19th November 1852 Last Will of William Corrigan Husband of Margaret Brown

From records of Notary Edward George Cannon Record No. 1406 Quebec Archives Microfilm #4M01-1570

On the nineteenth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty two, before us the undersigned Notaries Public duly commissioned and sworn in and for that part of the Province of Canada heretofore constituting the Province of Lower Canada and residing in the City of Quebec, in  this said Province personally came, appeared and was present William Corrigan of the place called St. Gabriel de Valcartier, Farmer, who being in good bodily health and of sound mind and understanding as to us appeared by his manner and conversation and considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of its hour hath declared unto us the said Notaries that he desired to make his last will and testament which he hath requested of us the said Notaries to receive which, we Edward George Cannon one of the said Notaries in the presence of Mtre. Philippe Huot our confrere, have taken down as dictated to us by the said William Corrigan word for word and as follows, viz.,

First, the said Testator doth recommend his soul unto Almighty God and direct that his body be committed to the earth with descent and Christian burial at the discretion of his Executors hereinafter named.

And secondly as to the worldly estate with which it hath pleased God  to bless him the said testator doth give and devise, direct and dispose in respect thereof as follows, that is to say,

1º That all his just and lawful debts and funeral expenses be fully paid and satisfied.

2º He gives, devises and bequeaths unto his beloved wife Margaret Brown, the usufruct and enjoyment for and during her life so long as she may live and so long as she may remain single, his farm at St. Gabriel de Valcartier aforesaid together with all the household furniture, farming utensils, livestock that he may be possessed of at the time of his decease and after the decease of the said Margaret Brown his beloved wife to give to his son Edward Corrigan subject by him of paying  to Thomas Corrigan his brother after he shall have been four years in possession of the said farm, furniture, farming utensils, and live stock, the sum of fifty pounds current money of this Province to be to him paid once paid and satisfied.

3º He gives, devises  and bequeaths unto his beloved son James Corrigan his farm situate and being in the Third Concession of St. Gabriel de Valcartier, known as “Tannaryeau [?]” farm subject by him the said James Corrigan of paying to his sister Margaret Corrigan the sum of thirty pounds said current money five years after he shall have been in possession of the said farm.

4º He gives, devises and bequeaths unto his beloved son Michael Corrigan a farm in the Township of Stoneham bounded on the one side towards the North by William Corrigan, on the other side towards the South by one McKee, in the front towards the East by the concession line lands, in the rear towards the West by one Mooney and Miller subject by the said Michael Corrigan of paying to Eliza Ann Jane Corrigan the sum of forty pounds said current money 5 years after the said Michael Corrigan shall been in possession of the said lot of land and farm.

5º He doth hereby give, devise and bequeath to Jesse Corrigan his daughter the sum of thirty pounds to be taken out of a larger sum of forty pounds current money due to the said Testator by his son John Corrigan by virtue of a certain deed of donation made and granted by the said Testator to the said John Corrigan and passed before Mtre. Louis Panet and his confrere Notaries the tenth day of August which was in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty and payable the said sum of forty pounds said current money in two payments. This first payment whereof is to be made on the first day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty five and the second in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty six, together with two cows.

And the balance of forty pounds said current money by the said Testator doth hereby give and bequeath to the said Margaret Corrigan, his daughter, and he the said Testator doth hereby give and bequeath all and every of the remainder of his  property at the time of his decease to the said Margaret Brown his said wife hereby constituting and appointing the said Margaret Brown his said wife his residuary legatee.

And lastly he doth hereby name, constitute and appoint the said Margaret Brown, his said wife, and the said John Corrigan, his son, Executors of this his last will and testament hereby revoking all other wills, testaments and codicils that he may have made prior to the present to which alone he doth adhere as containing his true intentions and last will.

Thus done and dictated word for word and published and dictated by the said Testator as made for his last will and testament to and in the presence of the said Notaries the day and year first above written under the number one thousand four  hundred and six.

In faith and testimony whereof the said Testator hath to these presents first twice duly read by one of us the said Notaries in the presence of the other set and subscribed his name and signed here in the presence of us the said Notaries with him hereunto also subscribing.

N.B. Thirteen marginal notes approved good.

William Corrigan, his signature; Philippe Huot, N.P., his signature; E.G. Cannon, N.P., his signature.

NOTE: The Donation by William Corrigan to John Corrigan on August 10, 1850 is Record Number 11,754 of Notary Louis Panet’s Records.

Transcribed by Gerald Neville, June, 2011

Note by Patricia Balkcom:  Eight of William’s children are mentioned in the will, four are not – Ellen, William, Mary and Thomas Patrick.