27th July 1846
Will of Edmund Conway
Husband of Johanna Mackie
From records of Notary Jean-Olivier Brunet
No. 30
Quebec Archives Microfilm #4M01-1528

On this day, the twenty seventh day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty six at eleven o’clock in the forenoon, we the undersigned Notary Public duly admitted and sworn in and for the Province of Canada hereinafter called Province of Lower Canada and residing in the Parish of Sainte Catherine of Fossambault, District of Quebec, and before Hugh Paisley, Curé of the said Parish of Sainte Catherine of Fossambault and James Maher, Farmer of the Parish of Sainte Catherine of the Place called Lake St. Joseph, witnesses having been called and requested mandés et requis by Edmund Conway, Farmer, went to his residence at the Lake St. Joseph of the said Parish of Sainte Catherine of Fossambault then and there being we found the said Edmund Conway lying on a bed in a bedroom in the rear of the house apparently in good health of body and perfect of memory and understanding who desired me the said Notary and the witnesses to write down and receive in due form of law his last will and testament which he instantly published, made and dictated unto me the said Notary in manner and form following, that is to say:

First, I resign my soul into the hands of Almighty God hoping and believing a remission of my sins by the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, my Blessed Saviour and my body I commit to the earth to be buried in the cemetery in the Parish of Sainte Catherine according to the manner of the said John Conway my said Executor to whom I give all my properties, moveable and immoveable in reward of him having been always a dutiful son to me and Johanna Mckay [Mackie], his mother, as we have already made to him by a deed of Cession & Abandon passed and executed by Mtre. Dominique Lefrançois and witnesses on the first of April in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and forty.

It was thus published, made, dictated and named word for word by the said Edmund Conway, Testator, in presence of the undersigned witnesses, the said Testator did declare that he perfectly heard and understood the same, found it to contain his true last will and intentions, therefore persisted therein, and revoking all previous will made by him and declared that he could not sign his name being too weak so requested to do so by the said Notary and the witnesses.

Thus done, made and dictated word for word by the said Testator to the said Notary and witnesses at the said Parish of Ste. Catherine of Fossambault on the day and year first above written and the said present will and testament having been afterwards read in full over and again to the said Testator by the said Notary, the witnesses being present, the said Testator did declare he had perfectly understood & found it to contain his true last will and intentions persisted therein and declared he could not sign nor write his name as requested to do so by the said Notary and the witnesses in faith and testimony of the premises.

Two marginal notes approved are good. Four words struck are null.

J.-O. Brunet, Notary, his signature

________________

NOTE: Edmund appears as “Edouard” in the actual will.

Transcribed by Gerald Neville in 2011

Notes by Patricia Balkcom:  Edmund actually survived this illness and lived another  14 years (died 1859).  Edmund and Johanna had 4 daughters and 4 sons – John was the youngest son.