| 28th December 1844 Last Will of John Donovan | From records of Notary Jean-Olivier Brunet No. 14 Quebec Archives Film #4MO1-1528A |
On this day the twenty eight day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty four at one o’clock in the afternoon, We the undersigned Notary Public duly admitted and sworn in and for the Province of Canada hereintofore called Province of Lower Canada and residing in the Parish of Sainte Catherine Fossambault District of Quebec in the said Province and before Mr. John Johnson, Merchant of the said Parish of Sainte Catherine and Patrick Keyhoe, Farmer of the said Parish of Sainte Catherine of Fossambault witnesses having been called and requested mandés et requis by Mr. John Donovan, Farmer of the said Parish of Sainte Catherine went to his residence situate and being in the six range of the said Parish of Sainte Catherine of Fossambault and then and there being we found the said John Donovan sitting in a room apparently in good health of body and in a sound and perfect mind, memory, and understanding who desired us the said us the said Notary in the presence of the said witnesses to write down and receive in due form of Law, his last Will and Testament which he instantly published, dictated, word by word unto us the said Notary and witnesses in manner and form following, that is to say,
First, I resign my soul into the hands of Almighty God hoping and believing a remission of my sins by the merits and mediations of Jesus Christ my blessed Saviour, and my body I commit to the earth to be buried according to the rights of the Church with a grand Mass for the repose of my soul.
2º I give and bequeath to my sons to William Donovan the half lot of the Number 15 of the six range in the Parish of Sainte Catherine on condition that the said William Donovan will pay the half of all my debts that there will be at the time of my decease and further will give to his sister Judy Donovan two pairs of blankets, a counterpane, a pair of sheets and a bedstick at her majority.
3º thereby the remainder of all my property moveable and immoveable leave and bequeath to my son Michael Donovan on condition that he shall prove a kind son to my wife, his mother, as long as she will live and when she dies he will bury her as myself with one Grand Mass for the repose of her soul. And also the said give to his sister Eliza Donovan at her majority a pair of blankets, a counterpane, a pair of sheets, and a bedstick.
It was thus published, made, dictated, and named word by word by the said John Donovan, Testator, unto us the said Notary at the said Parish of Sainte Catherine of Fossambault on the day and year first above written; and the said present Will and Testament having been afterwards read in full over and over again lu et relus to the said Testator by the said Notary in the presence of the undersigned witnesses, the said Testator declared that he had perfectly heard and understood, the same found it to contain his true and last will and intention that therefore persisted therein and signed the same together with us the said Notary, and the witnesses in faith and testimony of the premises signed.
John Donovan, his signature
John Johnson, his signature
Patrick Keyhoe, his signature
Jean Olivier Brunet Notary, his signatureanscribed by Gerry Neville
Transcribed by Gerald Neville, January, 2011