1st  October 1865
Last Will of Maurice Liddy
Son of Elizabeth Abraham
From the Notary Records of Benjamin Lelievre
No. 1357, Quebec Archives
 Film #M401-4421, Image #851

On this day the 1st of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty five, I, the undersigned Notary Public duly commissioned and sworn for Lower Canada residing in the district of Quebec, at the request of Maurice Liddy, residing in the Seigniory of Saint Gabriel at the place called Valcartier, farmer, went to the residence of the said Maurice Liddy, delegate as aforesaid.

   There being in the presence of Thomas Jack and Adam Maher both of Valcartier, aforesaid farmers. 

Witnesses here unto required for the purposes hereof, the said witnesses.  Signing with me the said Notary, I found the said Maurice Liddy unwell, nevertheless attending his affairs and being sound of mind memory, judgment and understanding as appeared to me the said Notary and to the said above named and undersigned witnesses by his actions, words and discourse. 

   And the said Maurice Liddy

Considering  the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the hour thereof doth hereby makes, publish, declare and dictate unto Benjamin Lelievre  the said undersigned Notary, in the presence of the said above named and undersigned witnesses his last will and testament in managed following, that is to say, the said Maurice Liddy surrenders his soul to God whenever it shall please him to dissolve his mortal body, hoping for a few of pardon and surrender of all his sins through the intercession of his blessed son our Saviour.

   The said Maurice Liddy, doth hereby give and bequeath unto Patrick Liddy one of his brothers, all the immovable property now belonging to him or of which he may possessed of in property at the day of his decease, wherever the same may be found whither in Canada or elsewhere.  At the charge by the same Patrick Liddy of paying to Thomas Liddy, another of his brothers the sum of sixty dollars, which said sum the said Patrick Liddy will be bound to pay to the said Thomas Liddy or order the following periods to wit ten dollars per month after the decease of the said Maurice Liddy and ten dollars every six months after the said first month until the sum of sixty dollars shall be paid, the said same to be paid free of interest.

         The said Maurice Liddy directs that all his moveable effects and households by his executor, herein after named by private or public sale, and to the best advantage have and except all his wearing apparel which he doth hereby give and bequeath unto the said Thomas Liddy his said brother.

      The said Maurice Liddy directs that his body be buried in that manner, and that one solemn grand mass be sung the day of his burial that another solemn grand mass be sung six months after his decease and that another solemn grand mass be sung one year after his decease and that five dollars be exhausted for paid masses to be said for the repose of his soul and that of Patrick Liddy and Elizabeth Abraham his father and mother, deceased in the course of one year after his decease.

    The said Maurice Liddy order and direct that two white marble tombstones be erected, one to his memory and the other to the memory of the said Elizabeth Abraham, his said mother and the cost of each be twenty four dollars.

   And directs that the same be erected by his executors herein after named one to six months after his decease.

    And the said Maurice Liddy decrees that his body when buried be placed along side the remains of his late, lamented mother Elizabeth Abraham.

    The said Maurice Liddy directs that the amount arising from the sale of the moveable effects and household furniture, such as herein above mentioned beforehand to whatever notes at hand, and cash of which he may be possessed of at the time of his decease.  Also to the money he may have deposited in the bank or banks.

     And that out and from the same the cost of his funeral, solemn grand masses, low masses and tombstone be had for his said executors herein after named.

    Hereby authorizing his said executors herein after named to take charge of the day of decision of the said moveable effects and household furniture and also of the said notes of hand, cash and bank deposits.

    And in the event of there being balance of six dollars after the payment of the said costs, then and in that case, the said Maurice Liddy doth hereby give and bequeath the same full property unto the said Patrick Liddy and in the event of the said Patrick Liddy deceasing without leaving any legitimate heirs, then and in that case the said balance of surplus shall be the property and belong to the said Thomas Liddy.

    The said Maurice Liddy doth hereby give and bequeath unto the Roman Catholic Archiepiscopal Corporation of Quebec the sum of forty dollars in trust for the use and benefit as the property of the Roman Catholic Church of Valcartier, which said sum the said Maurice Liddy directs the said executors herein unnamed to pay out and from the said balance surplus in the course of six months his decease.

   The said Maurice Liddy have declaring that the sum of sixty dollars has been donated by the Reverend Patrick Kelly in his own name, the Reverend Patrick Kelly’s but that the said sum so dictated  belong to him the said Maurice Liddy.

   The said Maurice Liddy doth also declare that he paid Reverend Kelly has now charge and possession of his own private check book on the Banque Nationale.

    The said Maurice Liddy hereby authorizing his said executors to charge of the same at the day of his decease.

The said Maurice Liddy doth hereby further declare that he has deposited the sum of one hundred dollars in the Banque Nationale of Quebec which said the said Maurice Liddy directs his executor herein after named to pay Patrick Liddy, his brother, the said sum being left on virtue of the last will of the said Elizabeth Abraham until the said Patrick Liddy, his brother.  But in the event of the said Patrick Liddy deceasing without any legitimate heirs and not claiming the said sum of one hundred dollars, this and in that said, the said Maurice Liddy doth hereby give and bequeath unto the said Shamus Liddy his said brother, he thus may be entitled to and heir of the said Patrick Liddy.

    The said Maurice Liddy doth hereby nominate an agent in the person of Robert Hill, and John Billing of Valcartier, farmer whom he doth hereby request render him this last act of kindness.

    The said Maurice Liddy hereby cancelling obligatory and making valid all former will or wills which may have been made and executed by him the said Maurice Liddy.

    This done and dictated by word of the said Maurice Liddy unto the said Benjamin Lelievre, and the undersigned notary in the presence of the said above named and undersigned on the day and year first above written under the number one thousand three hundred and fifty seven and after having read and reread the present last will and testament unto the said Maurice Liddy which he declared well understand as being his last will and meaning he hath presented therein and hath signed with me the said notary and the said above named and undersigned witness in faith and testimony  of the premises.

Words struck out are null

Marginal notes affirmed as good

Maurice Liddy <his signature>

Thomas Kack <his signature>

Adam Maher  <his signature>

 Benj. Lelievre  <his signature>

Transcribed by Patrick and Barbara Keily, January 31, 2012

Note by Patricia Balkcom:  Maurice died two months later at the young age of 31.