Sarah (Burnham) Poland's 1845 Last Will and Testament

Ancestry.com. New Hampshire, Wills and Probate Records, 1643-1982 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

“Be it known that I Sarah Poland of Canaan in the County of Grafton and State of New Hampshire do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner following.

First. I give and bequeath to my granddaughters Matilda Smith and Lucinda Poland children of my son Abner Poland deceased one hundred dollars and to be paid to them at my decease by my Executor.  Also I do give and bequeath to my grand sons Beniah Poland and David Poland children of my son David Poland deceased one hundred and fifty dollars each to be paid to them at my decease by my Executor.

Also I do give and bequeath to my son Thomas E. Poland two hundred dollars to be paid to him at my decease by my Executor. Also I do give and bequeath to my grand son William W. Poland my desk and fall leaf table and six of my best chairs.  All the rest and residue of my real and personal Estate whatsoever after payment of my just debts and Legacies before mentioned I do bequeath and devise to my daughters Sally Burnham wife of Henry Burnham, Ruth Kehew widow of Paul Kehew , Mary Fitts, wife of Josiah Fitts and Ednor Gove, widow of Elijah Gove, to be equally divided between them hereby revoking all former wills by me made.

And I do hereby constitute and appoint Converse Goodhue of Enfield Frafton County N. Hampshire Sole Executor of this my last will and testament.  In witness whereof I have her unto set my hand and seal this sixteenth day of July A.D. 1845.

Signed, sealed and declared by the above named Sarah Poland to be the last will and testament in presence of us who at her request in her presence here subscribed our names as witnesses thereto.  

William Harris,  Wm. L. Harris, Isaac B. Harris

State of New Hampshire

Grafton SS. At a court of probate holden at Plymouth in this County on the 17^th day of November Anno Domini 1846.

The foregoing instrument purporting the last will of Sarah Poland late of Canaan in said County deceased having been ???ed for Probate in ??? by Converse Goodhue the Executor therein named.”

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Sarah Burnham was born about 1759 in Essex, Massachusetts, the daughter of Westley Burnham and Deborah Story.  She married Abner Poland, also of Essex, on 20 March 1783 in Essex. He was the son of Abner Poland and Dorothy Burnham.  Abner served in the Revolutionary War and won a Badge of Merit for seven years and six months faithful service (signed by George Washington!). He received a bounty land grand in Enfield, New Hampshire as a reward for his service, so the family removed to New Hampshire.   

Abner Poland died in 1835, and Sarah outlived him by eleven years.  She signed this will in July of 1845, and died in November of the following year. Most of the children removed back to Essex County, Massachusetts, but at least one son, Thomas Emerson Poland, stayed in Enfield.  I descend from Sally who married Henry Burnham.  If you look back, that made three generations of Polands marrying Burnhams.  

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Sarah (Burnham) Poland's 1845 Last Will and Testament", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 8, 2015 ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/10/sarah-burnham-polands-1845-last-will.html : accessed [access date]).