Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen. This Seventh Day of April Anno Domini One Thousand Seven hundred & fifty, I John Watts of Boston in the County of Suffolk and Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Gentⁿ being bounds on a Voyage to parts beyond Sea, and considering the Uncertainty of this present Life, Do make & ordain this present Writing my last Will & Testament (being of a Sound Mind & Memory) in Manner and Form as followeth. Viz^t, First & principally, I recommend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God my Creator, trusting in him for the Pardon & Remission of all my Sins, thrô y^e Merits Death & Passion of my Lord & Saviour Iesus Christ, and my Body I commit to the Earth or Sea as it may please God to deal with me; believing the Resurrection thereof to eternal Life. And as for my temporal Goods & Estate, I give dispose & bequeath of the Same in the following Manner & Form, That is to Say

   Imp^r I Will that all my just Debts & funeral Expences (if any be) Shall be paid & defrayed in convenient time after my Decease by my Executors hereafter named.

   Item. I give to my beloved Sister Elizabeth the Wife of Caleb Richardson of Bolton in the County of Worcester Yeoman the Sum of Five pounds of Currant lawful Silver Money of New England to buy her a Ring.

   Item. I give to my beloved Sister Lydia the Wife William Skinner of Said Boston Gentⁿ the Sum of Five pounds of Currant lawful Silver Money of New England to buy her a Ring.

   Item, I give to my beloved Brother Samuel Penhallow of Pourtsmouth in the Province of New Hampshire Merch^t a compleat Suit of Mourning.

   Item I give to my beloved Brother John Penhallow the Sum of five pounds of Currant lawful Silver Money of New England to buy him a Ring.

   Item. I give devise & bequeath unto my well beloved Wife Abigail, All & Singular the rest & Residue of my Estate as well real as personal whatsoever & wheresoever the Same Shall or may be found as well in Possession & Reversion as in Remainder To Hold the Same to her and her Heirs Executors Admin^rs & Assigns absolutely forever. Item. I do hereby constitute & appoint my Said loving Wife Abigail Watts, and my Said Brother Samuel Penhallow to be the Executors of this my last Will & Testament. Lastly I hereby revoke all other Wills & Testaments by me heretofore made. In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand and affixed my Seal the Day & Year afore written.

Signed Sealed published & declared    by Sd John Watts as his last Will    and Testamt in presence of us who    have Subscribed our Names as Wit-    nesses in his presence Daniel Morse    William Page Thomas Hall		Iohn Watts (a Seal)
Probated 13 Nov. 1755. Inventory returned 24 Oct. 1755 at £991: 7: 6, by Samuel Denny, John Parker and James McCobb, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 768, citing Probate Office, 9, 127.