| 15th September 1898 Will of Ellen Clear Widow of James Neville | From records of Notary Cyrille Renaud No. 1840 Transcribed from the original at the Quebec Archives |
On this fifteenth day of September, one thousand eight hundred and ninety eight, before me Cyrille Renaud, Public Notary, residing in the Parish of St. Ambroise and Peter Murphy and John McLaughlin, both of the Parish of Ste. Catherine, Farmers, witnesses requested for the effects of these presents, personally came and appeared Ellen Clean, widow of the late James Neville, of Ste. Catherine, Farmer, who being of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding hath requested us the said Notary and witnesses to write down and receive in due form of law her last will and testament which she 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 my son Patrick Neville all my moveable and immoveable properties wherever the same may be found and to whatever the same may shall amount, hereby constituting my said son Patrick my universal legatee, to the charge to pay the sum of one hundred dollars that I owe Michael Clear and to the charge to pay Michael Neville, Farmer, Kate Neville and Mary Neville to each of them the sum of twenty five dollars.
I nominate, constitute and appoint my said son Patrick Neville as Executor of this my will and testament. I revoke all wills and testament & 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 Testatrix to the said Notary in the presence of witnesses aforesaid, read by the said Notary to the said Testatrix in presence of aforesaid witnesses, who declared to understand fully and persist therein.
Done and passed in Ste. Catherine at the residence of the said Testatrix under Notarial Number fourteen hundred and seventy.
The Testatrix having declared her inability to sign her name has made her mark in presence of Notary and witnesses and the Notary and witnesses have signed in the presence of the Testatrix and in the presence of each other.
Ellen Clear, her mark;
John McLaughlin, his signature;
Peter Murphy, his signature;
Cy. Renaud, N.P., his signature
Transcribed by Gerald Neville in 2011
Notes by Patricia Balkcom: Ellen died three weeks later (06 October 1898) at the age of 56 years. Her husband, James Neville had died 16 years earlier in 1882. Her four children are mentioned in the will. A fifth child died in infancy.