| 17th September 1897 Last Will of Harriet Darbyson Wife of Alexander Dean | From the Notary Records of Edouard Antill Panet #5275 Transcribed from the Original at the Quebec Archives |
On this seventeenth day of September one thousand eight hundred and ninety seven, at the special instance and request of Dame Harriet Darbyson, wife of Alexander Dean, residing in the Parish of Saint Raymond, Farmer, I, Édouard Antill Panet the undersigned Notary Public duly commissioned and sworn in and residing and practising in the Parish of Saint Raymond, Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, accompanied by the Reverend James B. Debbage, Incumbent of Bourg-Louis, residing in the said Parish of Saint Raymond and John Darbyson also of the same place, Farmer, witnesses requested by law, and expressly demanded by the said Dame Harriet Darbyson to witnesses her last will and testament, repaired to the residence in the said Parish of Saint Raymond of the said Dame Harriet Darbyson and there finding her ill but sitting up in a chair in a room on the ground floor of the home and of sound and disposing mind, memory, judgment and understanding as it appeared unto us said Notary and witnesses from her words and actions and considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time thereof, and being desirous of regulating her worldly affairs whilst yet she has the strength left to do so, hath named, dictated and nominated unto us said Notary and witnesses, her last will and testament in the manner & form following:
1º I recommend my soul to Almighty God my Creator in the hope that he will receive the same to his favor.
2º I will and order that my just debts, funeral and testamentary expenses be first paid by my Executor hereinafter named leaving it to my Executor to fix and arrange the manner and expense of my funeral.
3º I give, devise and bequeath to one of my well beloved daughters, Elizabeth, the bed room set she gave me on my birthday, consisting of three pieces, bed stead, chiffonier & bureau with bolsters and two pillows and a ten year old bull, brown color.
4º I give, devise and bequeath to another of my well beloved daughters, Catherine, my sewing machine, a small round table, a rocking chair, a china tea set, and pictures, two of which are framed, and one milch cow, colored white.
5º I give, devise and bequeath to another of my well beloved daughters, Sarah Anne, one brown milch cow, three chairs, a feather bolster and two pillows.
6º I give, devise and bequeath to my well beloved son, Thomas, the sum of thirty dollars payable three years after my decease.
And as to the residue and remainder of my moveable and immoveable property, ready money, rights and actions, which I may die possessed of, I give, devise and bequeath the same in full property and ownership to my well beloved husband, Alexander Dean, hereby instituting him my universal residuary legatee and devisee, subject to charge however of receiving and welcoming at all times my children, hereby naming and appointing my said husband Executor of this my present last will and testament, extending his powers as such Executor beyond the day and year allowed by law, and dispossessing myself of all my property into his hands.
It was thus named, dictated and nominated by the said Testatrix of her own free will and accord to us said Notary in the presence of said witnesses and the said Testatrix persisted herein after the reading thereof to fully embody and contain her last will and intentions.
Done and passed at Saint Raymond in the residence of the said Testatrix on the day, month and year first above written under the number five thousand two hundred and seventy five of the official deeds remaining of record in the office of the said undersigned Notary.
In testimony whereof the said Testatrix hath signed this her present last will and testament with and in the presence of said Notary and witnesses who have each signed with and in the presence of the said Testatrix and in the presence of each other, these presents having been first duly read by the said undersigned Notary to the said Testatrix in presence of said witnesses.
Harriet Dean, her signature;
James B. Debbage, his signature;
John Darbyson, his signature;
E.A. Panet, N.P., his signature
Transcribed by Gerald Neville, February, 2012