Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen. I Iohn Carter of Scarborough in the County of York and Province of the Massa^s Bay Blacksmith, being weak & infirm of Body, but thrô Gods Goodness of a Sound Mind & Memory capable of disposing ordering & Settling my Affairs, and expecting in Gods Providence in a little time to leave the World, Do therefore make this my last Will and Testament, That is to Say, First of all, I commit & give up my Soul into the Hands of God, depending upon his infinite Mercies & his Sons Merits for Salvation; My Body I commit to a decent Burial according to Discretion, hoping for a part of the Resurrection of the just : And as for the little worldly Estate God hath given me, I will & dispose of it in y^e following Manner. First I nominate & appoint M^r Andrew Libby of Scarbor^o with my beloved Wife Hannah Carter Executors of this my last Will & Testament.

   II My Will is that my Said Wife together with y^e fruits of her own Industry have a comfortable Livelihood out of my Estate during Life, or her Thirds of my Estate if he chuses that.

   III And then my Will is, My Debts & funeral Expences being paid that my Children Sons & Daughters, besides reasonable Allowances twoards bringing up those that are little among them, have each of them an equal Share of what Shall remain of my Estate real or personal among them, that each Son Shall have his Share when he Shall arrive to the Age of twenty one, and each Daughter when She Shall arrive to y^e Age of Eighteen, Set off to them

   IV That my Daughters have their Shares out of y^e Household Stuff so far as that Shall hold out excepting that I reserve to my Wife what She Shall See fit to keep thereof for her own Use, but that my Daughters have what my Wife Shall leave thereof at her Decease.

   V My Will is that my Son John Carter be Speedily put out to Some good Trade unless the Man he now lives with do procure his being taught one. VI My Will is that my Son James Carter he having in good part learned the Blacksmith's Trade do have the Improvement of my Blacksmiths Tools and the Shop to work in, and they go toward his Share of my Estate, he paying the overplus to the rest if they Should be more than his proportion.

   VII. I would likewise have my other Sons brought up to some profitable Trade. VIII And my earnest desire is that whosoever Shall be intrusted with y^e Care of bringing up my Children do take Special Care of their Morals, and endeavr with the help of God that they be restrained & kept back from all manner of Vice & Wickedness; and see that they be well instructed in the Principles of y^e christian Religion, and not be wanting in their part that they be of a sober & religious Character and my Charge to my Children themselves is, that they forsake the Vanities of the World avoid bad company & evil Courses, fear God from their Youth Seek God by earnest prayer, that they may be under the renewing Sanctifying Influences of his holy Spirit, which would be unspeakably better to them than any outward Estate a Father could give them if he were ever so able. This I make & ordain to be my last Will & Testament utterly revoking & disannulling all other. In Witness that this is my last Will & Testam^t I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal the thirtieth day of Iune in the Year of our Lord 1753.

John Carter (seal)

   Signed Sealed published pronounced & declared by the Said Iohn Carter as his last Will & Testament in the presence of us the Subscribers Charles Allen X Joshua his mark Brown Stephⁿ Sawyer