John Wade will, 4 June 1798

In the Name of God Amen, I John Wade Senior of Granville in the County of Annapolis Royal, and Province of Nova Scotia, having taken into my Serious Consideration the shortness and Uncertainty of this mortal Life, and being now advanced in years but of sound & perfect Mind and memory, blessed be God for it, am desirous to order the Settlement of my Estate & Worldly Affairs in the best Manner I can. In Order to do which I make and publish this, as and for, my last Will & Testament, and accordingly I do, in the first & principal Place, committ my Soul into the Hands of my Merciful Creator & Heavenly Father, whenever he shall be pleased to call for it, and my Body to be interred with decent Christian Burial, at the Discretion of my Executor, hereafter to be named- And secondly, I will and bequeath and hereby give unto my beloved Wife Hannah Wade, and to her Heirs and Assigns forever, all my Household Furniture of every kind, without excepting any thing~ I also will & bequeath and give, unto my said Wife Hannah the Use, Improvement & Profits of the whole of my Real and Personal Estate so long as she shall continue my Widow, and in Case she shall marry another Man; then and in that Case, I will and give unto her the Use and Improvement of one third part of my Real and Personal Estate during her Natural Life, and after the Death of my said Wife Hannah I will, bequeath and give unto my two Sons, Joseph Wade & John Wade, and to each of their Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns for ever in Manner following, that is to say~ I will and bequeath the whole Property of all my Personal Estate and Outdoor moveable Stock of all kinds and farming Utensils to my Son John Wade, my Wife having a decent & honorable Maintenance out of the whole of my said Estate during all the days of her Natural Life (----) further will that my (----) say, forty Pounds to my Son Joseph Wade, twenty Pounds to my SonSilvanus Wade, and ten Pounds to my Son Daniel, together with all my Carpenters Tools & Joiners Tools, ten pounds to my Daughter Hannah McGregor all the said Legacys amounting to Eighty Pounds as before mentioned to be by my said Son John paid within three years after my Decease~ my farm upon which I now live and called & known by the Name of Lott No. Seventy six~ being then (after paying the Legacies aforesaid) the Sole Right and Property of my said Son John Wade, with all the outdoor moveable Stock & farming Utensils which may thereto belong at the Time of my Death~ And I further will order & appoint my Said Son John Wade to be my sole Executor of this my last Will & Testament, revoking all other Wills & Testaments of any kind whatever, and enjoining & ordering my said Son John Wade to pay all such lawful Debts as I may owe at the time of my Decease. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal, this fourth Day of June in the Year of our Lord one Thousand seven hundred & ninety Eight, and in the thirty Eight Year of his Majesty’s Reign.

John Wade

We the Subscribers being called as Witnesses saw Capt. John Wade of Granville Sign, Seal & Publish the above & within written Instrument as his Last Will & Testament before Us-

[Names illegible (Jesse Bent was the sole witness to appear in probate court in 1813)]