| 24th February 1878 Last Will of Henry Hicks Sr. | Transcribed from the records of Notary Charles Henry Andrews, #1646 Quebec Archives Online |
On the twenty fourth day of February in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy eight,
At the request of Henry Hicks, the elder, Boiler Maker, at present residing in the City of Quebec, I Charles Henry Andrews, Public Notary, duly commissioned and sworn and residing in the Parish of St. Sauveur near the City of Quebec and in my office in the Victoria Chambers in the City of Quebec, the said Henry Hicks being in good bodily health and of sound and perfect mind and understanding requested me the said Notary in the presence of John Redmond, Book Keeper, and Charles Fitzpatrick, Advocate with the City of Quebec witnesses to write down and receive his last will and testament which he dictated and named in manner and form following,
I will and direct that all my just debts and funeral expenses be paid after my decease that my funeral be conducted with as little expense as possible and that I be placed in the burying ground belonging to the Church of Scotland in the Parish of St. Gabriel of Valcartier.
I give and bequeath the proceeds of a certain policy of life insurance in the Canada Life office on my life and known under the number eleven hundred and ten to be divided in equal proportions before my children born in lawful wedlock with my deceased wife and also an equal share to my grand daughter Caroline Hicks, daughter of my son Henry; and also in equal shares to my children born and to be born of my present marriage with Malvina Mecteau, and should any of my said children at the time of my decease be under the age of twenty one years then I will and direct that their share or shares be paid to their mother, and should my aforementioned grand daughter not be of the age of twenty one years then I direct that her share be paid to her father Henry Hicks, the younger.
And to the rest and residue of my estate moveable and immoveable I give and bequeath the same to my wife Malvina Mecteau with the exception of my books which I desire divided among my sons of my first marriage and a portion of lot number two hundred and ninety three in the Parish of Valcartier on which a sawmill is built and containing the high way and one acre in depth and bounded in front to the south by the main road in rear to the north and to the east by the lot aforementioned the said portion of land together with the mill and its appurtances I give and bequeath the same to my sons Henry, Edward, and Samuel in equal shares.
And I hereby nominate and appoint Henry Joseph Hicks, my son, and James Hicks, my nephew, all of the Parish of Valcartier to be Executors of this my present last will and testament whose term of office shall continue beyond the term allowed by law hereby revoking and making null and void all former wills by me at any time previously made.
It was thus made, dictated, and named by the said Testator unto me the said Notary in the present will having been read to the said Testator who declared the same to contain his last wishes and hath signed.
Done and executed at the said City of Quebec on the day and year first above written and recorded in the office of Charles H. Andrews, the undersigned Notary, under the number two thousand six hundred and forty six the said Testator having signed the present last will together with the said witnesses and Notary.
Words struck out are null.
H. Hicks, his signature
Charles Fitzpatrick, his signature
John Redmond, his signature
C.H. Andrews, Notary, his signature
Transcribed by Gerald Neville, May 2011
Notes by Patricia Balkcom: Henry lived another 13 years (1891) after this will was made so it is possible that there is a later will. Henry had 5 known sons and 3 daughters with his first wife, Mary Ann Rolph. He then had three known daughters with his second wife, Malvina Mecteau.