Maine Wills

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

   In the Name of God Amen, I Richard Westcot of Falmouth in the County of York, and Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Shipwright being Weak and infirm of Body, But thrô Gods Goodness of a Sound mind & Memory, for which I bless him, and expecting Speedily to be called by Death to appear before God, and be disposed of by him for Eternity; Do therefore make this my last Will & Testament committing my immortal Soul to God, who gave it, and my Saviour who redeemed it; and my Body to the Earth for a Decent Interment, hoping for a part in the Resurrection of the just. And as touching Such Worldly Estate as God has given me, I will & dispose of it in the following Manner.

   I. My whole Estate real & personal of Land Housing Stock Goods & Chattels Money & Moveables Debts owing to me, excepting as hereafter excepted, I give & bequeath to my eldest Son Josiah Westcot his Heirs & Assigns, under Such Limitations Conditions and Restrictions as Shall hereafter be mentioned.

   II. But it is to be understood that my Said Son Josiah Westcot on Consideration of his having my Estate as above do be at the Expence of my having a decent Christian Burial that he take good Care that his Mother be well Subsisted & maintained as to every thing She Shall want during her Natur^l Life, and that he pay to each of my other Children eight Shillings lawful Money, to each Son the Said Sum when they Shall arrive to the Age of twenty one; and to each Daughter at the Age of Eighteen.

   III. It is also my Will that my two youngest Sons namely Ioseph Westcoat & Eliakim Westcot do live with my Said Son Josiah Westcot he well providing for them till they Shall arrive to the Age of fourteen Years he having y^e profit of their Labour during that term; And also that my two youngest Daughters Abigail Westcot & Alice Westcot do likewise live with my Son Iosiah Westcot till they Shall arrive to age convenient for them to go to live abroad; and that then they do accordingly go abroad to live. And I would have Said Sons Joseph & Eliakim at Liberty to go & live with whom they Shall incline to live after they Shall have arrived to y^e Age of fourteen years as before mentioned.

   IV. I appoint my Said Son Josiah Westcot, Sole Executor of this my last Will & Testam^t.

   V. Though I have given my Son Iosiah Westcot the most of my Estate as above, yet it is to be understood that I reserve So much of it as Shall answer all the above Articles in Case of any Default by him. And I do hereby utterly revoke disallow all former Wills Testaments Legacys & Bequests whatsoever, ratifying this to be my last Will & Testam^t. The thirteenth line interlined w^th the word Care.

   In Witness to all above I hereunto Set my Hand & Seal this eighth Day of Septem^r in the Year of our Lord 1756 One Thousand Seven hundred & fifty six.

Richard Westcot (Seal)

   Signed Sealed published pronounced & declared by the S^d Richard Westcot as his last Will & Testam^t in the Presence of us y^e Subscribers Ionathan Freeman Ionathan Freeman jun^r Will^m Tompson.