18th September 1855
Will of Margaret Bethel
Widow of John Delaney
From Notary Records of Alex.-Benjamin Sirois Duplessis
No. 5235
Quebec Archives Microfilm #4M01-5754

On the eighteenth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty five, before us the undersigned Notaries Public duly commissioned and sworn in and for that part of the Province of Canada, heretofore called Lower Canada, residing in the City of Quebec personally came and appeared Margaret Bethel of the place called St. Gabriel of Valcartier, widow of the late John Delaney, who being in good health of body and of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding, bless the Almighty God for the same, hath declared unto us the said Notaries that considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time hereof, therefore she wished to make, publish and declare her last will and testament and accordingly she did make, publish declare and dictate the same word for word unto us the said Notaries in manner following:

1st the Testatrix doth recommend her soul unto the hands of Almighty God her Creator and her body she commits to the earth to be interred in a manner suitable to her condition at the time of her decease.

2nd the Testatrix doth will that her just debts & funeral expenses be fully paid and satisfied by her Executor hereinafter named as soon as conveniently may be after her decease.

3rd the Testatrix to recompense and give a mark of her gratitude to Maria Delaney, her daughter dwelling now with her for the love, attention and care that she bears towards her the said Testatrix, the said Testatrix doth give and bequeath unto her the said Maria Delaney her said daughter half of a certain lot of land situated at the above said place of St. Gabriel of Valcartier being the Lot Number Thirteen in the Fourth Range together with half of the house, barn, stable and other buildings thereon erected, and also the said Testatrix doth give and bequeath unto the said Maria Delaney her said daughter all and singular the moveable property or articles, household furniture, ready money and all other effects and things belonging to the said Testatrix at the time of her decease of what nature and kind the same may be to have and to hold the same by the said Maria Delaney as her own property from the time of the decease of her the said Testatrix who hereby institutes the said Maria Delaney her universal and residuary legatee for such is her true last will and testament, the said Testatrix annulling and cancelling all other former will and codicils she may have done before these presents.

And lastly, the said Testatrix for the execution of her present last will and testament  doth hereby nominate and appoint Andrew Sweeney of the City of Quebec, Shoemaker.

Thus done, dictated and named by the said Testatrix to Alexandre Benjamin Sirois one of the undersigned Notaries, his colleague being present, and the present last will and testament having been read and read over again to the said Testatrix by one of the said Notaries, the other being present, she the said Testatrix persisted in the same in the City of Quebec in the office of the said Alexandre Benjamin Sirois, on the day and year first above written, under the number five thousand two hundred and thirty five and the said Testatrix being requested to sign her name hath declared not to know how to write or sign her name and the said Notaries signed in faith and testimony of the premises.

Chs. Parent, N.P, his signature;

A.B. Sirois, N.P., his signature

Transcribed by Gerald Neville, 2011

Notes by Patricia Balkcom:  Margaret died 12 years later on the 28th of July 1867 at about 80 years old.  She and John Delaney had nine known children, Maria, was the youngest.