10th February 1869
Last Will of Lawrence Corrigan
Husband of Isabella Bonnalie
From records of John Childs
No. 5288
Quebec Archives Microfilm #4M01-1604

Before me the undersigned Notary Public duly admitted, commissioned and sworn residing at the City of Quebec in the Province of Quebec in the Dominion of Canada and the witnesses hereinafter denominated and qualified, personally came and appeared Mr. Lawrence Corrigan residing in the Parish of Valcartier, in the County of Quebec, Farmer, who being bodily sick but having the full and perfect enjoyment of all and every his intellectual and mental faculties as appeared unto the said Notary and witnesses by his discourse and proposals, declared unto me the said Notary in presence of the said witnesses that considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the hour thereof and being desirous of arranging his temporal affairs in order to be better prepared to leave this world whenever it may please Almighty God to call him home, he desired to make this his last solemn will and testament which he required me the said Notary to receive and write down and which he named and dictated unto said Notary in presence of the said witnesses in manner and form following, viz.:

Firstly and principally, I recommend my soul to Almighty God beseeching Him thro’ the merits of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior to pardon my manifold sins and receive me into His Heavenly Kingdom.

Secondly, I do will and ordain that as soon as possible after my decease all my just debts be paid and satisfied and wrongs by me done, if any, scrupulously repaired by my Testamentary Executor hereinafter appointed and named in the discretion and prudence of whom I rely for my funeral ceremonials, as also for services and masses for the repose of my soul.

Thirdly, I do hereby give and bequeath unto John Corrigan, one of my sons, Farmer, my Lot of land situate and being in the said Parish of Valcartier being number Ten of the Fifth Range on the North West side of River Jacques Cartier containing threes acres in breadth by thirty acres in depth, bounded in front by the said River and in the rear by unconceded lands, on the one side by Patrick Corrigan and on the other side by myself, together with the house and other buildings thereon erected circumstances and dependencies, under condition that he shall build a stable for his brother Lawrence on Lot number Eight or Nine at the option of the latter, whenever required to do so, and finish the same ready for use.

Fourthly, I do hereby give and bequeath unto Lawrence Corrigan, another of my sons, my Lots of Land situate and being in the said Parish of Valcartier being numbers Eight and Nine of the said Fifth Range on the North West side of the River Jacques Cartier, and containing three acres in front by thirty acres in depth, bounded in front by the said River and in rear by the said unconceded Lands, on one side by the Lot herein above firstly described and on the other side by Joseph Harris the said two Lots being contiguous to each other, together with the House and other buildings thereon erected, circumstances and dependencies.

Fifthly, I do hereby give and bequeath unto Michael Corrigan, another of my sons, the sum of fifty pounds to be paid to him on demand by my universal residuary legatee hereinafter named.

Sixthly, I do hereby give and bequeath unto Catherine Corrigan, my youngest daughter, the sum of twenty five pounds to be paid to her on demand after the decease of my present wife, her mother.

Seventhly, I do hereby give and bequeath unto Jessie Corrigan, another of my daughters, spouse of John Neil, the sum of  ten pounds to be paid to her on demand after my decease, by my said universal residuary legatee.

Eighthly, I do hereby give and bequeath unto Dame Isabella Bonnalie my beloved wife all and every the remainder of my property of which I may die possessed, whatever nature and value the same may be and wheresoever the same may be situated and found, for her to enjoy, use and dispose thereof from the day of my decease as she may think proper, hereby naming her my universal residuary legatee.

Ninthly, I do will and ordain that until such time as my two sons will cultivate their respective Lots of Land above-mentioned on their own respective behalf and that they continue to live as at present in common that the manure to be derived from the stock in common shall be equally divided on said Lands.

Tenthly, I do hereby name and appoint as the joint Executors of my present will and testament the persons of Messrs. Patrick Cassin and James McCartney both of the said Parish of Valcartier, Farmers, into the hands of whom I do hereby divest and disseize myself of all my said property according to law.

Eleventhly, I do hereby cancel and revoke all other wills and codicils by me made before this present one which alone I consider contains my true intentions and last will and desire.

It was thus done, dictated and named by the said Testator unto the said Notary in presence of the said Patrick Cassin and James McCartney and these presents having been duly read unto the said Testator by John Childs the said Notary in presence of the said witnesses, he declared that he well heard and understood the same and persisted therein.

For this done and executed at the residence aforesaid of the said Testator on the tenth day of February in the forenoon in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty nine under the number five thousand two hundred and eighty eight, and the said Testator hath signed these presents together with the said witnesses and me the said Notary in faith and testimony of the premises first duly read over again according to law.

Two marginal notes approved and four words erased are null.

Lawrence Corrigan, his signature;

Patrick Cassin, his signature;

James McCartney, his signature;

J. Childs, N.P., his signature

Transcribed by Gerald Neville, July 2011

Notes by Patricia Balkcom:  Lawrence died 5 months later on the 1st of July at the reported age of 86.  He had twelve known children, two predeceased him.