| 7th February 1875 Last Will of William Donovan Husband of Amelia Coughlan | From records of Louis-Silfroy Laroche No. 64 Quebec Archives Online |
Before me the undersigned Notary Public duly admitted, commissioned, and sworn, residing in the Parish of St. Ambroise de La Jeune Lorette in the Dominion of Canada in the province of Quebec personally came and appeared Mr. William Donovan, Farmer, residing in the Parish of St. Catherines, in the County of Portneuf, who enjoying all his mental faculties, memory, judgment, and understanding as it appeared to me the said Notary, and to the witnesses hereinafter mentioned by his discourses and proposals, and considering the certainty of death and the moment whereof he, the said William Donovan has requested me the said Notary to receive and make out his will & testament which he has now dictated to me, the said Notary in the presence of the witnesses hereinafter named and mentioned word by word as follows:
1º I recommend my soul to God Almighty and pray his Divine Mercy to forgive my sins and to receive my soul in his heavenly kingdom.
2º I do give and bequeath unto Amelia (Emelia) Coughlan my present wife, all my goods moveable and immoveable which I may die posed of, whatever may be their nature and amount and in whatever place they may be situated, to have and to hold my said goods moveable and immoveable unto the said Amelia Coughlan, my said actual wife, her heirs and assigns after my said decease, to her own proper use, behalf and benefit, instituting her my universal legatee.
3º I name and appoint to execute my present will and testament the person of John Coughlan to the discretion of whom I rely for the faithful execution of my will.
4º I revoke, annul, and cancel wills, testaments, and codicils that I could have made before this present will and testament because this present will is the only one that contains my true last will and intentions.
For this done and passed at St. Catherine aforesaid at the residence of the said Testator under the Notarial number sixty four on the seventh day of February in the afternoon in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy five. And this present will having been read to the said Testator in the actual presence of Thomas Crotty, Farmer of the said Parish of St. Catherine, in the said County of Portneuf, and Denis McCarthy, also a Farmer of the same place, witnesses to these presents, he, the said Testator declared to understand it well and that such was his will.
In testimony whereof the said Testator hath signed these presents together with the said witnesses and me, the said Notary, according to Law.
Four marginal naotes are approved. Four words erased are null.
William Donovan, his signature
Thomas Crotty, his signature
Denis McCarthy, his signature
Ls. S. LaRoche, Notary, his signature
Transcribed by Gerald Neville, April 2011
Notes by Patricia Balkcom: William died one month later at the age of 41. His wife, Amelia, was widowed with six children, ages 5 – 15.