Maine Wills

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

   Biddeford Novem^r y^e 16, 1754. I Samuel Odel now lying upon my Bed of Sickniss nigh unto Death & expecting no other but by the hand of Almighty Gods Providence unto me And now I give unto my beloved Wife Elizabeth Odell all my House hold Goods, all Cattle Sheep & all Horses, & all Provision kind that we haue now in Possession and eight pounds in Cash of lawful Money. And unto my Son Samuel for the Love that I bear unto him I do give unto him all my Blacksmith's Tools, and Carts Plows & Chains, and all other Materials whatsoever belongs unto me, and unto him eight pounds lawful Money. And unto my Son James when he comes to be one & twenty Years of Age I for the love that I bear unto him absolutely Eight pounds lawful Money; And for the Love that I bear unto my Son Joseph — when he comes to be twenty one years of Age I give unto him eight pounds lawful Money.

   And for the Love that I bear unto my Daughters Sarah and Mary I do give unto them out of Bills & Bonds that I haue against People & Notes of Hand & Book Debts I do give unto each of them Eight pounds lawful Money a piece and Sarah at Eighteen Years of Age and Mary at twenty one Years of Age. And if these Bills & Bonds & Notes and other Debts do not amount to so much after recovered & Charges paid, that their parts Should be so much as I have given them then they must fall in Propotion to the youngest Son for their parts, and if there is more Money left than that comes to then it must be divided between my Wife and the Children equaly in proportion between them and as I do think that I am very nigh my End but blessed be God for it I haue my Sences as well as ever I had upon all accounts And if it is Gods Will that I shall Depart this Life I do desire that my Wife and Children Should bear each of them a proportionable part of my funeral Charges and of Admin^con Charges between them each in proportion alike. And also if my Wife can lay this Money out in Land in a Body for the Benefit of the Children I do desire that She may All their parts of Money that I haue given them to be Sure.

   The word Eight was interlined before Signing.

Signed Sealed & Delivered in ye    Presence of us as his last Will    & Testament    Iohn Dearing Jacob Davis Jos. Libby		Samuel Odell (Seal)
Probated 6 Jany 1755. Inventory returned 31 March 1755, at £356: 7: 7½, by Tristram Jordan, John Dearing and Samuel Warren, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 741, citing Probate Office, 9, 66.