The will of Micajah Currier is transcribed here from Maine Will Abstracts 1801-1858, Vol. 1. Currier seems to have lived in the village of South Berwick. His store may have been in the restaurant building known in the 19th century as the Brown Store. It is still standing in Central Square at 12 Portland Street. Currier’s sister Deborah married William Burleigh, who became the first Congressman from this district. Their home was the Burleigh House, today’s Berwick Estates at 79 Portland Street.

This will led to the creation of Portland Street Cemetery. Currier died a year after writing his will, and his tomb was probably the first in this burying ground.

Labouring severe bodily indisposition

• I will that my exer shall purchase a good bell of size and weight eq to the bell now suspended over the meeting house in Dover, N.H. with the donors name thereon for the use of the inhabitants of South Berwick forever, provided the inhabitants shall furnish a convenient bldg or porch in which to hang the same at some place betw Samuel Nichols and Maj’ Edmund Haggins at any time within 2y aft my dec.

• I order that my exers purchase 1a cut of the upper part of the field called Junkins field adj land of Winthrop B. Norton with a convenient passway to the same for the sole purpose of a burying ground for the inhabitants of Berwick and South Berwick, provided sd inhabitants shall keep the same enclosed with a sufficient fence.

• I order that my exers cause to be erected of hewn stone a commodious and decent family tomb having a marble covering with the builders name wrought thereon for the deposit of my body and the bodies of such of my family connections as my reside in this town or its vicinity at the time of their deaths. And I further order that my exers cause the remains of my sister Mary Currier which are now deposited at Dover to be brought and deposited in the tomb to be by them erected or cause a decent monument with a marble covering to be erected over the grave in which she lies.

• To my aunt Mary Smith, $100 to be pd in such articles as she may choose out of my store in South Berwick.

• To my bro Jacob M. Currier, $1,000, and to my 2 nephews John Currier and Thomas Currier, sons of my bro Jacob M. Currier, $500 each to be pd to them when they shall arrive at ae 21y.

• To my bro Ebenezer Currier, $1,000 provided he shall call for the same within 2y aft my dec. And I give to my nephew Horatio Currier, son of my bro Ebenezer, $500 to be pd when he shall arrive to ae 21y, and should he die bef he arrives to that age, I then order that the $500 shall be pd to his bro Cyrus Currier, son of my bro Ebenezer, when he shall arrive to ae 21y. I also give to my nephew Cyrus Currier 7 shares in the Dover turnpike and $40 yearly until he shall arrive at ae 21y to be appropriated to the clothing and education of my sd nephew under the direction of my sd bro Jacob Currier.

• To my sister Ruth Griffin, $1,000 to be pd in goods at my store in South Berwick.

• To my bro Daniel L. Currier, 2/3 of my fulling and oil mills and dwl house near the same in Berwick with 2/3 of the land privileges belonging thereto. To my nephew Micajah Currier, sone of my sd bro Daniel L. Currier, 6 of my shares in the Dover turnpike.

• To my bro Samuel Currier for the exclusive purpose of discharging his debts, $500 to be pd in goods at my store in South Berwick under the direction of William Burleigh Esquire, and I give to the wife and chn of my sd bro Samuel my wharf in Somersworth.

• To my bro William Currier, all my wearing apparel, my watch an $1,000 to be pd in goods at my store in South Berwick; likewise my dwl house, barn and store with the land belonging to the same situate in Berwick at Doute’s Falls, so called.

• To my sister Hannah Brown and her chn, the house they now live in with the land adj the same and the rent of my store in South Berwick dur the life of my sister, and aft her dec I give to my nephew Micajah Brown, her son, the store aforesd; and I also give to my nephew Micajah Brown a lot of land in Berwick near Great Hill so called containing 36a which I bgt of Samuel Stanley.

• To my niece Hannah Brown and her bro called Warren Brown, a certain lot of land in Berwick near Ivory Hovey’s which I bgt of Thomas Goodwin, which land is to be at the disposal of my sister Hannah Brown dur the minority of my niece and nephew.

• To my sister Deborah Burleigh, all my h/h furniture which I shall not otherwise dispose of; likewise the dwl house, stable and land adj where I now live provided her husband, William Burleigh Esquire, shall furnish and advance from his own property a sum sufficient to purchase land designed for a burying ground and to build the tomb and erect the monument mentioned in this will within 1y and 6m aft my dec.

• To my sister Sally Currier, $1,500 to be pd in goods at my store in South Berwick; also my best bed, bedstead, bedding, curtains, 1 dozen of my best chairs, large mahogany table, work table, clock in the store, largest looking glass, bureau, mahogany card table, side board, and the castors which I bgt at the sale of Dudley Hubbard’s effects.

• To Joshua Roberts in testimony of my affection for him and the confidence I repose in his integrity, all the profits which have resulted from the business done by the firm of Joshua Roberts & Company, provided sd Roberts will deduct 25% from the amount of the stock transferred from the firm of J. Roberts and Company to the firm of Micajah Currier and Joshua Roberts as the goods are not worth so much as they were invoiced at. And I further will that all the stock remaining on hand and all my other property not otherwise disposed of in this will, shall be retained by the sd J. Roberts as stock in his hands and he shall continue to transact the business for the joint concern of himself and such as I shall hereafter name, taking 1/2 of all the net profits to his own use. And the sd Roberts shall have a right to retain the stock and transact the business so long as he shall manage the same to the satisfaction of my bro Jacob M. Currier and William Burleigh and the selectmen of South Berwick.

• To my parents [unnamed], so much of the profits resulting from the business which may be transacted by the sd Roberts as may be necessary for their comfort and accommodation; and I also give to my father [unnamed] my chaise. All the residue of the net profits resulting from the business, which shall not be appropriated to the comfort and accommodation of my parents, I order shall be equally div among my several brothers and sisters and their legal heirs.

Appt Jacob M. Currier, William Burleigh and Joshua Roberts exers.
Dated: 19 Feb 1817
Signed with his signature
Witnesses: Benjamin Green, Jere. Paul, Abigail Tebbets
In Probate: 17 Mar 1817
Consent: I Jacob Currier, father and heir at law to Micajah Currier late of South Berwick, Esquire, decd, certify my consent to the LW&T. [Dated] 13 Mar 1817. [Signed] Jacob Currier.

Portland Street Walking Tour
Main Street Walking Tour
The Brown Store
Old Berwick Historical Society Homepage