| 18th November 1864 Last Will of Laughlan Henry Coughlan Husband of Margaret Mary Loughren | From records of Notary Benjamin Lelievre No. 1309 Quebec Archives Film #4MO1-4421, Images 648+ |
On this day the eighteenth of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty four, I the undersigned Notary Public duly commissioned and sworn for Lower Canada residing in the District of Quebec at the request of Laughlan Henry Coughlan, residing in the Seigniory of St. Gabriel at the place called ValCartier, cabinetmaker, went to the residence of the said Laughlan Henry Coughlan situate at ValCartier aforesaid.
Where being in the presence of John Sullivan, Esquire, Land Surveyor and Michael Maher, farmer, both residing in the Parish of St. Catherine, County of Portneuf, witnesses hereunto required for the purposes hereof, the said witnesses signing with me the said Notary . I found the said Laughlan Henry Coughlan, attending to his household affairs, being sound of mind, memory, judgment and understanding as appeared to me the said Notary and to the said above named and undersigned witnesses by his actions, discourse and words.
And the said Laughlan Henry Coughlan considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the hour thereof, doth hereby make, publish, dictate, and declare to Benjamin Lelievre, the said undersigned Notary in the presence of the said above named witnesses, her last will and testament in manner following. That is to say, the said Laughlan Henry Coughlan recommends his soul to God, his Creator, when it shall please Him to dissolve his mortal body hoping for a free remission and pardon of her sins through the intercession of his blessed Son and Savior.
The said Laughlan Henry Coughlan doth hereby give and bequeath unto Margaret Mary Loughran, his wife, all his moveable and immoveable property generally sum and sums of money whether by bond, note of hand, obligation, deed or otherwise, save except and reserving all his Cabinet Maker tools which he doth hereby give and bequeath unto James Coughlan, his infant, son, in full property and this at the charge by the said Margaret Mary Loughran, his said wife, of keeping the same safe, until the said James Coughlan shall attaint the age of fifteen, at which age he shall have the use of them, without however having the right of selling or otherwise disposing of the said tools until he shall have attained the full age of twenty one. And in the event of the said James Coughlan deceasing before attaining the full age of twenty one or without leaving any legitimate heirs, then and in that case the said Cabinet Maker’s tools shall be the property and belong to the said Margaret Mary Loughran.
The said Margaret Mary Loughran to have, hold, use, possess and enjoy the said moveable and immoveable property sum and sums of money, in full property and after the day of the decease of the said Laughlan Henry Coughlan.
The said Laughlan Henry Coughlan directs that all her just and lawful debts be paid.
The said Laughlan Henry Coughlan doth hereby nominate, constitute and appoint the person of the said Margaret Mary Loughran, his said wife, as Executrix of this his last will and testament whom he doth hereby request to render him this last act of kindness.
The said Laughlan Henry Coughlan doth hereby annul, cancel, objurgate, and make void all former will or wills which may have been heretofore made and executed by him the said Laughlan Henry Coughlan.
Thus done, made and dictated word by word by the said Laughlan Henry Coughlan to the said Benjamin Lelievre, the said undersigned Notary in the presence of the said undersigned, on the day and year, first above written, under the number one thousand three hundred and nine and after having read and re-read the present last will and Testament to the said Laughlan Henry Coughlan, in the presence of the said above and named and undersigned witnesses, which he declared well to understand, the said Laughlan Henry Coughlan, hath persisted therein as being his last will and meaning, and the said Laughlan Henry Coughlan and the said above named and undersigned witnesses have signed with me the said Notary in faith and testimony of the promises.
Words struck out are null. Marginal notes approved are good.
Laughlan Henry Coughlan, his signature
John Sullivan, his signature
Michael Meagher, his signature
Benjamin Lelievre, his signature.
Transcribed by Patricia Balkcom, 2 November, 2010
My Notes: Laughlan died five months later on the 13th of April 1865 at the age of thirty. I would suspect that he had an illness such as consumption (tuberculosis) since he was aware of his impending death at an early age. A second son, Arthur, was born to his wife three months following his death. They also had a daughter, Mary Ellen, who had been born in 1860.