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Within this database are the 444 earliest wills recorded in Maine, culled from the records of Maine's first courts, the York County registry of deeds, and the York County probate office, established in 1687. York County comprised until 1760 all that part of Maine governed by Massachusetts, and from its archives William M. Sargent gathered these instruments, published in 1887 as Maine Wills, 1640-1760.

Text in red has been added by the present editor in accordance with the special characters and signs used in the original transcription. These additions should be noted when cutting and pasting text from these pages. Notes in square brackets are wholly my own.

Marks are included (as bold letters) only in those cases where the intent of the testator or witness was evident. All others have been omitted.