5th February 1879
Last Will of Thomas Brown
Husband of Mary Billing
From records of Jean-Baptiste Delage
Record No. 5068
Transcribed from Quebec Archives Online

On this day, the fifth of February one thousand eight hundred and seventy nine, before the undersigned Notary Public for the Province of Quebec in the Dominion of Canada, residing in the City of Quebec, and William McBain, Senior, and William Hornby, Farmers of the Parish of St. Gabriel of Valcartier, witnesses to the effects hereof personally came and appeared Thomas Brown of said Parish of St. Gabriel of Valcartier, County of Quebec, Farmer, who made as follows his last will and testament: 

1st I give, devise and bequeath to John and Thomas Brown, my sons, to each of them four hundred dollars.

2nd I give, devise and bequeath to James Brown, my other son, a sum of two hundred dollars.

3rd I give, devise and bequeath to Mary Jane Brown, my daughter, wife of Adam Wright, and  Margaret Brown, my other daughter, wife of James Montgomery, to each of them a sum of one hundred and fifty dollars.

4th I give, devise and bequeath to my said daughters Mary Jane and Margaret, the balance of the money I may die possessed of after the payment of my debts & funeral expenses.

5th Those legacies are made in favor of my said children on the express condition they will renounce in favor of my universal legatee hereinafter named to the dower or right to a dower they may or might claim in or on my immoveable properties & sign gratis a deed to that effect.

6th I give & bequeath to Curtis Brown my other son the right of cutting fire wood & such other timber he may require on my lot of ground situate in the Seigniory of St. Ignace.

7th I give, devise and bequeath to Mary Billing my beloved wife all furniture, cattle, horses, agricultural implements and every other effect of any kind & nature I may die possessed of in full ownership.

8th I further give & bequeath to my said wife during her life time the usufruct of my immoveable properties and the vue propriété of the same to Andrew and Benjamin Brown, my youngest sons, instituting them my universal legatees in full ownership to have & to hold the same from the day of the death of their mother.

The present last will and testament received by Jean Baptiste Delage, the undersigned Notary in the presence of said witnesses, having been read to the Testator by the said Notary in the presence of said witnesses, he declared well to understand the same and has persisted in the same as containing his last intentions.

Thus done and executed at St. Gabriel of Valcartier aforesaid, dwelling of the Testator, under the number five thousand and sixty eight of the records of said Notary.

In witness whereof the said Testator hath signed with and in the presence of the said Notary and witnesses who have also signed with and in the presence of said Testator and in the presence of one another after the reading done.

One marginal note good & thirty three words erased are null.

Thomas Brown, his signature;

Wm. McBain, his signature;

William Hornby, his signature;

J.B. Delage, N.P., his signature

Transcribed by Gerald Neville, June, 2011