| 26th December 1899 Last Will of Matthew Brown Husband of Mary Ireland | From records of Joseph-Désiré Marcoux Record No. 3788 Transcribed from Quebec Archives Online |
On twenty sixth day of the month of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety nine, before me Joseph Désiré Marcoux the undersigned Notary Public for the Province of Quebec residing and practising in the Parish of Beauport, personally came and appeared Mr. Matthew Brown, farmer, of the said Parish of Beauport.
Who in view of death has requested me the said Notary to receive his present last will which he did and doth hereby name and dictate to one the said Notary, in the presence of the two undersigned witnesses as follows, to wit:
Firstly, I do hereby give and bequeath to Mrs. Mary Ireland my beloved wife, all the property moveable and immoveable which I will die possessed of in whatsoever place it may be situated and of whatever value and nature it may be, to hold and begin to enjoy the same at the time of my decease, and I give my said wife the right and power to give the property of the said moveables and immoveables to one or two or all my children born of my marriage with her the said Mary Ireland at her discretion and the way she will see fit and proper and by share alike or not as she will judge and decide.
And I institute the said Mary Ireland my universal legatee in usufruct and I appoint and name her the Executrix of my present last will.
I revoke all former wills and codicils which I may have done previously to this one which contains my true and last will and intent.
It was thus made, named and dictated to me the said Notary by the said Mr. Matthew Brown, the Testator, in the presence in the presence of Mr. Antoine Grégoire Chalifour, Farmer, and Mr. James Gurry, Insurance agent, both of the said Parish of Beauport, witnesses and his present last will having been read to him by the said Notary in the presence of the said witnesses, the said Testator declared to well hear and understand the same in his residence in the said Parish of Beauport, on the day, month and year first above written, under the number three thousand seven hundred and eighty eight.
And the said Testator has signed with and in presence of us the said Notary and witnesses who have signed in the presence of the said Testator and in the presence of each other, after all the formalities required by law for the execution of the authentic last wills have been accomplished & fulfilled.
Five marginal notes approved are good. Eighteen words erased are null.
Matthew Brown, his signature;
Antoine G. Chalifour, his signature;
James F. Gurry, his signature;
J.D. Marcoux, N.P., his signature
Transcribed by Gerald Neville, June, 2011
Note by Patricia Balkcom: Matthew died on December 13th, 1905, at the reported age of 75 years.