| 13th August 1896 Last Will of Thomas Dacres Husband of Mary Jane Conn | From records of Cyrille Renaud No. 1151 Quebec Archives – Translated from the Original |
On this thirteenth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety six, before me Cyrille Renaud Public Notary residing in the Parish of St. Ambroise of Jeune Lorette and Pierre Savard, Merchant, & Joseph Fournier, Carriage Maker, both of the Parish of St. Ambroise witnesses requested for the effect of these presents, personally appeared Thomas Dacres, Farmer, residing in the Township of Stoneham who being of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding hath requested us the said Notary and witnesses to write down and receive in due form of law his last will and testament which he has declared in manner & form following, that is to say:
Firstly, I most willingly resign my soul into the hands of Almighty God my Creator in the humble hope that he will receive it to his favor through the sole merits and intercession of Jesus Christ my Saviour.
Secondly, I desire that all my just debts, funeral and testamentary expenses be paid by my Executrix hereinafter named, as soon as possible after my death.
Thirdly, I give and bequeath to my son Robert Conn Dacres my parts of the number (69) sixty nine of the Cadastral Plan of St. Edmond of Stoneham situated to the south of the Huron River, bounded to the north by the said Huron River, to the south by John McCune and to the east by Plamondon, to the charge to pay to my death the half of the hypothec and mortgage remaining due to Mistress John Conn the other half being payable to my other son Albert Thomas Dacres. And to the charge also to pay the sum of fifty dollars to Catherine Dacres wife of William McKee and to Margaret Dacres wife of James McCartney the sum of thirty seven dollars & fifty cents.
Fourthly, I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Mary Jane Conn the use, usufruct and enjoyment during the term of her natural life of the remainder of my moveable and immoveable properties, hereby constituting my said wife my universal usufructuary legatee but if she contract a second marriage she shall lose this usufruct.
Fifthly, I give to my son Albert Thomas Dacres the vue propriété of all my moveable and immoveable properties of which the usufruct is herein granted to his mother to the charge following: to pay half of the hypothec and mortgage remaining due to Mistress John Conn and to pay to his sisters Mary Jane, wife of Samuel Rourke, to Elizabeth Ann, Edith Gertrude, Rhoda Ma, to each the sum of thirty seven dollars and fifty cents. These last sums of money will be payable five years after the death of the Testator and also five years after the death of his wife without interest. The sum due to his two sisters by Robert Conn Dacres will be payable by installment of twenty five dollars by year to each of his sisters after the payment of the hypothec to Mistress John Conn without interest.
I nominate, constitute and appoint my wife Mary Jane Conn as Executrix of this my present will and testament. I revoke all wills and codicils I may have heretofore made and I declare the present to be my only true last will and testament.
The present will was thus declared by the said testator to the said Notary and by the said Notary, in presence of witnesses read to the testator who declared to understand it fully and persist therein.
Done & passed at St. Ambroise under Notarial Number eleven hundred and fifty one, and signed by the said testator and witnesses and the Notary and witnesses also hereunto subscribing in his presence and in the presence of each other.
Thomas Dacres, his signature;
Pierre Savard, his signature;
Joseph Fournier, his signature;
Cy. Renaud, N.P., his signature
Transcribed by Gerald Neville, July 2011
Notes by Patricia Balkcom: Thomas died one year later on the 6th of October, 1897 at the reported age of 68 years. Three of his known twelve children, Janet, Thomas and John are not mentioned in the will.