| 5th October 1885 Will of William Corcoran (husband of Susan McGee) | From records of Notary Edouard Antill Panet No. 2801 Transcribed from the original at the Quebec Archives |
On this fifth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty five at the hour of two of the clock in the afternoon, at the special insistence and request of Mr. William Corcoran, Farmer, residing in the Parish of Saint Catherine in the County of Portneuf, I, Édouard Antill Panet, the undersigned Notary Public duly commissioned and sworn in and residing and practicing in the Parish of Saint Raymond in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, accompanied by James Conway and Thomas Guilfoyle, farmers residing in the said Parish of Ste. Catherine, witnesses required by law and expressly asked by the Testator herein named, for the witnesses of his present last will and testament, reported to the residence of the said William Corcoran in the said Parish of Sainte Catherine and there finding the said William Corcoran sitting upon a chair, unwell, but of sound and disposing mind, memory, judgment and understanding as it appeared unto us, Notary and witnesses, from his words and actions yet knowing and considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time thereof, and being desirous of regulating his worldly affairs whilst yet he hath the strength so to do, hath named and dictated to the said undersigned Notary in the presence of said witnesses his last will and testament in the manner and form following:
1º I recommend my soul to Almighty God my Creator in the humble hope that he will receive the same to his favor through the sole merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
2º I will & order that my just debts and funeral expenses be first paid by the Executor hereinafter named.
3º I will and order that after my decease, my body be committed to the grave to be interred in a manner suitable to my station in life and according to the rites and solemnities of the Holy Roman Catholic Church and faith of which I am a member, I leaving it however to my Executor to fix and arrange the manner & expense of my funeral and that a grand mass be said over my remains the day of my funeral.
4º I give, devise and bequeath to my well beloved wife, Dame Susan McGee, one good milch cow, also an annual life rent of the sum of five dollars a year, to be paid her, so long as she lives, and in payments of one dollar each, whenever the said Susan McGee should require it.
5º I give, devise and bequeath to my well beloved son, Patrick Corcoran, at present residing with me, the whole of my property, moveable and immoveable, rights, actions, claims, demands, money and shares, the moveable property consisting of horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, fowl, farm utensils, house utensils and all other moveable articles without exception or reserve and wherever situate and the following immoveable property which is described as follows:
-1. A lot of land situate in the Parish of Sainte Catherine in the Seigniory of Fossambault being lot number forty two of the Seventh Range and containing said lot of land, three arpents in front by thirty arpents in depth and lot now known and distinguished upon the official plan and Book of Reference for the County of Portneuf and Parish of Sainte Catherine as lot official number six hundred and four (No. 604) with the buildings thereon erected.
-2º Two lots of land situate in the said Parish of Sainte Catherine in the said Seigniory of Fossambault being lot numbers forty five and forty six (Nos. 45 and 46) of the Seventh Range of the said Seigniory and containing each lot three arpents of land in front by thirty arpents in depth, without buildings thereon erected, said lots now known and distinguished upon the official plan and Book of Reference for the County of Portneuf and Parish of Sainte Catherine as lots official numbers six hundred and seven and six hundred and eight (Nos. 607 & 608).
The whole of my moveable and immoveable property above mentioned to be my said son Patrick Corcoran, used, enjoyed and disposed of by him after my decease in full property and ownership, hereby instituting him my universal residuary legatee and devisee in full property and Executor of this my present last will and testament subject to the charge and obligation nevertheless on the part of my said son Patrick of living in the house I have been living in up to the time of my death and as long as his said mother lives, and of keeping with him and in common in the same home, his mother and my wife Susan McGee so long as she lives and during that time to feed, clothe and furnish her with all the necessities of life, such as she has been accustomed to during my life time, attend to her in sickness and old age, and have all the care of her that a dutiful son should have of his mother and do all in his power to give his mother a peaceful and quiet life, and upon her death have her buried decently according to her station in life, but should his said mother leave my son Patrick to reside elsewhere then the said Patrick Corcoran will be bound to contribute to her board and support as long as she lives away from him owing to the said Susan McGee not being able to live peaceful with her said son Patrick and his family in case of his marrying, the said board not to cost more than twenty four dollars a year and which my said son Patrick will be bound to pay monthly and I hereby revoke all former and last wills and codicils by me heretofore made wishing and ordering that the present alone be followed after my decease.
It is thus named, dictated and nominated by the said Testator to the said undersigned Notary in presence of said witnesses of his own free will and accord at his residence of the said Parish of Saint Catherine on the day, month and year and hour first above written.
In faith and testimony whereof the said Testator declaring his inability to sign or write his name hath made his usual mark of a cross, in the presence of the said Notary and witnesses, who have each signed with and in the presence of the said testator and in the presence of each other, these presents having been first duly read in his presence and that of the said witnesses by the said Notary, the said testator persisting herein after the reading thereof as fully to embody and contain his last will and intentions. These presents having been filed of record in the office of the undersigned Notary under the number two thousand eight hundred and one.
Six marginal notes are good. Seven words erased are null and void.
William Corcoran, his mark;
James Conway; his signature;
Thomas Guilfoyle, his signature;
E.A. Panet, N.P., his signature
Transcribed by Gerald Neville in 2011
Notes by Patricia Balkcom: Patrick was the fifth of William’s six known sons. I have not found a burial record for William or Susan.