| 23rd January 1899 Last Will of Edward McLaughlin (Husband of Bridget McDonald) | From records of Cyrille Renaud No. 1527 Transcribed from the original at the Quebec Archives |
On the twenty third day of January one thousand eight hundred and ninety nine, before me Cyrille Renaud Public Notary residing in the parish of St. Ambroise, undersigned, and Rev. Hugh McGratty and Edward Monaghan, farmer, both of the Parish of St. Gabriel of Valcartier, witnesses requested for the effects of these presents, personally appeared Edward McLaughlin, residing in the Parish of St. Gabriel of Valcartier, Farmer, who being of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding hath requested us, the said Notary and witnesses, to write down and receive in due form of law his last will and testament which he has declared in manner and form following, that is to say:
Firstly and principally, I most willingly resign my soul into the hands of Almighty God my Creator in the humble hope that he will receive it to his favour through the sole merits and intercession of Jesus Christ my Saviour.
Secondly, I desire that all my just debts, funeral and testamentary expenses be paid by my Executor hereinafter named as soon as possible after my death with one anniversary mass.
Thirdly, I give and bequeath to my dearly beloved wife Bridget McDonald the use, usufruct and enjoyment during the term of her natural life of all my moveable and immoveable properties wherever the same may be found and to whatever the same shall amount, hereby constituting my said wife my universal usufructuary legatee,
Fourthly, after the death of my said wife I desire that all my moveable and immoveable properties of which the usufruct is herein granted to his mother, shall belong to my son Owen McLaughlin to the charge by the said Owen McLaughlin to pay to his brother and sisters following, the amount following, that is to say:
I. To Helen McLaughlin, wife of Thomas Murphy, fifty dollars one year after the death of my wife.
II. To Hugh McLaughlin my son the sum of fifty dollars three years after the death of my said wife.
III. To Bridget McLaughlin, wife of John Bowles, the sum of fifty dollars two years after the second payment above mentioned.
IV. To Catherine McLaughlin my daughter the sum of one hundred dollars two years after the third payment above mentioned.
V. To Mary Agnes Bowles, daughter of John Bowles, the sum of fifty dollars at twenty one years of age.
Fifthly, I nominate, constitute and appoint my said wife Bridget McDonald as Executrix of this my will and testament.
Sixthly, I revoke all wills and testament and codicils I may have heretofore made and I declare the present to be my only true last will and testament.
The present will was thus declared by the said Testator to the said Notary in the presence of witnesses and read by the Notary to the Testator in presence of said witnesses, who declared to understand it fully and persist therein.
Done and passed at the residence of the said Testator at St. Gabriel of Valcartier under Notarial Number fifteen hundred and twenty seven, and the Testator having declared his inability to sign his name has made his mark in presence of Notary and witnesses, and the Notary and witnesses have signed in presence of the Testator and in the presence of each other.
One marginal note good.
Edward McLaughlin, his mark;
Hugh McGratty, P.P., his signature;
Edward Monaghan, his signature;
Cy. Renaud, N.P., his signature
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Transcribed by Gerald Neville, July 2011
Notes by Patricia Balkcom: Edward died about one month later at the reported age of 80 years. One son, Francis, predeceased him and another daughter, Susan, is not mentioned in the will although she survived him. His wife, Bridget, lived until 1909.