| 25th July 1846 Last Will of Anna Catharina Ehlert Wife of Lieut. Col. Alexander Joseph Wolff | From records of Notary Louis Panet No. 10,545 Quebec Archives Microfilm #4M01-5384 |
On this day the twenty fifth of July one thousand eight hundred and forty six, before us the undersigned Notaries Public duly admitted and sworn in and for that part of the Province of Canada heretofore constituting the Province of Lower Canada and residing in the City of Quebec in the said province, personally came and appeared Mrs. Anna Catharina Ehlert, wife of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Joseph Wolff of the Parish of St. Gabriel of Valcartier in the County and District of Quebec, who being in good bodily health and of perfect mind, memory and understanding did request us the said Notaries to receive and write down her last will and testament which she instantly made, published, dictated and named word for word unto us the said Notaries in manner and form following:
I recommend my soul to Almighty God hoping for a free pardon and remission of all my sins through the intercession of my Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ.
I will and direct that all my just debts be fully paid and satisfied out of my estate and property by my Executor hereinafter named.
I will and direct that immediately after my decease a lawful inventory of all my goods, chattels and property moveable and immoveable of and composing the community or communauté de biens existing between myself and Lieutenant Colonel Wolff, my husband, be taken and closed in due form of law, and thereafter my decease, my said husband do have and enjoy the whole of my property moveable and immoveable in usufruct during his natural life.
I give and bequeath unto Charlotte Mary Eliza Boles Wolff, my daughter, the usufruct during her life of all my right, title, interest in this lot of land known as lot No. thirteen in the First Range or Concession of the Township of Templeton, the same to go and belong after her death to her children lawfully begotten, to whom I give and grant the same in full and absolute property. I likewise give unto Caroline Amelia Wolff, my daughter, the usufruct during her life of all right, title and interest in that other lot of land known as lot No. twenty in the same range of the said township, the same to go and belong after her death to her children lawfully begotten. And should the said Charlotte Mary Eliza Boles Wolff and Caroline Amelia or other one or the other die without children as aforesaid then and in such case it is my will and intention that the property or lot of land thus enjoyed by the deceased under and in virtue of my present last will and testament do fall back and revert to their then surviving brothers and sisters.
And after the decease of the said Alexander Joseph Wolff, my said husband, I give and bequeath the whole of the rest and residue of my property moveable and immoveable unto my children James Fitzgerald Wolff, Jacob George Alexander Wolff, Alexander Arthur Wolff, Charles Stewart Wolff, the said Charlotte Mary Eliza Boles Wolff, the said Caroline Amelia Wolff, and Margaret Maria Wolff now wife of John Parker, Esquire, to be divided between them share and share alike, provided however that those of my said children who have already received certain sums of money or property in lands or otherwise as is established by the books and papers in the possession of the family shall be bound to compensate with my estate and succession and their other brothers and sisters for what they shall have thus have received in advance, that is to say de supporter ou moins prendre as the law directs in such cases. But I wish it to be well understood that the particular legacies herein before made to my daughter Charlotte Mary Eliza Boles Wolff and Caroline Amelia Wolff and their children are made exclusive of their respective share in my estate and succession and without prejudice thereto.
Lastly, I name and appoint the said Alexander Joseph Wolff my husband Executor of this my last will and testament hereby revoking and cancelling all former wills and codicils at any time heretofore by me made and declaring the present to be my only true last will and testament.
It was thus made, dictated and named word for word by the said Anna Catharina Ehlert, Testatrix, unto us the said Notaries and afterwards the said will and testament having been read over and over again, lu et relu to the said Testatrix by one of us the said Notaries the other being present, she declared that she had perfectly heard and understood the same and found it to contain her last will and intentions and persisted in the contents thereof.
Done and passed at the City of Quebec on the day and year above written in the office of Louis Panet one of the said Notaries where the undersigned his colleague attended for the purpose and was present all the time, the said Anna Catharina Ehlert Testatrix having declared that she could not write nor sign her name for the presents on account of a temporary indisposition which deprives her of the use and command of her right hand when requested so to do after these presents had been twice read to her aforesaid.
Thirteen words erased are null.
R. Lelièvre, N.P., his signature;
Ls. Panet, N.P., his signature
Translated and transcribed by Gerry Neville
Notes by Patricia Balkcom: Anna died in 1883, almost 40 years later. Also, her husband predeceased her by 20 years so it is possible that there is a later will.