| 29th October 1896 Will of William Broom | From the Notary Records of Cyrille Renaud Record #1172 Transcribed from the Original Will at the Quebec Archives |
On this twenty ninth day of October, one thousand eight hundred and ninety six, before me Cyrille Renaud Public Notary residing in the parish of St. Ambroise of Jeune Lorette, personally appeared Mr. William Broom, Farmer, residing in the Parish of St. Gabriel who being of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding hath requested me, the said Notary and witnesses, to write down and receive in due form of law his last will and testament which he has declared in manner and form following, that is to say:
1º I desire that all my just debts, funeral and testamentary expenses be paid by my Executor hereinafter named as soon as possible after my death.
2º I give and bequeath to Samuel Shanks and his wife Helen Broom, my sister, Farmer of Valcartier the use and usufruct during the term of their natural lives of all my moveable and immoveable properties.
3º I give and I bequeath one cow to my said sister Helen Broom.
4º I give and bequeath to my nephew James Johnson, Farmer residing in the said Parish of Valcartier the vue propriété of all my said moveable and immoveable properties and the use and usufruct after the death of Samuel Shanks and Helen Broom, father and mother-in-law of James Johnson, that I constitute my universal legatee and the sum of sixty dollars due to Joseph Fournier of St. Ambroise will be paid half by Samuel Shanks and his wife and the other half by James Johnson.
5º I nominate, constitute and appoint the said James Johnson as Executor of this my will.
6º I revoke all will and codicils I may have heretofore made and I declare the present to be my only true last will and testament.
The present will was thus declared by the said Testator to the said Notary in presence of Thomas Holton and Michael Holton both farmers of St. Gabriel of Valcartier, witnesses requested for the effects of these presents, read to the said Testator by said Notary in presence of said witnesses, who declared to understand it fully and persist therein.
Done and passed at Valcartier in the residence of said Testator, under Notarial Number eleven hundred & seventy two. And after the reading of these presents as aforesaid the Testator having declared his inability to sign his name has made his mark in the presence of Notary and witnesses and the Notary and witnesses have signed in presence of Testator and in presence of each other.
Two marginal notes are good.
William Broom, his mark;
Thomas Holton, his signature;
Michael Holton, his signature;
Cy. Renaud, N.P., his signature
(Transcribed by Gerry Neville – August, 2011)
Notes by Patricia Balkcom: William died a year later on the 13th of September 1897 at the reported age of 80 years. Although he names James Johnson as his nephew and heir, it is confusing as to what relationship existed. James was the husband of Miriam Broom, whose parents were Robert and Helen Broom. Helen Broom, William’s sister, is listed as a spinster in her marriage record to Samuel Shanks. (So who were Robert and Helen Broom?)