Maine Wills

 From York County Probate Records, Volume Nine (1743-58)

   In the Name of God Amen. The twenty second Day of Feb^ry One Thousand Seven Hundred & Fifty five, I Iabez Fox of Falmouth in the County of york & Province of y^e Massachusetts Bay in New England Esq^r being weak in Body but of a Sound & disposing Mind & Memory Thanks be given to God; therefore 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 & 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 be buried in decent christian burial at the Discretion of my Executrix, 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 It is my Will that all my just Debts & funer^l Charges be first paid out of my Estate.

   Item, I give & bequeath unto my beloved Wife Ann Fox all my Household Goods & Furniture & Wearing Apparel And also one third of all my moveable Estate to her, her Heirs & Assigns forever. And also the Improvem^t of all my real Estate during her Natural Life, or till one of my Children Shall come to Age. And also I give unto my Said Wife all the Provisions & Liquors, which are now in my Dwelling House.

   Item, I give & bequeath unto my two Sons Iohn Fox & William Fox all my Books to be equally divided between them.

   Item, I give & bequeath unto my three Children Viz^t John Fox William Fox & Mary Fox in equal Thirds, all my Real and two thirds of my moveable Estate to them their Heirs & Assigns equally in Fee Simple forever.

   And I do likewise constitute make & Ordain my beloved Wife Ann Fox Sole Executrix of this my last Will & Testam^t and I do hereby utterly disallow revoke & disannul all & every other former Testam^ts Wills Legacies Bequests and Executors by me in any Ways before named willed and bequeathed, ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last Will & Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal the Day & Year above written.

Ia^z Fox

   Signed Sealed published pronounced & declared by the Said Iabez Fox as his last Will & Testament in the presence of us the Subscribers, Iames Milk Eph^m Jones Benj^a Titcomb Stephen Longfellow.