at home that he take proper Care of their Education according to his Discretion, and to put the Boys to Some Suitable Business & Employment and I do hereby give him full Power to bind them out by Indentures of Apprenticeship for that purpose if he Shall see Cause I also give to my Executor full Power & Authority to Sell any of my real Estate (excepting as afores^d) if he Shall apprehend he can apply the Money to be raised thereby more to the Advantage of my Children than by keeping the Same for them. And that he defrey the Charge of their Maintenance & Education out of any part of my Estate still excepting as aforesaid.

   Item. All the Residue & Remainder of my Estate I give devise and bequeath to & among my four Children William, Robert Cutt, Joseph & Hannah equally divided (saving & excepting that I give my Silver Hilted Sword & my Watch to my Son William over & above his equal Share) to Hold to them respectively & their respective Heirs Executors & Admin^rs forever.

   Lastly, I do hereby constitute & appoint my Brother Joseph Whipple sole Executor of this my last Will & Testament and revoke all other Wills by me heretofore made.

   In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal y^e twenty first Day of Iune One Thousand seven Hund^d & fifty one.

Signed Sealed & declared by ye    Sd Wm Whipple to be his last    Will & Testamt in presence of    us Witnesses who Subscribed    in his presence.    Ebenezer Fernald Ebenez Fernald junr    Ionathan Fernald.		Wm Whipple (Seal)
Probated 3 September 1751. Inventory returned 26 Sept. 1751, at £712: 6: 7, by Thomas Cutt, Ebenezer Fernald and John Godsoe, appraisers Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 656, citing Probate Office, 8, 137.