Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen. I Joseph Noyes of Falmouth in the County of York and Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Esq^r being in a weak state of Body, but thrô Divine Grace of a Sound Mind and good Memory, and reflecting on the uncertainty of this Life and the certainty of Death, do therefore make & ordain this my present last Will & Testament in Manner & form following that is to Say, first & principally, I commend my Soul into the Hands of Almighty God, hoping thrô the Merits and Intercession of my Saviour Isus Christ, to have full Pardon & free Remission of all my Sins, and to inherit everlasting Life. And my Body I resign to the Earth from whence it was taken to be decently interr'd at the Discretion of my Executors hereafter named.

   Imp^r. I will that all my just Debts & funeral Charges Shall be paid as Soon as can conveniently be done after my Decease.

   Item, I give & bequeath unto my three Daughters Dorothy Little Hannah Lunt & Iane Merrill, all my Land lying at a place called Piscataqua in Falmouth afores^d together with my half part of the Saw Mill on Said Piscataqua River, and all the priviledges & appurtanances to the Same belonging to them their Heirs & Assigns forever.

   Item. I give & bequeath unto my Son Iosiah Noyes one hundred Acres of the Farm whereon I now dwell adjoining on y^e Farm of Captⁿ Isaac Ilsley, to be Set off by a Line from y^e Salt Water and to run back parallel to the Line between my Neighbour Iasper Blake's Farm and the Farm whereon I now dwell so as to include One Hundred Acres exclusive of Flats. And also I give & bequeath unto my Said Son Josiah, all the Farm I bought of M^r Zachariah Bracket whereon my Said Son Josiah now dwells together with all the Priviledges & Appurtenances to y^e Same belonging & appertaining, to him his Heirs & Assigns forever.

   Item, I give & bequeath unto my Son Peter Noyes the Remainder of the Farm whereon I now dwell with the House Barn & out Houses thereon being, and my Stock of neat Cattle & Sheep to him his Heirs & Assigns forever.

   Item. I give & bequeath unto my Daughter Iane Merrill One Hundred pounds lawful Money out of my Estate over and above the Legacy above mentioned to be paid her by my Executors hereafter named as Soon as may be after my Decease to her her Heirs & Assigns forever.

   Item, I give & bequeath unto my Said Son Josiah Noyes my riding Horse to him his Heirs & Assigns forever:

   Item I give & bequeath unto my afore mentioned three Daughters my Wife's wearing Apparel, and all my Household Goods, equally among them, to them their Heirs & Assigns forever.

   The remainder of my Estate real & Personal, my funeral Charges and just Debts being first paid out of it, I give & bequeath unto my Said two Sons Iosiah Noyes & Peter Noyes equally between them.

   Lastly I reverse & make void all other Wills heretofore made, And appoint my two Sons afores^d, Iosiah Noyes & Peter Noyes. to be my Executors of this my last Will & Testament.

   In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal this tenth Day of February Anno Domini One Thousand Seven Hundred and fifty five.

Signed Sealed published &    declared in presence of us    Iasper Blake, Richd Temple Enoch Freeman

Ioseph Noyes (Seal)

   As a Codicil to my foregoing Will I give & bequeath unto my Daughter Dorothy Little Sixty five pounds lawful Money, and to my Daughter Hannah Lunt Seventy five pounds lawful Money to be paid them by my Execut^r therein named as Soon as may be after my Decease out of my Estate therein given them my Said Executors.

   In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal the Day and year above written

Signed Sealed & published &    declared in presence of us    Iasper Blake Richd Temple    Enoch Freeman		Ioseph Noyes (a Seal)
Probated 31 March 1755. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 746, citing Probate Office, 9, 81.