Maine Wills

 From York Registry of Deeds (1640-91)

   The last will & testament of Robert Mendum of Kittery taken this first of May 1682 : I Robert Mendum being weake in body, but of Perfect mind & Memory, do ordaine this as my last will & testament, hereby reuoakeing all wills by mee formerly made/

   My house w^rin I now dwell, with all the houseing, & land belonging y^runto, & all the priuiledges app^rtajneing, I giue to my sonn Jonathan Mendum for his vse, dureing his life, & after his decease, to his two younger sons, Jonathan & Dauid Mendum, to bee æqually deuided between them, & If either of them dy before they Come to age the Suruiuer shall haue y^e whoole, & If both of them die, then my Grandsonn Robertt Mendum shall haue It/

   All my land in Spruse Cricke I giue to my Grandson Robert Mendum with all the priuiledges belonging there unto/ Further unto my sonn & daughter Mendum I giue tenn of my Cattle, & to my three Grandchildren aforesd, fiue Cattle a peece, to bee diuided amongst them as æqually as they may, my sonn & daughter to haue y^e Improuement of all both land & stocke, till my grandchildren Come to age, & as each of y^m Come to y^e age of Twenty one years, then y^r portion of moueables to Come into y^r hands All the rest of my Moueables & house hould goods I leaue in hands of my sonn & daughter, oblieiging them to giue each of my Grandchildren a share of it, as they Come to age/

   Moreouer, I will that my grandsonn Robert Michamore shall haue an Heffer which my sonn Jonathan shall deliuer to him, when he comes to age/ & Robert Mendum shall haue his land at Spruse Cricke, wⁿ hee Comes to the age of Twenty one yeares, or to bee married/

   Finally I make my sonn Jonathan my soole executor of this my last will & testament, giueing to him w^tsoeuer Estate I haue not expressly mentioned aboue, whither in debts, or moueables or otherwise, willing him my sd executor to pay all my iust debts, & funerall Charges, & to burry mee in my fejld by my last wife/ I also require my Hono^rd frejnd Richd Martyn Esq^r to bee my ouerseer, to see the Prformance of this my last will & Testament/ In witness to all & singular the Premisses, I set tow my hand & seale the day & yeare aboue written/

Robert Mendum of Kittery,    did signe & seale the    aboue written Instrument    & declare It to bee his last    will & testament this 1 : May 1682 :    In Presence of us/ Josua Moodey/    Christeian Ramach/		The marke of Robert RM Mendum (his Seal)
Sworn to by attesting witnesses 18 May 1682; recorded 17 June 1682; Inventory returned at £346: 06: 07, by Christian Ramaich and William Fernald, appraisers, May 16, 1682, including debts due from Thomas Ryce and John Hoole. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 69, citing Registry of Deeds, 5, 14.