With Last Breath

I've spent some time transcribing the will of my third great grandfather on the Putnam side, Amos Putnam.  Amos was one of the first settlers of Houlton, ME.  He appears to have had someone write this down for him while on his deathbed.   According to the federal census mortuary index for Houlton, he died of consumption (tuberculosis).  As a side not, the person above him on the index, Henretta  Esty, was listed as being killed in October.  The one below, Samuel W. Bennett, died from falling of a building in January.  Samuel was a carpenter, so that may explain his death, but I think there could be an interesting story in Henretta's.  Back to Amos and to help orient you, I've put together a basic tree below.   

Generation	Husband	Wife
3rd Great Grandparent	Amos Putnam	Christiana Wormwood
2nd Great Grandparent	Levi Houlton Putnam	Sarah Bradbury
Great Grandparent	Amos Putnam	Cora Carpenter
Grandparent	Ervin Earl Putnam	Mary Connelly
Parent	Robert Putnam	Living
	Writer

 Now, the will.  There are a couple of places I couldn't read, so I put blanks in.  Also, I did the best I could at transcribing it, but I could have misidentified some of the words.  Take a look,

In the name of God, Amen.  I, Amos Putnam of Houlton in the county of Aroostook and State of Maine, being of sound and discerning mind and memory, and being desirous to make a different distribution of my property from what the law would make, and that while I have strength and capacity so to do, do hereby make and publish this my last will and testament as follows. Namely, First of all I commit my soul into the hands of my creator who gave it, and my body to the Earth from which it came. 

Secondly, I will that all my just debts should be paid as soon as may be conveniently done.

 Thirdly, I will and bequeath all my property both real and personal together with the exclusion of the widows dower, to my sons, Alvarez G and Amos A upon condition that they shall bring up, educate, and with the assistance of their reasonable labor my other minor children, namely Lyman, Poly C, Isa A, Varney W, H. H., Charles C, Maria and Samuel until they shall have become of such an age and possess sufficient physical ability, as fully to enable them to possess their own ________. The education of said children to be a decent English education, and such as is suited to their condition in life. And in the meantime previous to said Alvarez G and Amos A becoming of lawful age of twenty one years old, it is my will that my executor, hereafter appointed should have and take the general supervision of my said estate, and see that the use thereof be appropriate to the purpose of bringing up and educating the said minor children as above mentioned.  And if when said Alvarez G and Amos A shall have both become of age and shall both decide to forfeit my said estate in the terms herein specified then and in that case I will and bequeath all my estate personal and real to the other eight minor children above named to be equally shared between them, but if either of said first named designees shall elect to accept said estate on said terms then it is my will that he shall take the same and address the duties of educating, bringing up, and safeguarding said minor children in the same manner as the two might have done.

 Fourthly, My other beloved children, Levi H, Lydia T, Alonzo G, Julia C, and Sally P having in my opinion received in maintenance and education a fair and __ appropriate share of my property or nearly so I have therefore decided it proper to make the dispensation of my personal estate which is above written.

 Fifthly, I do hereby appoint Abraham Pearce and Lysander Putnam both of Houlton ______ to be my executors of this my last will and testament.

 Amos Putnam

   

Signed Sealed Published and declared by the said Amos Putnam as his last will and testament in the presence of us, who in his presence and at his request shall hereby set our names in presence of and other in witness this twenty ninth day of December one thousand and eight hundred and forty nine.

   

Moses White

Jay S Putnam

David L Allagash

Some things of note,  he signed the will with an X.  Given his wish that his children receive a decent English education, I believe he knew how to write.  Therefore, my suspension is that he was to weak to sign it. 

The Amos A. mentioned here is Augustus Amos born in 1831 for my records.  Also, Frank Putnam isn't mention here because he wasn't born yet.  I am wondering if Amos not leaving anything to his adult children was common practice, or did he do it to make sure the younger ones where taken care of.  

With that, I finish this post.  I have the probate records which I will transcribe soon.  This will allow us to see how the property was actually dispersed.