Introduction

From York County Probate Records, Volume Ten (1749-60)

The Will of Ann Fox

   In y^e Name of God Amen. The Seventh Day of Iune Annoque Domini One Thousand Seven Hundred & Fifty eight, I Ann Fox of Falmouth in the County of York and Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Widow being very Sick & weak in Body but of a Sound & disposing Mind & Memory, Thanks be given to God, and knowing that all must die, and expecting to my Self Shortly, I resign my Soul to God to be by him disposed of for Eternity, and my Body to the Earth to be buried in decent Christian Burial at the Discretion of my Executors hereafter named; And as touching my Worldly Estate, I give demise & dispose of the Same in the following Manner & Form.

   Imp^rs It is my Will that all my just Debts & funeral Charges be first paid out of my Estate.

   Item. I give & bequeath unto my dearly beloved Children Iohn Fox & Mary Fox equally the whole of what was bequeathed me by my late hon^d Father Michael Hodge of Salisbury Dec^d in his last Will & Testament, to them their Heirs and Assigns forever, Excepting the Household Stuff therein mention^d which I give to my three Daughters Hannah Lucy & Ann Jones.

   Item. It is my Will that y^e Expence & Charge of Education & bringing up my two Children afores^d viz^t John & Mary Fox be paid out of Some other part of my Estate, than what was bequeathed me by my hon^d Father aforementioned they to be educated & brought up decently, till Such times as they are capable to provide & Act for themselves; And the Remainder of my Said other Estate after that; to be equally divided between my five Children viz^t Hannah Jones Lucy Iones Ann Iones, John Fox & Mary Fox them their Heirs and Assigns forever.

   And I do constitute make & ordain Stephen Longfellow of Falmouth afores^d Gentⁿ and my afores^d Daughter Lucy Jones Joint Executors of this my last Will & Testament. And I do hereby utterly disallow revoke & disannul all & every other former Testam^ts Wills Legacys Bequests & Executors by me in any ways before named willed & bequeathed. Ratifying & confirming this and no other to be my last Will & Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal the Day & Year above written.

Signed Sealed published pronounced    & declared by ye sd Anne Fox as    her last Will & Testamt in ye pres-    ence of us ye Subscribrs    Benja Titcomb Sarah pearson Ann Titcomb		Ann Fox (Seal)
Probated 5 Oct. 1758. Inventory of personal estate appraised at £123: 11: 5, old tenor, or £16: 9: 6, "lawful money," by James Gooding, William Cotton and James Milk, 3 Jany 1761, besides four tracts of lands the valuation of which is not carried out. [Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 831, citing Probate Office, 10, 35.]