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what may of right belong unto the said Abram Preble after the decease of Mrs. Mary Plaisted, the mother of said Sussana, and after the death of Mrs. Hannah Preble, the mother of said Mary Preble."

He was four times married. His first wife's name is not known, or whether he had children by her, but probably none, as Aug. 9, 1694, when but 21 years old, he married, 2d, Mary, dau. of Samuel Bragden, of York, by whom he had:

1. Mary, b. Feb. 17, 1695; mar. Joseph Plaisted, 1724.

2. Hannah, b. May 13, 1697.

His third wife was Susanna, dau. of John Sayward, of York, by whom he had :

3. Edward (known as Capt. Edward), b. August 23, 1702; mar. Hannah, dau. of Lieut. D. Simpson, 1723.

4. Nathaniel, born April 8, 1704, who was "scalded to death." There is entered on the York records as children "by his fourth wife, Mary, dau. of Abraham Preble, Esq." (the dates of their birth not being on the record):

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14. Ebenezer, b.

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15. Abraham, b. 1723, a posthumous son, who died an infant, March 25, 1727.

Mary Preble, his widow, married again some time after his death. Her second husband's name was Nowell. Of the fifteen children o Abraham (23-1), "Capt. Edward," his son by Susanna his third wife, was the only male who arrived at man's estate. He married, and haċ children to carry on the family name of Nathaniel Preble.

The names and dates of birth of his children, all entered on the York Records, were :

1. Nathaniel, b. Jan.

3, 1724; m. Sarah Bragdon, April 23, 1747. and had three sons and six daughters.

2. Edward, b. Feb. 5, 1726; m. Joanna King, Feb. 13, 1767. 3. Ebenezer, b. June 11, 1728; m. Martha Moulton, Nov. 7, 1752. and had four sons and two daughters.

4. Susanna, b. Jan. 17, 1730.

5. Abraham, b. Sept. 18, 1733, and died in infancy.

6. Abraham, b. Jan. 14, 1739; m. Abigail Gilman, Sept. 10, 1756

Of the daughters, Mary Plaisted is known to have had a son and daughter, viz.: 1. Sarah, b. 1725; 2. James, b. 1728. Humility Nowell had three sons, viz.: 1. Samuel, b. 1739; 2. Abraham, b. 1742; 3. Nathaniel, b. 1744.

In the division of the town lands in 1732, "Capt. Edward" had eight shares.

Nathaniel, son of Capt. Edward, born 1724, and who removed to Sullivan, Maine, in 1762, left nine children, viz. :

1. Mary.

2. John, m. Lydia Ingalls, 1787, had four sons and five daughters. 3. Nathaniel, d. unm.

4. Sarah, d. unm.

5. Samuel,

mar. Tabitha Preble, dau. of Benj. P. of York, and had nine children.

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Ebenezer, b. 1728, left six children, viz.: 1. Edward, m. Susan Jenkins; 2. Abraham; 3. Jedidiah, m. Myley Hatler; 4. Nathaniel; 5. Hannah, m. Elijah B; 6. Olive, m. Ingalls.

In 1850, George and Jedidiah, sons of Edward, and William, Josiah and Jeremiah, who were sons of the Jedidiah last named, and all descendants from Capt. Edward, were living in York. John, a brother of Jedidiah, was living in Penobscot Co. There were also at that time living in York, Charles, Washington, and Andrew, descendants from Capt. Edward; and through their great-grandmother Tabitha Preble, from Benjamin (8-7), the son of Abraham and Judith. II. JOHN PREBLE (7-6),

FIFTH SON OF ABRAHAM AND JUDITH.

John Preble, fifth son and sixth child of the common ancestor, was born 1650, and married Hannah By an old mutilated record, it appears that at a Court of Sessions, held March, 1689, John Preble was at that time a grand juror. He died probably early in 1695, at the age of 45, as his estate was administered upon by Abraham Preble in that year, and there is record of the death of his widow August 19, 1695. His death may have been earlier, and his estate not settled until the death of his widow, as the caption to the inventory of his estate reads, "An inventory of the estate of John Preble deceased, which his widow Hannah Preble had in her possession when she deceased, August 19th, 1695." Lieut. Abraham Preble made oath to the inventory January 7, 1695-6. He left but one child, a daughter:

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The name of Preble was not continued in his line.

II. BENJAMIN PREBLE (8–7),

SIXTH AND YOUNGEST SON OF ABRAHAM AND JUDITH.

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Benjamin Preble was born about 1657; marri ed when about 40 years of age, Mary Baston, dau of Thomas Baston, and died at York, March 25 1732, in his 75th year.

The maiden name 0: Benjamin Preble's wife is

obtained from the record of a deed, Book 12 of York County Records, to wit:

"York, July 14, 1726. These presents witnesseth that I Benjamin Preble of York, have received of my Brother Gersham Baston money in full satisfaction for my wife Mary, the Legacies due to her of all the estate which was my Father's, Thomas Baston's, that is to say, the land and meadow I Mary Preble and Benjamin Preble have sold all for forty shillings paid in hand."

August 19, 1727, the deposition of Benjamin Preble is recorded, in which he testifies "that he is aged about seventy years," and "that fifty years ago, or thereabouts, he wrought for his Brother Abraham Preble, Esq., deceased, in a field where Benjamin Stone now dwells and improves."

There are several conveyances of real estate to and from Benjamin Preble on the Records.

Very little more is known of the youngest son of the common ancestors beyond the recorded birth of his two eldest children, Judah and John, in the York Records; and his will, which mentions his surviving children, viz., John, Hannah, Judith, Abigail and Jedidiah, and which is recorded in the Probate Records of York County, at Alfred, Vol. IV., as follows:

En the name of God, Amen. I Benjamin Preble of York, in the County of York, in the Province of the Massachusetts in New England, being of sound mind and memory, do make this my last will and testament, this sixteenth day of December in the year of our Lord 1723. First and above all I commend my spirit unto God that gave it as a faithful Creator and my merciful father in Jesus Christ, and then I commit my body to the dust, decently to be buried by my executrix hereafter named, in hope of a glorious Resurrection to Life Eternal. And as for my worldly estate which God has graciously given, I dispose of it in manner following, after my debts and funeral cost is paid.

*Facsimile of signature to his will, 1723.
+ Facsimile of her signature to a deed, 1739.

Imprimis. I give my beloved wife Mary Preble (besides her thirds according to the laws of the Province) the use of one half of my Dwelling House and barn and orchard, during her natural life, and if she shall need it to have the use of the whole Dwelling House.

Item. I having already given unto my eldest son John all my land at Scituate in York, and the one half of my part in the saw mill there, I do give him or confirm to him the other half of my part in said mill after the decease of myself and wife.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my three daughters, Hannah, Judith and Abigail, Ten pounds each; Thirty pounds the whole, to be paid by my youngest son Jedidiah.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my said youngest son Jedidiah, all my homestead land, Dwelling House, Barn and Orchard,* together with my whole stock of cattle, sheep, &c., after his mother's de

cease.

I also give and bequeath to my said son Jedidiah all that my Thirty acre Grants, which lyeth above my home place, towards Scituate, between the land of James Grant and the land of Joseph Bean.

And further I give and bequeath unto my said youngest son Jedidiah all my ten acre lots Fresh meadow lying on the Brook which runs through Joseph Bragdens and Joseph Weare's meadow about a mile above said Bragdens and Weare's meadow.

Finally, I make aud constitute my wife aforesaid the sole Executrix of this my last will and testament.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written.

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Signed, sealed and delivered, published, pronounced and declared by Benjamin Preble abovesaid to be his last will and testament, in presence of

York, ss.

NATHANIEL LEEMAN,
MARY LEEMAN,
SAMUEL MOODY.

At a Court of Probate held at Wells in said County,

October 17, 1732,

The within written will being presented by Mrs. Mary Preble, Executrix in the same will named, the Reverend Mr. Samuel Moody and Mrs. Mary Leeman personally appearing made oath that they were present and did see Benjamin Preble within named sign and seal and heard him pronounce and declare the within written instrument to be his last will and testament, and that he was then of a sound disposing mind to the best of their discovering, and that they with Nathaniel Leeman signed the same at the same time as witnesses thereto in the Testator's presence, and I do accordingly allow and approve of the JOHN WHEELWRIGHT, Judge Probate.

same.

These in 1729, three years previous to his death, he deeded to him "for and in consideration of the natural love he bore him." (See Deed.)

Recorded from the original and compared,

SEAL OF THE
COURT.

By CHARLES FROST, Register.

********* John Wheelwright, Esquire, Judge of Probate of Wills and for Granting Letters of Administration on the estate of Persons deceased having goods, chattels, ********* rights or credits in the County of York within the Province of the Massachusetts Bay,

To whom all these Presents shall come, Greeting:

KNOW YE, That upon the day of the date hereof at Wells, in the County aforesaid, the will of Benjamin Preble late of said York in the County aforesaid deceased to these presents annexed was proved, approved and allowed, who having while he lived and at the time of his death, goods, chattels, rights and credits in the County aforesaid, and the said will and power of committing administration of all and singular the goods, chattels, rights and credits of the said deceased and his last will in any manner concerning is hereby committed unto Mary Preble, Executrix, in the same will named, well and faithfully to execute the said will and to administer the estate of the said deceased according thereunto and to make a just and perfect Inventory of all and singular the goods, chattels, rights and credits of the said deceased; and to exhibit the same into the Registry of the Court of Probate for the County aforesaid at or before the 17th day of January next ensuing, and also to render a plain and true account of your said administration upon oath.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and the seal of the said Court of Probate.

Dated at Wells the 17th day of October, Anno Domini 1732. JOHN WHEELWRIGHT.

CHAS. FROST, Register.}

(Recorded from original.)

A true and perfect Inventory of all and singular the goods, chattels, rights and credits of Benjamin Preble late of York deceased, taken and apprized by us the subscribers, by order of the Hon. John Wheelwright, Esquire, Judge of Probate. Dated at York the 5th of May, 1732, as followeth :

To 3 platters, 11 plates,

"2 iron pots, 2 pr. pot hooks and trammels,

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earthen ware, 8s. ; one pr. tongs, 3 guns,

"1 warming pan, 1 skillet,

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wearing clothes, 5 pounds ten shillings,

"old iron, 10s.; 1 chair, 12s.,

"1 clevis, 5s. ; yokes and staples,

66 2 old axes, 8s.; wooden ware, 21s., wheels & cards and 6 pounds flax,

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"yarn, 18s.; wool, 3s. ; 1 plough, 3s., 1 yoke of oxen,

£ S. d.

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