Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen. To all People to whom these presents Shall come Greeting. Know y^e that I Mary Wheelwright of Wells in the County of York in the Province of y^e Massachusetts Bay in New England Gentlewoman being, thrô the divine Goodness, of a Sound Mind thô far advanced in years and labouring under great Bodily Infirmities; considering my present mortal State, and the absolute certainty of the near approaches of my great & last Change, when I Shall go y^e Way of all the Earth from whence I Shall not return, commit my never dying Spirit into the Merciful Hands of my gracious Covenant God, thrô the infinite Merits of his Dear Son, my only Lord Redeemer, and my Body into the Hands of my Executors hereafter mentioned to be decently interr'd in hopes of a glorious Resurrection to a Life immortal by the mighty Power of God, thrô him who is the Resurrection & the Life; And I Dispose of the temporal Estate, wherewith the Lord hath been pleased to bless me in the following Manner Viz^t.

   1. I Will that all my Debts & funeral Charges be paid out of my Estate by my Executors,

   2. I will give & bequeath unto each of my four beloved Sons Viz^t Iohn Wheelwright Samuel Wheelwright Ieremiah Wheelwright & Nathaniel Wheelwright Five pounds in old Tenor Bills of y^e Province afores^d or the Value thereof in Lawful Money of S^d Province to be paid to each of them out of my Estate by my Executors, within twelve Months after my Decease.

   3. I will give & bequeath unto my two beloved Daughters Mary Moody & Sarah Jefferds all my wearing Cloths & apparel including my Gold Necklace Rings & Buttons &c to be equally divided between them. 4—I will & give unto my beloved Daughter Sarah Iefferds a Negro Boy named Asher.

   5 I will & give unto each of the Executors hereafter mentioned of this my last Will & Testament Five pounds in old Ten^r Bills of the Province afores^d or y^e Value thereof in lawful Money of S^d Province.

   6. I give & bequeath all my Estate now remaining undisposed of in & by this Instrumt Real & personal of what Name or Nature Soever within Doors or without wheresoever lying & being unto my aforesment^d Daughters Mary Moody & Sarah Jefferds, and my three beloved Grand Daughters, the Daughters of my dear deceased Daughter Hannah Plaisted, and my four beloved Grand Daughters the Daughters of my dear dec^d Daughter Elizabeth Newmarch, to be divided to & among them as is hereafter expressed, that is to Say, one fourth part thereof as to quantity and quality I give & will Shall be divided to my before named Daughter Mary Moody; one other fourth part thereof I give & will Shall be divided to my before named Daughter Sarah Jefferds according to quantity & quality; One other fourth part thereof as to quantity & quality I give & Will Shall be divided to y^e three grand daughters the Daughters of my afores^d Daughter Hannah Plaisted; And the other fourth part thereof as to quantity & quality I give & will Shall be divided to my four Grand Daught^rs the Daughters of my afores^d Daughter Eliz^a Newmarch : But this is my Will that in the aforementioned Division my Negro Servant Woman named Pegg, Shall be divided to Such of my afores^d Daughters or grand Daughters, which She Shall choose to live with after my Decease, Any thing above written to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding. And furthermore 7, Provided my beloved Daughter Esther Wheelwright who has been many Years in Canada is yet living, and Should by the wonder working Providence of God be returned to her native Land and tarry & dwell in it, I give & bequeath unto her one fifth part of my Estate which I have already by this Instrument will'd Should be divided to & among my afores^d Daughters & Grand Daughters to be paid by them in Proportion to their respective Share in the above mentioned Division unto her my Said Daughter Esther Wheelwright within one year after my Decease — Any thing above written in this Instrumt to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

   8, And now revoking & disannulling any other & former Will or Wills made or Said to be made by me, I pronounce and declare this to be my last Will & Testam^t of which I do by these presents constitute & appoint my trusty & Well beloved Friends & Sons Iohn Storer & Samuel Wheelwright Esq^rs and the rev^d M^r Samuel Iefferds Sole Executors. In Witness whereof I the Said Mary Wheelwright have hereunto Set my hand & Seal this Sixteenth Day of Novem^r in the year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred & fifty, And in y^e 23^d Year of his Maj^ts Reign.

Signed Sealed pronounced and    declared in presence of us    Ieremy Stevens Daniel Little jr    Thomas X Bragdon              mark		Mary Wheelwright (Seal)
Probated 16 July 1755. Inventory returned 6 January 1756, at £110: 1: 9, by Joseph Stover, Pelatiah Littlefield and Nehemiah Littlefield. Notes due Estate from Nathan Morrison and Benja Stevens. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 769, citing Probate Office, 9, 133.