Introduction

From Maine Court Records (1661-93)

The Will of Richard Martine

   In the name of god Amen the Eleventh day of Janvary, 1672/3. I Richd Martine being sicke In body, but of good & Prfect Memory thankes bee to Almighty God, & Calling to remembrance the vncerten estate of this transitory life, & that all flesh is grass, & must yejld vnto death, When it shall please god to Call, doe make Constitute and ordayn & declare this my Last Will & Tcstament, in manner & forme following, revoakeing & disanulling by these Prsents, all & every testament, Will & Wills heretofore by mee made & declared either by word, or by writeing, & this to bee taken onely, for my last Will & testament/

   And first being sorry & pœnitent from the bottome of my hart, for my sins past, humbly desireing forgiueness for y^e same, I giue & Committ my soule vnto my Almighty Sauio^r & Redeemer, In whom by the Merritt of Jesus Christ I trust to bee saved, & my body to bee buried, in such place w^r it shall please my executrix, hereafter named to appoynt/ & Now for the settleing of my tem poralls, & such goods chattles & debts, as It hath pleased God far aboue my deserts to bestow vpon mee, I doe order & give the same, In Manner & forme ffollowing/

   1 : I doe will & order that all those debts and dues as I ow in right or Conscience to any manner of Prson or Prsons Whatsoever, shall bee Well & truly Contented & payd, or ordayned to bee payd with In Convenjent tyme after my decease by my executrix, hereafter named/

   My deerely beloued wife Dorothy, I appoynt my whoole & soole executrix to whome I bequeath & giue all my estate both reall & Prsonall, dureing her naturall Life/

   And after her decease I give & bequeath vnto my Loueing sunn in law, Robert Corben a Prcell of Marsh, lijng in the great Marsh between Nathll Wallis his Marsh & Robert Corbens Marsh bounded on this side of the Gutt/

   Item after my wife Dorothys decease, If y^r bee any of my estate remayneing, I give & bequeath vnto Sammuell Whitte foure pounds to bee payd in goods/

   Item I giue & bequeath vnto Joseph Attwell, six pounds to bee payd in goods, soe fare forth as his father may not defrade him of Itt/

   Item : as for all other of my estate, of what nature soeuer shall bee remayneing, after my wife Dorothys decease, I giue & bequeath vnto Benjamin : Attwell, & Lydean Corbine, y^e wife of Robert Corbine, to bee æqually deuided betwixt them/ I doe desire & appoynt my Loueing frejnd, ffrancis Neale, & my Loueing sun In law Robert Corben, ouerseers to see this my Will Prformed/ & In witness of this my last Will & testament, I here vnto sett my hand/

Witnesse, ffrancis Neale/    George Lewis his marke                                 X		Richard Martine     his marke/
Sworn to by both subscribing witnesses 20 Feby 1672; recorded 7 April 1673; Inventory returned at £206: 13: 10, by Nathall Wharfe and Jockein Williams appraisers 21 Feb. 1672, who state therein that Richard Martin "deceased the 14 Jany: 1672-3"— [Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 24, citing Court Records, E, 69.]