Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen. I Joshua Black of Kittery in the County of York in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay Husbandman being Sick & weak in Body but of a Sound Mind & Memory, and not knowing how Soon it may please God to remove me out of this World Wou'd therefore commit my Body to the Earth to be buried in a decent Manner, And my Soul to God who gave it beging for the Pardon of my Sins, and eternal Life thrô Iesus Christ our Lord. And as to the worldly Estate which by Divine Providence I am the owner of I give and dispose of y^e Same in Manner following, that is to Say,

   First of all, I order that my just Debts & funeral Charges be paid out of my personal Estate by my Executor hereafter named, as Soon as may be after my Decease.

   Item, I give to my Son Jonathan five Shillings old Tenor he having had from me his full proPortion of my Estate.

   Item. I give to my Sons Henry & Thomas all my real Estate consisting of Buildings Land & the Appurtenances thereto belonging to be equally divided between them, and to their Heirs & Assigns in Severalty forever, which Lands and Buildings Shall be apprized as Soon as may be after My Decease by persons to be appointed by the Iudge of Probates for the Said County under Oath, out of y^e Apprized Value of which Lands & Buildings, I order my Sons Henry and Thomas to pay to my five Daughters hereafter named their respective parts & Proportions of y^e Same as follows Viz^t.

   Item. I give to my Daughters Mary Sarah Almy & Catharine to each of them one Seventh part of y^e apprized Value of my real Estate to be paid to them in Money by my Said Sons Henry & Thomas namely to Mary & Sarah their two Sevenths within one Year and to Amy & Catharine their two Sevenths within two Years after my Decease they giving Security therefor. Item. I give to my Daughter Margery the one Seventh part of the apprized Value of my real Estate to be paid to her in Money by my Sons Henry & Thomas, when She Shall arrive to Eighteen Years of Age they giving Security for the Same. I also give to my Said Daughter Margery the Bed Beding & Furniture whereon I now ly.

   I give to my Son Thomas my Gunn.

   My Will is that that part of my personal Estate w^ch Shall remain after my just Debts & funeral Charges be paid Shall be divided amongst my Sons Henry & Thomas and my five Daughters in equal Shares.

   I constitute & appoint       Executor of this my last will & Testam^t. I further Order that my Daughters now unmarried Shall have the Use & Improvem^t of the Western End of my dwelling House and one half of my Cellar until they Shall be married if they see Cause.

   In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal the nineteenth Day of Ianuary Anno Domini 1753.

Signed Sealed & declared by the    Said Joshua Black as his last Will    and Testament in presence of    Simon Frost, Saml Fernald junr    Noah Fernald		Ioshua X Black (Seal)       his Mark
Probated 5 April 1756. Inventory returned 4 May 1756, at £77: 12: 4, by James Gowen, John Heard Bartlett and Charles Frost, appraisers. Debt due estate from Henry Black. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 774, citing Probate Office, 9, 144.